Ignore the Bloviating Atheists, Being a Minister is Awesome!

 
Strange postings on an Atheist blog. It seems that we ministers are in crises and need help from friendly atheists. No, not really. Most of us ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ are pretty happy with what we do. We live a wonderful life of sharing and caring. We help people when they are suffering. We spend time with people when they are alone. We bring peace to the hearts of our friends when they are troubled. Being a minister is a wonderful life. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.
 
However, it’s not an easy life. Jesus said that those of us who go forth proclaiming the gospel are going to run into trouble. He wasn’t kidding. We ministers face tons of rejection. People come to our churches and our homes and then disappear without a word. We develop close personal relationships with people, who then turn on us when things don’t go their way. Ministers are a lightning rod for the problems that churn up in the hearts of our parishioners. And those problems get dumped upon us. And of course, our imperfections get thrown into the craziness as well. I’ll tell you my friends, being a pastor is a wonderful life, but it ain’t easy.
 
I can’t speak for all ministers, but I can speak for the large majority. We have enthusiastically embraced a movement that is much larger than ourselves. A movement that is much larger than the planet we inhabit. We have embraced the vision of the universal Family of God. An eternity of loving and supportive relationships built upon the foundation of a loving and supportive universal parent. This vision of an eternity in the loving embrace of God and God’s children fires us ministers up. And we want to share that vision and spread it around because we think it is awesome! Our vision is of an eternity of loving God and loving God’s children. And not only do we embrace it, we live it.
 
No one knows what the future holds. None of us know if circumstances force us to change our jobs, or the place where we live. All of us stand at a crossroads, even us ministers. Still, there is one thing I know for sure. No matter what I end up doing, or where I end up living I will always remain a minister of the Good News of Jesus Christ. And that is because living the life of a minister is a life worth living.
 
God bless you,
Pastor Bill