How funny were you?

Yesterday I heard a radio DJ talking about a creative kind of "concert."  There is a troup of daring folks who tour the country hosting events in which they present on stage readings of poetry.  In these events, the performers read their own poetry, written when they were teenagers.  They read their own poetry, or prose, and sing the songs they wrote, and they invite the audience to join them in laughing at themselves.  It sounds like a riot.

To make it more engaging, they invite the audience to bring their own teenage creative works and share them  from the stage.  Every evening presents fresh, raw insights into human nature and the angst of teenage-hood.

I wish I could remember more of my teenage thoughts.  I will have to look through my old journals, dating back to probably age 17; before that, I don't think I wrote down anything but school assignments.  (And some of those make me laugh, too.)  If I did write anything, I'm sure it's a hoot.

In the teen years, everything seems so intense; every turn of events feels like life or death (OK, especially for the girls).  In a few years, those turns of fate look like the turning of the leaves--no big deal, bound to happen.  And we can laugh at ourselves.

So, at the end of our lives, or even in heaven, I wonder what we will look back on and laugh.

I cared about that job?  I wanted to buy that car?  I fretted over that bill?  I let that criticism bother me?  I thought that mistake would wreck my life?  I worried over that tragedy that never happened? I stayed up all night to prepare for that meeting?

I want to go ahead and laugh now.

Advice for Pastors

I’ve been doing this 25 years.  With a Master of Divinity degree in 1988, I was called to serve as pastor of Coolidge Memorial Baptist Church in Coolidge, GA.  My home church, Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC, ordained me in November 1988.  I had no idea what I was doing.  I have served three churches over this quarter century, and I may still not know what I'm doing. 

For what it’s worth, here are a few of my observations:

• You don’t do this for the money. 

• Ministry will take over your life (if you let it), and you won’t have a life.

• Ministry gets real when you get real.

• Ministry gets fun when you stop taking yourself so seriously.

• God is hammering away at you.  He always will be.

• Truth is more important than any planning tool or strategy.

• You are in this for truth, not accomplishment.

• God will take care of you.

• Don’t fake vision.  It won’t work.

• You know God’s ultimate vision:  reconciliation through the cross.

• Keep vision simple and let God bring out the details over time.

• The silver bullet is the cross.

• You can’t do it all, but you can try.  Trying to do it all will steal your soul.

• Trust God to be at work.

• Your sin of avoiding Sabbath is destroying your soul and your ministry.

• Keep it in perspective.  Most problems are not that big a deal.

• Jesus cares more about your soul than your ministry.

• Keep a good attitude.  Your joy means more than your most inspired plans.

• Give it up.  Let God have a turn.

• Don’t give up.  You are doing more good than you realize.

• Laugh.   At yourself, at your first-world problems.

• Have fun on purpose.  Make it a priority.

• The joy of the Lord is your strength. 

 

Here’s to the next 25 years of ministry!