Just thinking...

RIDING
In the past week we've had two different bicyclists stop by the church. Sunday night a guy came in just when we were finishing up our bingo night. He asked if he could pitch his tent out by the pavilion. We gave him some food and water, and I left the restrooms open for him. He had biked from Youngstown, OH out to California and up to Washington, then came back through Utah, Colorado and such. He left on May 18, and said he goes about 100 miles a day. He looked pretty weather-worn.

Yesterday we had a couple - a young guy and girl - stopped during the afternoon and asked to use our restroom. There were 3 of us out front putting new carpet down on the step (well, I was watching them do it). This couple had started with their rear wheels in the ocean in New Jersey, and were going to stop at the river between Wisconsin and Minnesota. They said they were doing it to raise money for a missions trip to Guatamala. I didn't ask how they were raising the money. At any rate, they left NJ two weeks ago. Said they could only do about 60 miles a day through Pennsylvania, but things were leveling out now.

LISTENING
I have also had a couple of conversations this past week with new people to our church. The one couple said they just decided to go to church one day because it was their wedding anniversary. They hadn't gone anywhere for a long, long time. They picked ours because we have a big "Welcome" sign above the door. The other person I talked to hadn't attended church since moving to this area - maybe 10 years ago or so. She attends with her in-laws and children. Apparently they picked ours because of a postcard we had sent out about our pavilion over a year ago.

It was odd, because both of them referred to things that I had said on Sunday mornings. I have to admit, sometimes I forget that people are actually listening. I think I occasionally get in a frame of mind where I think people are "over the influence." You know, people have listened to me for so long that I no longer have any influence in their lives. Not that "I" should, but that the Good News I talk about should. I'm ashamed to admit that it was almost a jolt back into reality of the gravity of what I do and say. The implications could be great - in either a negative or positive way.

PRAYING
People are fragile beings, you know. I feel bad about the times I have forgotten that, or been abusive with my words. I recall Max Lucado said something about trying to remember that there is a hurting person in every pew. On my bulletin board above my desk I have a note from our former denominational director - he titled it "When I Stand Before The Flock to Preach." He said:

I was asked last evening what it was like to stand in the pulpit and look over the congregation... what would go through my mind? I shared that when I was pastoring, I would look at the sea of faces and remember situations individuals were going through, those whose children were far from the Kingdom, those whose marriages were about to break apart, those who grieved over the loss of a friend or loved one, those who were new believers and taking their first steps in the faith, those whose faith was being challenged from every angle and on and on. How can one message by one person meet all of those needs? It can't... but praise the Lord, the Holy Spirit can... and knew the situations when He met with me during the week as I poured over the Word. When the benediction concluded the service there was a sense of our having met with our God and a renewed passion to Proclaim the Name!

He concluded by saying he would be praying for those of us who stand in the pulpit Sunday after Sunday. I used to love receiving emails from him.

The other night someone found out I played guitar and asked what kind of music I played. I said my "fall-back song" is usually "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" by Dylan.

Knockin'.