My Favorite Church

Sunday morning, the head of the Deacon Board called all four of us pastors up onto the stage and expressed the church's appreciation for us and presented us with a tangible example of that appreciation in the form of a gift card to a local restaraunt which represents a night out for my wife and I.  After the regular morning service, we had our quarterly business meeting which went smooth as usual and included the exciting information that giving is above budget while spending is below.  For a penny pincher like myself, that was exciting.   Neither of these facts was the most exciting part of the day.  Watching people grow together in unity, watching the church come together in strength of purpose and love.  Meeting with the small group leaders who are eager to lead Bible studies.  All these things are the most exciting parts of being in Bean's Corner Church.

BUT...

Bean's Corner is not my favorite church.  It has a lock on second favorite to be sure, but it isn't #1.  I'm with my most favorite church this morning.  I'm sitting at our kitchen table typing this on my laptop while my two oldest children are sitting with me, quietly doing their language arts.  My third child is quietly singing to himself in the living room as he builds with the Lincoln Log train track, and my fourth is down for his nap.  Mom is at her last day of work at CEF, having given her notice.  After 13 years she is getting done to have more time for the demands of homeschooling three and raising an infant while also participating in church and camp ministry.

THIS is my favorite church.  My primary calling is to shepherd this family.  I am in a state of constant learning how to do it, but I am enjoying learning and I love the relationships I get to build here at home.  Laying on the floor with the baby, encouraging him in learning to push himself up.  Pitching in with the teaching on my day off, reading to them at night when I'm home, spending time just talking things through with my wife.  These are the wonderful parts of shepherding.

I find as I do a good job learning to be a shepherd at home, I become a better shepherd at my second favorite church.  The gentleness, communication skills, the ability to correct someone in love and guide someone without pushing are all skills that I develop at home and then am able to utilize at church.  I truly believe that is why Paul insisted that the church look at a man's shepherding ability at home before it placed him in a position of shepherding at church.

So sorry, Bean's Corner, but you're not my first love as a church.  You'll always be second.  I think we'll all stay happier that way.  :)