The Book That Reads Me

In the 1950s one of the churches I was serving held a picnic at an Oregon state park. For a brief time I found myself in conversation with another group in the same park. On learning that I was a pastor one person in that group said Oh you poor man! As the conversation went on it became evident that the remark was not based on a perception of my economic condition but on some previous experience of a churchs demands on a pastors time. I did not share such a negative view of a pastors life then nor have I done so since. Serving as a pastor of a parish is not always easy but it is a fulfilling learning experience learning with and from parishioners. Over the years I have had the opportunity to see God at work in the lives of individuals marriages families: To see how the Holy Spirit led a man who wanted nothing to do with things Christian become an elder and a leader in evangelistic outreach; to watch young people who were given opportunity to serve in the local church decide to go to seminary and become pastors themselves; and to receiving during a worship service a phone call from a dear lady calling from her hospital bed to say she was praying for the church gathered.Central in the Bible is the message of the love of God in Jesus Christ. I am writing in the hope and prayer that this life-changing redeeming love of Christ may occupy the center not the periphery of our lives and be the main motivator of all we think and do.Bob Hampel