August 19, 2013

Hi. I am a young pastor who just like every 20-something, I am seeking. I am seeking God, I am seeking purpose, I am seeking a mate, I am seeking, knowing that I may never find all the answers, but I will continue to seek, and I will continue to seek to become closer to God.

I will be honest with you. I am not much of a blogger. I never quite understood it, writing to people I don't know, nor will I probably ever know you. As I sit here though on this quiet monday night, I find it very therapeutic to write into cyberspace. I find it comforting and somewhat exciting.

Growing up, I thought pastors and preachers were like superheroes. I could possibly think this because my grandfather was my preacher and everyone knows our grandparents are our heroes. :) But now that I am older and actually living in the life of a pastor, I find that pastors aren't superheroes at all (at least on the pedestal that we place them on). Pastors and preachers are very human, and though they may have the qualities of a superhero, they are not in fact superheroes. Pastors (at least me, and many I know) deal with some of the same issues that people in their congregations deal with. Some deal with depression, some with overcoming obstacles, some with self-doubt, some with marital problems. Pastors are just like everyone else.

I work with teenagers, and though they can be very challenging, I find great joy in being with them. They allow me to see the world in a different way, and they allow me to be human. They may not like it when I fail miserably, or when worship doesn't go off without a hitch, but they do allow me to fail graciously. They offer grace. The thing that we probably preach on the most, they get it better than I do at times.

My grandfather was a hero for me, and the pastors that I have learned from have been heroes in their own right. I will continue to look to them for guidance, even though they are not perfect people. They are doing what they are called to do, just as an elementary school teacher is doing what he/she is called to do, just as a mail person is doing what he/she is called to do. They are just people who are using the gifts God gave them.