Monday, June 22, 2009

What a Man

Friday after my toolbelt cowboy came home from work he came in, said hello and went right back out and never came in again. After hearing a strange noise in the yard I poked my head out and saw this strange sight. I thought, "What is all this?".


I peeked my head around the garage and saw this. What is he doing? I thought. Doesn't he know it's a 100 degrees outside?



I like to watch him measure and work with his tools. This always amazes me when he is doing precise stuff. So I asked him, "Mike, what are you doing?"


He said "I'm building a cross. For the Church. God has laid it on my heart to build 3 crosses to put out by the road and I'm going to light up the middle one. Jesus is the light.". Could my heart have melted any more at that moment in time? I think not.
And he built all 3 of them. They are at the church now waiting for the holes to be dug. I'll take a picture when they are all set up.
I am just to taken back at the change before my eyes. To see him make those crosses, it sure was something. The family came out to watch just in time for him to drill in 5 or 6 inch screws into the cross and boy let me tell you, that caused a moment of reflection for all of us.
We had a great Father's Day & I hope everyone else did too. The preaching was awesome at church. We had a great day together as a family. My poor parents could not say the same. They went to their church and did not get such a pleasant sermon. On Father's Day of all days...... they sat down to hear a wonderful sermon and instead were introduced to the Church's lawyer who also happens to be a pastor and he informed the entire congregation that the board had fired the Pastor of the Church. (Pause for shocking intake of breath!) He then said that they would not tell anybody why on that day but if they wanted to know why they could come on Wed. night and they would give the full story. ( Pause for a what the heck moment?) All he would tell them was that the Pastor wasn't taking the church in the direction they wanted it to go and that the pastor was more interested in being a teacher than a pastor. Mom said one couple was so angry they stormed out of the building and then others followed. I gotta tell ya, I would have done the same thing. Father's Day was ruined for hundreds of people over there. Everybody loved Pastor Seth. I loved Pastor Seth. Pastor Seth's sermons were journal entry sermons. You always had great notes to take and learned so many things from him. He was really funny too. I mean really funny. They Pastor he replaced was my wonderful pastor for years and years and although we loved his annointed preaching you NEVER got to talk to him. You had to make an appointment Tuesday through Friday from 9 to 5. He taught us only. So I don't understand the whole firing because he taught & not pastored thing. Um, we've never been truly pastored there. Plus, the former pastor had the church in bankruptcy and other churches in town were fighting over who was going to get to buy the big ole church on the hill. It was in the papers, it was ugly. But Pastor Seth turned the finances around, sent back equiptment that wasn't being used that was being paid for and the companies actually took it back!! He renegociated every debt and eliminated so much waste that the church didn't have to close and actually was paying off debt. Hmm, that sounds like pastoring to me. My mom is slowly dying and is hospitalized a lot. Our former pastor never came to visit her, he sent other pastors. Pastor Seth has come to visit himself at least 3 times that I know of. That sure sounds like pastoring to me. I don't get it. I feel hurt and I sure do feel bad for the folks still at True Life Church because they lost a wonderful pastor. My poor dad, it ruined his day. He sure did love Pastor Seth and his family. My mom did too. They have a brand new baby also. I know how wonderful that family is though and I know God will guide them to a better place. A place with less drama I hope. Oh but my heart hurts for them, truly he was a wonderful pastor. I don't care what anybody on the board says.
Well, we had a wonderful weekend otherwise and I sure hope everyone else did too. My daughter and I had a great experience praying out loud together praying the prayer of agreement and the prayer was answered immediately and boy was she just so excited. I was too but being 9 and having an immediate answer that you prayed for was over the top for her. Thank you Lord for doing that for us as I teach her to pray. You are the BEST!!




6 comments:

Kim said...

Oh my goodness, what a post! So much happiness and sadness all at once. I hate to see something like that happen to a church. We had the opposite experience at my home church of 30+ years. A Pastor that just turned everybody away. He was cold and mean and sneaky and my whole family eventually left. But we found a new church that we just love and have a whole new wonderful church family. You never know what God has in store for you. I will pray for your parent's church.
Kim

Karen said...

I was so touched by your husband's love for Jesus. And I am sorry to hear of the sad story of the pastor who was fired. I pray for him and for the congregation.

Lisa said...

How awful! Maybe they can go to Pastor Seth's new church. As great as he sounds it won't take long for some congregation to snap him right up. I'm so sorry it ruined your Dad's Father's Day.:(

Lisa said...

PS I think it's so awesome your hubby built those crosses!

Shanda said...

Wow, that post hit severe highs and lows emotionally!!

I teared up about your husband making those crosses! It is amazing to watch when God gets a hold of someone you love's heart. What a beautiful moment!

It seems the true pastor's heart of days ago are being replaced by those who can draw the numbers...I am praying for Pastor Seth and his family. That God would offer peace and healing and direct them to an amazing new place of service.

The pain the body of Christ often inflicts upon it's own is so much more intense than from someone who never professed to know Christ. I am also praying they will not get discouraged or become bitter.

"Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do..." comes to mind.

dawnkristine said...

Wow...that is not what the church is supposed to be about. Pastor Seth and his congregation will be better off without the politics going on here.