Where Faith Takes You
Hooray for Bill Emmons and Pastor Jon! (And other things we don't celebrate)
12:46 PMSocial media didn't blow up earlier this year when Bill Emmons died. There's a good reason for that, very few people knew him. He was a man who had been a faithful Christian since his youth and when he died, the church down the street from us was full of lives he had touched, including my family.
"Ladies and gentleman, Today marks another faithful year for Pastor Jon. He has been faithful to his wife, a good dad, and preached the word of God boldly. Wow, I see this moment has gone viral already on social media."
Yeah, this moment never happened. The three pastors that are at my church, including Pastor Jon, quietly live a life of faithful service to the church and his family. Very few social media posts include any mention of the pastors
Recently, a big name pastor that my generation adored announced he was leaving his wife and faith. I've seen so many posts about the topic and it made me said. It made me sad for the guy, but more it made me sad at all the attention we give to the big failures and how little attention we give to the faithfulness of others.
Don't get me wrong, I think when big names fail, it is an incredible opportunity for the church to shine. Also, when some big-name fails, there is a need to process it. It isn't easy when a hero lets you down. In fact, I think all of us have put someone or another on a pedestal and then watched them topple, it isn't easy. In fact, if you are struggling with that, can I recommend a song to you? It's part of a kids show, but it's powerful. Click HERE and start at 6:36.
My dear fellow Christians, this shouldn't be. Yes, there is a lot wrong in the world and even in our church. Why even the church that I love has issues (I mean, they let people like me in so...). It's easy to focus on the fact that the music is too loud, the pastor to the singles doesn't really get stuff because he was married right out of college or find out a member fell through the cracks. It's easy to see those things and not focus on some of the amazing things that are going on like the consistently good sermons, the servant hearts of those around me, or the daily acts of service that are going on in our church.
With people, it's easy to see their problems. But right at this moment, can we celebrate the quiet lives of faithfulness all around us? Bill lived a very quiet life, yet at his funeral, story after story was shared about how he encouraged and built up those around him faithfully. One of them was my younger sister. During a tough time in her life, she took a weekly bike ride down to the church where Bill always had a hug and positive words to say to her.
Bill loved the Lord and that showed up in everything he did. He was one of the first people to welcome us to the neighborhood. He lent us tools, helped us find the best places to go for things in town, and told us Holman kids how proud he was that we were walking with Jesus.
How about the pastoral team at my church? Jon, Bart, and Aaron are following God and faithfully serve the church. Not a lot of people know about them because, well, they haven't done anything bad to attract attention. I'm grateful for that. I thank God for them and pray for them to continue in faithfulness.
Comment with some of the people who you want to celebrate for their faithfulness!