If you had the day off yesterday because of the Labor Day Holiday, I hope you enjoyed the day. For many, it’s back to work today.
Among the favorite gospel songs of my childhood pastor, Bill Schroeder, was We’ll Work ‘Til Jesus Comes. We sang it enough at my home church that I sing the chorus with easy recall. It is a toe-tappin’ folk tune that prompts the singer to labor for Christ here and rest when with the Lord in heaven. I hope we will work for the Lord every day, but I want to think for a moment on whatever other work you’re doing now.
Whatever work you’re doing today, thank you. Thanks for going to work today, and last week, and last month. And thanks for going to work tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that. I get to write because you go to work today. We have a full-time pastor at our church because you have a job, and you work. I do not take that lightly, and I fully respect what that means for me.
I am able to live and provide for my family because you give your hard-earned-money week after week, month after month for the support of the ministry here at First Calvary Baptist Church. That’s sobering to me. Obviously, I should not slack off or give minimal effort because the Lord sees all I do or…don’t do; however, another motivator should be what you do. I should not slack off or give minimal effort because your work makes it possible for me to read, to write, to study, to dream, to plan, to visit, to be in the community, and to pray.
Not all pastors have it this way or want it this way. In some rural communities where there simply are not enough people to support a pastor full-time, that pastor must be bi-vocational. Bi-vocational means he fulfills his pastoral responsibilities and works a second job to make ends meet. A pastor friend in Stillwater does this. Many church planters do this.
Other pastors are bi-vocational by choice. The church is large enough to support him, but he chooses to hold another job for a variety of reasons – he wants the contact with unsaved people, or he desires the church use its financial resources a different way, or he just likes doing that kind of work (like teaching at a seminary maybe), or he was in a career before becoming a pastor and wants to maintain his job. There are any number of reasons.
My musing today isn’t very long nor all that deep. I just want to say thank you for getting out of bed today and going to work, thereby making it possible for me to be your pastor. What you do that allows me to do what I do means a great deal to me.
Most of you work really hard, and some of you work at stress-filled jobs. By God’s grace, it is my intention to do right by you by working hard at my job. Thank you, and I love you.
As always, I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.
Mike VerWay
Pastor for Preaching & Vision