Super Pastor

Subtitled: We are our brother's keeper.

When Jordan posted about Cain and Abel, I responded, since we were starting our 30 Hour Famine at the time, that yes we are our brother's keeper. Less than a month later, this phrase means a lot more to me...in a very different way.

Last year, I did the youth ministry at one of the five ELCA churches in Fergus Falls, MN. Heidi interviewed for a joint position with the two smallest congregations. She ultimately decided to serve the younger of them. I talked our friend, Becky, who you will be meeting at the Paw Sox's game, into covering the remaining church. Heidi, of course resigned and I took the call at Faith, but Becky is still working at Zion.

She fired a text off to me on Easter evening and I sent a quick one back. We were both swamped in the last couple of weeks with 30 Hour Famines and Holy Week. We talked today about the necessity of Sabbath rest. Then she sent me this link on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox%2Freadmessage.php&t=1164802498830&mid=226dbb7G5b687200G1883680G0&n_m=matthewmartinlukejohn%40hotmail.com

I had a conversation with one of our members on Good Friday about how many people in churches simply aren't healthy and can't serve the kingdom in the way they would like. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is overweight, which causes a lot of health problems and premature death. This may seem like rambling, but it is going somewhere.

Rob Bell shares his experience of killing "super pastor" in his book Velvet Elvis. If you read one book this year, other than the Bible, read this book! Rob was pastoring the fastest growing church in our country (Mars Hill in Michigan) when he was 30.

The basic lesson from Genesis 1-4 for me is that God cares for us and he wants us to care for each other. We need to work together to be healthy, which means having healthy boundaries, vocationally, physically, financially, etc.

I need you to be my keeper, so I don't think of myself as being too important to the health of the church and lose track of the things that matter to me (my own faith, my family, etc).

Faith is a family. I am your brother in Christ. Please watch out for me and I'll do the same for you.