There are times when you just have to sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy what is happening around you. There are times when your world comes crashing down around you from an unexpected direction and is totally NOT understood. Then as your wounds are being licked and you try to understand the WHAT and the WHY, you come to the conclusion that it wasn't all that bad after all. You also determine that it is all part of God's unblemished plan for you and that there was grace and opportunity within, that actually makes sense. THAT's where the enjoyment and amazement comes in.
I have been dreaming and wishing for years for the opportunity to some day be qualified and able to be a Pastor of a church. That day came when we moved to West Tennessee over four years ago. We are members of the United Methodist Church. It was founded by John Wesley when the United States was an infant. It comprised of many individuals called "Circuit Riders", that traveled between different congregations (churches) in the developing wilderness of this great country of ours. Some routes brought the traveling ministers to a church once a month or even longer, depending on the area being served. In the mean time, the congregations continued in Bible Study and accountability of each others actions, etc. Like we as the Body of Christ still do today, but usually with our Pastor with us all the time. So, as United Methodists, our Pastors are itinerant to some degree as they are assigned to locations on an average of every four or five years, depending on the Conference they are in or even the district. With that said, I am a United Methodist Lay Servant (previously called Lay Speaker) and have been for over 25 years now. Through this period, I have had the privilege to fill in for Pastors of other churches as they requested, or as the Director of Lay Speaking Ministries or Resource Directors have asked. I was doing that more and more since my move to this beautiful part of the world called Tennessee. One day our District Superintendent called me into his office and asked how I liked the people of a little country church that I had been serving for a couple weeks for their Pastor who had undergone some medical challenges. I told him I was really enjoying the time with them a lot. He then asked the question that I have been wanting to hear for many, many years. "Would you be willing to be their Pastor?" What a beautiful sentence that was. It was a learning experience that I shall never forget. I had been given the opportunity of a life time. I felt the joy that only God can give. What love and affection. Although it was quite a drive to and from the church, and the fact that I was assigned as a part-time Pastor, I did what I felt called to do. I was honored to visit members that were in several of the local hospitals (also quite a distance to drive), nursing homes, convalescent homes, rehab centers, paid visits with my Lay Leader to several members (men and Ladies) homes, and was a very frequent attendee at the Wednesday evening Youth Gathering. After 10 months of wonderful and cherished times with the congregation, I found myself in the hospital and diagnosed with an incurable lung challenge that would require learning to live with oxygen assistance. I had been blessed with modern technology in the form of a small unit that looks like a purse but hums as it generates my breathing needs. I never missed a Sunday during all this. I was in and out of the hospital in four days and back in the pulpit the following Sunday. It was then that I found out that it would be better for someone else to continue their Pastoral needs after a very intense meeting. What a devastation for me to accept.
That is when the healing time progressed and I had time, with the stabilizing assistance from my loving wife to start going to a church that we had served for a two month period some time ago, while their Pastor was on maternity leave. This church has an active Youth program and has a Spirit that surrounds anyone coming into their presence. It reminded us of the church in Nevada that we left when we moved East. Things started to fall into place almost immediately. I found the opportunity to continue my love of music by helping out the pianist at Worship. The Youth are such a blessing, and I was asked to share my music at one of their Sunday evening meetings. I was given a suggestion of a musical journey towards Christ. I thought that was a FANTASTIC idea, and went to work picking songs to do just that. The evening came, and it was a wonderful, cool in the shade, evening on the wooden deck between the Church and the Fellowship Hall. That evening a young lady decided to accept Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior! It was quite a blessing for all of us that evening. She was later Baptized when the church spent a weekend at our Methodist Camp on the Tennessee river...along with three others that had made that decision the night before during a time of song and testimony in one of our lodges. What a glorious time for our church, and for those youth! Pictures are on my Facebook Page for you to see how wonderful it was.
After much thought and inner searching, I have come to the conclusion: My relationship with God is strong. I feel strongly that He has allowed me to experience what I had been wanting and working toward for years . . . to Pastor a church. Now His soft voice is telling me this: "I have let you have what YOU wanted, now I want you to do what I want . . . to use your musical gifts to build the Church." With the help of Pastor Paul, the wonderful pianist Sandra, and the many awesome people God has put together at Gibson Wells United Methodist Church, I feel that the time has come to expand the music (which is God's inspiration) ministry to help bring others to be Disciples of Christ for the betterment of the community and the world.
I do wish to have the opportunity to preach the Word of God whenever I am asked, and maybe some day before this life is over, a Pastoral opportunity is again offered. In the mean time, Music is what I will be focused on and will work toward our ultimate goal of reaching out to others through music, to seek out a relationship with Father God, Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Your prayers for our success is appreciated and you will be blessed.
Remember,
keep singing, keep praying and above all . . . keep laughing
Blessings,
Gary
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