Parson to Person
#7 - An ongoing 'imaginative/non-fictional' series.
Robin and I spoke for the better part of an hour. As she left I revisited our conversation in my mind. I don’t know that I provided any answers for her. I found myself listening, and when I did speak, agreeing with her – there are many times when I don’t understand God. I was thankful that she asked me about my faith. I was glad to be able to tell her that I don’t have all the answers and that much about God remains a mystery to me. I shared my conclusion with her that, if He weren’t mysterious to me, He would be more a product of my imagination than God. She laughed and her mood lightened greatly when I assured her that, from the sounds of it, there was probably little about my life that would pass mustard with her aunt’s religious virtues. Our conversation ended on the topic of coincidence. I agreed with Robin – I don’t believe that all she is going through and that our meeting was a coincidence. I believe it is God desiring for her to know His love.
I was startled out of my thoughts by a voice, “Good afternoon Pastor.”
Standing in the doorway were Jay and Evelyn Dukes. “We didn’t see Lois. Would you have a few minutes for us?”
I rose to greet them. “Please come in and take a seat.”
Evelyn began, “Pastor, this is awkward. I don’t know where to begin.”
Jay took over, “I do! Pastor, we’re concerned that we’ve become very lax here at Covenant. We’re concerned that the gospel is being watered down. We’re concerned about compromise.”
Evelyn spoke up, “Pastor, what have you done about the unmarried couple with the illegitimate children we warned you about?”
“Done? Evelyn, what is it that you think I should have done? I sent them a letter thanking them for visiting the church. If they show up again next week I’ll likely ask them if they received my letter and invite them to my next Pizza with the Pastor luncheon in January. And I suppose I will ask them how their children (it took every ounce of restraint I could muster to keep from sarcastically mirroring their use of the word ‘illegitimate’) have liked our children’s program.”
You could have cut the tension in the air. Uncomfortable with the momentary silence, I asked, “Is this what you have in mind when you say that we’re lax, or watering down the gospel, or compromising?”
Robin and I spoke for the better part of an hour. As she left I revisited our conversation in my mind. I don’t know that I provided any answers for her. I found myself listening, and when I did speak, agreeing with her – there are many times when I don’t understand God. I was thankful that she asked me about my faith. I was glad to be able to tell her that I don’t have all the answers and that much about God remains a mystery to me. I shared my conclusion with her that, if He weren’t mysterious to me, He would be more a product of my imagination than God. She laughed and her mood lightened greatly when I assured her that, from the sounds of it, there was probably little about my life that would pass mustard with her aunt’s religious virtues. Our conversation ended on the topic of coincidence. I agreed with Robin – I don’t believe that all she is going through and that our meeting was a coincidence. I believe it is God desiring for her to know His love.
I was startled out of my thoughts by a voice, “Good afternoon Pastor.”
Standing in the doorway were Jay and Evelyn Dukes. “We didn’t see Lois. Would you have a few minutes for us?”
I rose to greet them. “Please come in and take a seat.”
Evelyn began, “Pastor, this is awkward. I don’t know where to begin.”
Jay took over, “I do! Pastor, we’re concerned that we’ve become very lax here at Covenant. We’re concerned that the gospel is being watered down. We’re concerned about compromise.”
Evelyn spoke up, “Pastor, what have you done about the unmarried couple with the illegitimate children we warned you about?”
“Done? Evelyn, what is it that you think I should have done? I sent them a letter thanking them for visiting the church. If they show up again next week I’ll likely ask them if they received my letter and invite them to my next Pizza with the Pastor luncheon in January. And I suppose I will ask them how their children (it took every ounce of restraint I could muster to keep from sarcastically mirroring their use of the word ‘illegitimate’) have liked our children’s program.”
You could have cut the tension in the air. Uncomfortable with the momentary silence, I asked, “Is this what you have in mind when you say that we’re lax, or watering down the gospel, or compromising?”
2 Comments:
If I expect the pastor's words to fall on deaf ears, to not get through - is that a lack of faith on my part? I think so.
By Radioactive Jam, at 12/13/2005 8:54 PM
I had a fairly similar conversation with folks I know that had visited Christ's Church. I am grateful we are "lax" if this is what lax is.
D--
By Higher Up, Further In, at 12/14/2005 3:07 PM
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