Below is a bit of insight into my motivation for doing what I do. It comes from former president of Princeton Theological Seminary and retired Presbyterian pastor, Craig Barnes. He always seems to be able to put into words what I feel.
“God seems to prefer the ordinary and routine. Most of creation was designed to be held together by repetition, the same things happening again and again, whether it’s little things like electrons spinning around in circles, or huge things like planets slowly revolving around the sun every year.”
” . . . My devotions this morning came from Philippians 4, where the apostle Paul says, ‘Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable . . . keep on doing those things.’ Apparently, he learned that God is mostly impressed by routine acts of faithfulness.”
” . . . The challenge is not to rise above the ordinary routines but to find the holiness in them. This has always been one of the reasons people need pastors—to help them behold the quiet miracle of having the God of peace with us.” [1]
I am an ordinary pastor serving an extraordinary local church. I hope I have helped you all behold the quiet miracle of God’s presence. I know that you have helped me catch sight of it.
[1] 1. M. Craig Barnes, Diary of a Pastor’s Soul: The Holy Moments in a Life of Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2020), 30.