One of the many blessings of returning home is seeing some old friends and making new ones. Here is an old friend, a former student at Horace Mann Elementary School, and a new friend, Jason Newell whose grandparents and family I knew well as a kid.
Roger Grunewalt was one of my favorite students back in 1964-65 when he and several other kids were in my class and on the basketball team I tried to coach. They had pity on me and decided to let me use them as guinea pigs.
I discovered over the years that many students, church members and counseling clients are our best teachers. They can tell right away if the teacher, coach, pastor, counselor is weak, unsure or trying to learn what to do. As a result they are our best teachers. Many times they show more mercy to us than we do to them.
The kids at "Horse Man" were great people. They saw my insecurity and decided not to destroy my reputation. They learned a lot despite my fumbling. They had a great sense of humor and let me laugh at myself and they laughed with me. Now Roger is using his high IQ to build great schools and other institutions for people to study, work and live in.
Jason Newell, on the other hand, is new to me as an adult. I know his Grandparents, Short and Frieda Joy. They presently live in my parents former home and were wonderful friends and neighbors to them in Ina, Illinois. Jason's Mom, Aunt and Uncle grew up with the Sweeten boys and made Ina proud of their exploits.
Jason is a Wildlife Manager with the Rend Lake Conservancy District, if that is the correct name. He was touched deeply by the Lord and has a strong call on his life to advance the King of Glory as well as His Creation.
Both Roger and Jason as well as David Fields, the Ordinand we celebrated Sunday, are strong reminders of the way God created His Kingdom to work and expand. In Ephesians Four, the Holy Spirit inspired St. Paul to write that all of God's people have gifts. No one who has the Spirit of God within themselves is without a supernatural supply of His energy and gifting as well as talents. On Sunday we saw how that works as we Ordained David to a special call to Pastoral Care and acknowledged the call of every believer to use his/her time, talents and influence for God's purposes.
We desperately need more Christian engineers, architects, writers, counselors, doctors, nurses, farmers, scientists, housewives, horse traders, car salesmen, pilots and educators as well as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. There are no SECULAR JOBS! Every position is set apart for God's glory. Whether one is called and equipped for special ministry inside the church structure or in an organization run by a for-profit group God is in charge and He is the source of our joy.
The early church had no formal clergy, big structures, church buildings or denominational oversight. Yes, they recognized the leaders that God had already anointed and used. These men and women came from the ranks and learned on the job not in an seminary. That seems to be the best way to learn.
How am I bringing glory to God where I am? That is the big question.
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