Decision Time

I haven't posted much in the past couple of weeks. It's not because I haven't had the time and it's not because my mind isn't working. It's because I have been consumed with something that will come to a climax this weekend. I have been asked to be the pastoral candidate for a church this weekend. This invitation could turn out to be the assignment that God has been preparing me for over the past several years.

This Saturday evening I will have the opportunity to meet with the church congregation at large in an informal setting so we can get a sense of one another. They will have the opportunity to ask whatever is on their minds as we begin the important process of determining if this is the direction God is leading all of us. I will preach in the the Sunday morning service and in the Sunday evening service I will share from my heart my vision for pastoral ministry. A vote will follow. If the congregation votes to ask me to become their pastor, and Carole and I accept the invitation, We all begin to write a new chapter in the church's history. Pretty much the usual way things are done in this type of situation.

I have been involved in this sort of thing before, but never as the candidate. I have been the member who is required to discern in a very few hours something with long-lasting consequences. I have been the leader of a pastor search committee who spent countless hours praying, talking, and researching while waiting to hear from God. I have experienced the uneasiness of knowing in my heart that I have heard from God but knowing that the final decision wasn't mine, but was entrusted to the votes of people who would just have a brief opportunity to discern what I had found over the many visits. And I have been a staff pastor who was hired by the person who is no longer in place. I have known the uncertainty of wondering what the new leadership structure would look like and if I would be invited to be a part of it.

Pastoral transition is difficult on everyone even in the best of cases. The stress that results from the realization of the importance of the decision can cause us to question the motives of others. All of us need to pray for more grace as we approach the coming climax on Sunday night. For me, the situation is simple. Is this where God is calling me, or is there another place He wishes to use me? For the local church, the situation is a little more complex. Pray with me that this local church can come together in unity and trust in God and in one another. I am confident that they will. Then, whatever the outcome Sunday night, the Kingdom of God can go forward.