Hi, friends in exile, got a minute?
Most Thursdays, I host a staff meeting at a local coffee shop. On Thursdays, they give a free pastry with every drink purchase. This enables me to be both generous and cheap at the same time. 😉 Today, two staff members were away, so I invited our office ministry assistant to stop in on the way to the office. Business was unusually slow, and so we began to visit with the baristas. At some point, they asked me what I did for a living. I said, “What do you think I do?” One answered, “Some sort of social work?” I said, “I am a mafia hit man.” Well, after a moment I said, “Actually, I am the pastor of a church down the street.” Then one of them said, “Oh, at least you are one of the good ones.” She went on, “I was told not to serve another pastor in town. He did some bad stuff.” I didn’t press for the details, but it left me chilled. “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1), should be the pastoral watchword. May God help my fellow-pastor and me to set the right example of following Jesus.
Smiley Mudd
Musings of the Rev. Smiley Mudd 