So I’m talking to our worship director on Monday morning as he comes in to my office to work his magic and try and help me get my iPhone working properly again (one of his many ministries to me): “So Jeff how’s it going…how’s the family?” Pause…hesitation…uh oh. Yesterday was a great Sunday of worship. Jeff is a tremendous worship leader…the best…stay away from him. As Steve has said many times, my elders gave me a .45 and I know how to use it and will in the right circumstances. You stand warned. My sermon also went reasonably well Sunday. I didn’t have speaker’s remorse hitting the red zone this Monday. But it was Monday…another day.

Cutting to the chase it was a rough morning to follow Sunday’s triumph for Jeff: The shower was broken and some bathroom wall issues resurfaced that had to be dealt with again…what a nuisance…my friends youngest son was sick that night, threw up in a trash can with a plastic bag in it…which stated bag the dog got in the morning and drug all over the house, munching on and leaking out the revolting contents as he (or she or it) went about his (her or it) contented dog way. His wife was out doing her morning run when he discovered all of this so of course he was morally obligated to clean it up. (Ignorance and absence in cases like this does alleviate and absolve responsibility. If he were really spiritual he would have been in the office already, say about 6:30 Monday morning and missed this service duty at home.) Jeff cleaned up the carnage, ran a measly 6 miles for a light workout (for him) and came in to the office (finally) to help his technologically challenged colleague get reconnected. Phone working, he told me that some recording the worship team was going to do this coming Wednesday evening might disturb the Men’s group I lead. It was going to be noisy on Wednesday evening. Thanks for the warning.

In this imperfect world, great Sunday’s are often followed by lousy Monday’s for pastors and church staff alike. Given the saga Jeff told me, when he left my office I reflected and said to myself while shaking my head gravely in affirmation, “Noise is better than vomit. Noise is good in fact, well, compared to vomit. I’m good with noise. I choose noise.” But I didn’t have a choice. Rarely, if ever, do I get to choose between the circumstances I face as a pastor. You know exactly what I mean.

You didn’t choose this economic tidal wave and the financial implications that continue to dog us week after week (the layoffs of people you love and need, tough decisions about missions and programs, talking more about money in church than you might want to; the raises you don’t get and can’t give your staff; the ripple effect of all this seems endless!); the key leader who lost her job and cannot carry out her key ministry as before; the newer Christian who was offended by someone who should have known better and you have to clean up that mess; the suicide; the betrayal; the staff member who doesn’t work out; added ministry responsibilities because of that staff change; the need for changes that you intuitively grasp that you have to make in your church but you have a pit in your stomach (or is it an ulcer), wondering if you have the leadership skills to bring about that change; oh, and the approval thing, who likes me (you) and who doesn’t.

Reality is, we don’t get to choose between noise and vomit. Or much else. Pastors deal with what they get. How are you doing with that reality? Here’s what I’m learning on my grace journey about noise and vomit:

• I’m learning that all of us as pastors get messy “hands” dealt to us. I’m not alone in this present darkness (using a Frank Peretti idea). That helps. I haven’t been singled out for especially rough treatment by my Lord who is just itching to make my life miserable. It’s the cost of doing His business in His broken world. It’s essentially what I signed up for at ordination. Going back to this strong stand-by has helped:

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (NASB)

You’re not alone and He’s not ticked off at you. Remind me of that when you see me and I will remind you. Ah, Grace is good.

• I’ve learned this too: When you think it can’t get worse, it can. Like my pastor friend discovered who is in the process of shutting down his church. Financial cut backs have come to this. His church is up on the block. Can you imagine that! Devastating. Another church down the street from me has gone belly up as well. These two churches near by serve as sober reminders to me. Could it happen to my church? When you think it can’t get worse, you find that it can. Such we know is life in this world. Cheer up! Reality is good. At times, as Jim Collins says in his book Good To Great, we really do have to look at the brutal facts and go from there.

If it gets worse, and it might, it’s not the end and your life isn’t over. Some of you reading this are sailing along pretty well these days. Great! For many, the seas are high right now. If your boat comes apart He will pick you up on the beach, and escort you to the next thing. Remind me of that when you see me and I will remind you. Grace is good.

• And this: That during extremely difficult times when my leadership role and spiritual maturity is being stretched to the max, that the Father deeply loves me and is fully engaged in helping me grow.

You’ve simply got to get and listen to Laura Story’s new CD, Great God Who Saves. It will put some new “kick” in your stride as you run, or hope in your walk; it will help you say “YES!” to whatever you are facing. Want encouragement & motivation? Read these words from the first song on the CD:

Bless The Lord

You give and take away for my good
For who am I to say what I need
For you alone see the hidden parts of me that need
      To be stripped away
And as you begin to refine, I’m learning to let go,
      To rely
On the One who walks with me, as hard as it may be
You’re teaching me all the while to say

Bless the Lord O My soul, all that’s in me bless Your Name
Forget not your power untold, not your glory or your fame
For you came to heal the broken, to redeem and make me whole
Bless the Lord, O My soul.

Crank that song up as you drive to the office and you’ll jump out of your car, truck or SUV (or off your Vespa as one of my pastor friends does) ready to let Him strip away what is useless and continue building you as He works through you to build His kingdom. After all, who am I to say what I need? He knows best. These times will be better for us than we know right now. Remind me of that when you see me and I will remind you. Grace is good. It always leads to the very best and lasting kind of spiritual growth.

Tonight it’s going to be noisy around our church. That’s better than vomit for sure. I choose noise. Not because I’m a fatalist, but because I’m His Son and He will be in the noise. If I was getting the other stuff, He would be there too.

You take it to heart,

Pete

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