Turn The Page

At this moment I'm sitting in my office at the Nazarene Church in Canal Fulton, Ohio. I'm a senior pastor now, and the thing that is continuously running through my mind is "What the heck have I gotten myself into?" Nothing has even started yet. Only the church board knows I'm in the office today, the rest of the church is waiting for Sunday, oh yeah, Easter is my first Sunday in the pulpit as senior pastor.

It's fitting really, and honestly when I started this whole process I was really hoping it would work out for Easter to be the first Sunday. It's the most important day in History, the day that sin death and hell were finally defeated. It's a day of celebration, of life, of hope.

It'a exciting, and absolutely terrifying. I am now responsible for the spiritual leadership of a group of people. I'm just a 24 year old kid who has no idea what he's doing and most of the time just makes it up as he goes. But honestly I think that's kind of how it should be.

Today as I got to the church, I went to the sanctuary and got in a position I haven't been in for a while. I laid down on my back and simply surrendered to God. I believe the first words out of my mouth were, "Oh boy."

As the pages of my story now turn to this next chapter I have to remember a few things. First is that none of this is up to me, the success or failure here is not going to be determined by me. It's all up to God, so that should really take a ton of pressure off. I've written before about Robin Mark's song, "When it's all been said and done" and really that's what it comes down to, "God while I'm here help me simply to do the best I can to live for truth and to live for you."

Secondly, I need to remember the encouragement of friends, mentors, and professors. A few weeks ago I was given the greatest compliment of my life by one of my professors. In the last few weeks I've talked with my mentors about me feelings and they have given me nothing but encouragement. Friends have poured reassurance into my life. With all of that the prayer is one my mentor Doug shared with me, "God make me the man everyone else already sees me to be."

Third, remember my training, both in school and in the field. I have been prepared for this by some of the greatest pastors who have ever lived. I have seen what to do and what not to do, the way to lead and how not to. And honestly this is simply another opportunity to learn. This is simply another gauntlet to prepare me for whatever the plan is.

And finally, I'm not in this alone. God brought me here, and He isn't leaving. My mentor Doug has already told me that he is walking with me through this first year. My professors are simply an email away. Family and friends are close by.

I close with the words of Jabez, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" (NASB)

Peace be with you