A Day in the Life of Your Pastor…

Today was the day. Bethel Lutheran School students and staff duct taped me to the “ball wall” on the playground. No, I wasn’t ambushed or held hostage. (However some students asked if I was going to be there all night.) I actually agreed to this. This was a “challenge” to raise $1000 buy books for children who normally would not be able to buy books. In other words, I agreed to do this for a good cause. We raised $1400!

For the past two weeks every time a student saw me they would say, “You are getting taped to a wall!”

I would smile and say, “Only if we raise the money to buy those books.”

Well, you know the rest of the story.

Oh wait… I also was sprayed with Silly String once I was incapacitated.

I am not sure what was more important to the kids—the books or me stuck to a wall.

Honestly it doesn’t matter to me.

Two very important things happened:

1. People pitched in to do something nice for other people (buying books).
2. The students had fun and enjoyed interacting with me, even if it involved duct tape and silly string.

This event reminds me that I am a pastor to everyone. We have a diverse student body and not every student is a Christian (gasp!). I am their pastor too. I have the privilege to be an example of Jesus’ love and hospitality to a wide range of people. I am humbled that I am one of the many faces of Jesus on our campus.

It is not just our school. The same applies to our church. I am not only the pastor of the adults, but of all God’s children: young or old. I enjoy the children’s time on Sunday morning, but I also love spending time at Kid Connection (Sunday School) or with the Confirmation kids—and yes even the “high schoolers” when Tom lets me.

Scholars and those who study such things know that children are more receptive to hear about Jesus and believe than any other age group. I take that to heart. If I can be a person of influence in even one our Bethel students lives, I will be satisfied.

If you attend Bethel, you know that periodically I talk about the importance of and the strengthening of both youth and children’s ministry. We have the ability and opportunity to introduce them to the most important person who ever walked the earth: Jesus.

There is no better job on the planet than telling kids about the love of Jesus. Even more so when you receive a thank you note from a child…

God bless,
Pr. Ben