Revdarth.com

There are times when being a pastor is really really hard. The last few days have been one of those times. I am a pastor in a church in South Dakota and on Friday, we had one of our members die very suddenly. This isn’t all that unusual and I honestly have done probably over 60 funerals in the time I have served this congregation. At times, I feel like it is too easy for pastors and other “religious professionals” to do funerals because how often they occur in our callings, but that’s another topic entirely. Anyway, this woman was a healthy, strong, energetic, faithful 51 year old who suffered a stroke out of the blue. There were no risk factors, no family history, nothing that would make one stop and say “she’s at risk.” Just a call on our emergency line early Wednesday morning asking one of us to come to the ER.

Its in these times that I can hear the echoes of my past theological leanings - what a perfect opportunity to share the Gospel! Remind people that we can be taken at any time! Live every moment like you think it will be your last! Repent now! I know those words because I have spoken those words in the past in connection with not only invididual events, but larger ones as well. I remember those who went to NYC in the weeks after 9-11 to distribute tracts and other Gospel “literature” trying to get people to convert. It just horrifies, saddens, and pains me to hear that stuff. A podcast I listen to quite often reflected on this very topic recently - Wired Jesus.com

Anyway, back on topic. Through my experiences of ministry here, I have changed a great deal. I used to go the route of how all things will eventually make sense, will be clear, etc. I don’t know if I can say that today. I think it goes back to the old cliche of how one can see too much and be unalterably changed after that. I have seen too much in these last several years, both in the lives of the people who I serve, but also in the world to say that everything all fits together into some grand beautiful puzzle somehow.

Back in the day, if I read those words from someone else, I would probably have questioned whether they were really a faithful Christian. Thankfully that’s not the case today. I don’t know how someone can really enter into the pain and suffering of human life without some realization that there is stuff that happens that just doesn’t make sense and causes us to say to God, “What is going on?”

I guess this just continues my thoughts from a few weeks ago about Tom’s podcast (linked above)…a never ending question…God are you listening?