Oh, you're the pastor??

So, what do you do for a living? Funny how our vocation gives us our identity. We often get so entwined with what we do that who we are gets lost in the mix. Stereotypes are so limiting. Don't you think? I am a pastor serving Christ wherever he calls me and to whom he places near me at any given moment. It is a bit unsettling to me when I am engaged in something less than pastoral and get a surprised response from another person. Oh, you're the pastor??

For instance:

1. I am a husband who loves his wife and will often be seen giving her a kiss in public. "Oh, you're the pastor?"

2. I am a father who loves his kids and grandkids and will sometimes be with them rather than with church members. "Oh, you're the pastor?"

3. I am a wannabe mechanic and will sometimes be seen wrenching on a vehicle just because I can and it gives me a sense of accomplishment. (Saves money too!) "Oh, you're the pastor?"

4. I wear ball caps and sun glasses when I run and to some I look like a hoodlum. "Oh, you're the pastor?"

5. I run and think health and fitness are important to my vocation. "Oh, you're the pastor?"

6. When I run, I listen to an eclectic mix of music that might set the hair on the back of your neck at attention. "Oh, you're the pastor?"

7. I love gardening, hunting, cutting grass, washing windows, and a multitude of other menial laborius tasks. "Oh, you're the pastor?"

I am called by God to serve and offer God's grace and love to a hurting, broken, and complex world. YES, I am the pastor and so much more. I am a child of God created, redeemed, and equipped to be at #lewistownfirstumc for such a time as this!! Who are you?