Ain't that rich

Ah, there's a story that goes with this pic

“What liberty a minster enjoys in the disposition of his time! No other man but the retired millionaire is such a monarch of his day as is the minister. He can read on Monday morning, or write, or walk, or mingle all three, just as he deems best. On Tuesday morning he can attend to his correspondence, or catalogue his library, or eat the heart out of some new book, or meet a company of friends, just as he decides. The order of his going out and coming in is largely at his own discretion. Within wide limits he is the monarch of all the hours he surveys. Such liberty is dangerous; it has spoiled its thousands.”

The Minister as Shepherd by Charles E. Jefferson (1860-1937)

I may have been in charge of this gathering
but these dear ones really stole the show

It's Friday afternoon and as I look back on the week that was I'd say overall its been a pretty good week. I've chaired a city council meeting at City Hall and participated in an elder's gathering at the home of two of our elders. I've enjoyed prayer alone and also prayer with others – at a prayer cabin in rural New Auburn with fellow ministers and with fellow coaches at a home in town. I subbed a day at Roselawn Elementary and also read to kids at the same place as I am wont to do a couple mornings each week. I led a service at Atrium (our local nursing home) on Wednesday and enjoyed lunch at The Center with an elderly couple from town on Friday. I've taken opportunities to read as well as to meditate on God's Word. I took my wife out for lunch yesterday afternoon and then attended the wrestling match between C-WPF and Bloomer-Colfax last night. Tonight I plan to attend a dance recital of the daughter of some friends of ours and tomorrow night a group of us plan to go caroling downtown. If variety is the spice of life, well I guess you could say my week has been fairly well seasoned.

This was a few weeks ago where the mayor was asked to speak
on municipal government at Roselawn

I love what I do. I'm so grateful that I don't punch a clock nor have to walk the same beaten path day after day. While I keep my leadership team well-informed of my comings and goings I do this without any sense of obligation or feeling that someone is looking over my shoulder. Years ago I asked my leadership team for a job description to wit they replied (in so many words), “Why would we want to do that? We want you to tend to the things you feel God has given you to do.” The more I think on that moment the more thankful I am that they refused to give me what I asked for – and for the trust that is implied in that refusal.

Cross is one of my favorite times of year

When it comes to pastoring, I don't have a lot of expectations that I labor under other than the usual suspects – lead the weekly worship gatherings of the fellowship I serve, preach, teach, visit those who are ill or have become infrequent, lead the regularly scheduled leadership meetings - you know, the pastorly things we expect pastors to do. If I chose to, I guess I could lounge around all week at home and do as little as possible for the building up of the church. Maybe that is what Jefferson is alluding to when he says that the liberty of my time is a pretty precarious thing. But what a boring life that would be – and how narrow. Throughout the course of the year I'm coaching high school and middle school athletes (in the fall and the spring), reading to elementary kids, hashing through civil and community matters, ministering to inmates at the county jail, preaching and teaching the Word, leading our monthly deacon's meeting, subbing at school, and participating in all kinds of prayer gatherings. And this is to say nothing about the plethora of lunch or coffee “dates” I'll have with others throughout the course of a given year or the pop-in visits that I regularly experience (and enjoy). No, I'm pretty lucky for the freedom that I enjoy doing the work that I feel I was born to do.

"Bar-hopping" (a caroling experience) is always fun

I'm not going to get a raise this year from Refuge. They can only give out what they take in and frankly, it's not been a good year. But while they can't compensate me financially beyond what they do now Jefferson is so right when he reminds me that “no other man but the retired millionaire is such a monarch of his day as is the minister”. So true. By that definition, I'm a pretty wealthy man and grateful for the trust that I have been endowed with. Here's hoping and praying I'll continue to honor God with that liberty as I continue to seek the shalom of the city I have been carried to (Jeremiah 29:7).