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Getting Folks Ready

There’s nothing quite like a pastor’s life. As a pastor with a surgeon brother, I used to marvel at the fact that nobody questioned his work, because the ordinary patient didn’t think he had medical knowledge. I learned early on in the ministry that everybody is born a theologian; everybody has certain ideas about God, salvation, church, etc. etc. Being a pastor is both a challenging and great life, and you certainly have a fine seat to watch the passing parade. I often reflect on some of the humorous incidents in my decades as a pastor. Like the time I noticed a very odd looking old man in the back of the sanctuary during my sermon. It was a long way back there under the balcony and I couldn’t see him very clearly. You can imagine my surprise to discover after the service was over that this “man” was a monkey that some folks had dressed up in shirt, tie, and trousers and brought to church. Then there was the man who every now and then came to our church shirtless, painted like an Indian. And there was Jerry Lee Lewis and . . .

But one incident that I still ponder was the idea of getting me ready to serve as president of a college. It happened this way. The church, a leading church in that state, had lost their pastor of 20 years or so to become the president of a denominational college. They proceeded to call another pastor, not knowing that this fellow was on the board of Trustees of a college and had hoped to fill the opening of their president, but was passed over. However, as soon as he accepted the call as pastor of the church I am speaking of, he was offered him the presidency of their college. So, he followed a pastor of 20 years, and stayed only 4 months before leaving to become a college president himself. 

Not knowing this background of the last two pastors going to be college presidents, I accepted the call as pastor of this church. Of course they had a reception time and all that goes with welcoming a new pastor. But as the reception line moved past, one man humorously asked this question: “We had a pastor for 20 years and he left to be a college president; we then had a pastor who stayed four months and then left to be a college president. I’m wondering how long it will take us to get you ready to be a college president!” 

Well, I stayed there as pastor for six years and didn’t get asked to be a college president. But that was just fine. But I do sometimes reflect on the fact that life—both yours and mine—is a matter of getting ready. Getting ready for preschool, getting ready for college, getting ready for marriage, getting ready for children, getting ready for that job promotion, getting ready for retirement, getting ready for . . .

That last getting ready is really important. And some people are like the old poem about the soldier who “mercy found ‘twix the stirrup and the ground” when shot from his horse in battle. To wait until that point is sad, because all of life is a preparation for what comes after this life. And for those of us who have found a deep meaning and peace and purpose in our lives through Jesus of Nazareth, our lives have become a training ground as we seek to become more like him in our thinking and in our actions. And there is always improvement to be made; always some good word to be said for Jesus, some good deed to be done in his name. And slowly, slowly, we are becoming like him. 

If you would like more meaning and peace in your life, if you would like to take hold on eternity now, turn up at a local church this Sunday. You’ll no doubt find the pastor talking about getting you ready for a happier, more delightful life than you have been experiencing.

Earl Davis’ column “Raccoon Theology” appears biweekly in the Watauga Democrat, the Blowing Rocket, the Avery Journal-Times, the Ashe Post and Times, the Lenoir News-Topic, and the Forest City Daily Courier. Dr. Davis is a minister (College Avenue Baptist Church, Lenoir), an author, and an artist, earldavisfineart.com. He can be contacted at [email protected]