An Inkling
The old preacher’s joke
is: “I’d preach for free. They pay me the big bucks to work with the
elders.” Often humor arises from pain,
of which the pairing of pastors and elders frequently generates more of the
latter than the former.
But I’m happy to report that
it ain’t so here. The elders at St.
Giles are a joy to work with. Over three
decades and four churches, I’ve worked with about 200 elders in over 400
Session meetings. Many a Session night
I’ve arrived home after the meeting depressed and depleted. But here at St. Giles I’m almost always
arriving at home with a spring in my step.
Why? It’s not that we haven’t had to face some
hard issues. It’s that the elders here
are amazing. They bring a depth of
biblical wisdom to our conversations.
They are earnest in prayer for each other and for the church. They are willing to tackle tough issues, and
are bold to act once the Lord has made his guidance clear. They are some of the most loving people I’ve
ever known. And when they get into a
discussion there is often an unmistakable Holy Spirit synergy at work. It’s fun to see. By the Spirit’s power the whole is definitely
greater than the sum of the parts. But
the parts ain’t too bad either!
Pray for your elders. They may look like the proverbial duck (calm
on the surface), but beneath the surface they are paddling like crazy. It’s hard work. And they do it marvelously well. But they definitely need your prayer support.
Blessings, Keith
