I am asking today for prayers of healing. This is somewhat of a new venture I am on as I will be having medical procedures on Mon Dec 3. It hopefully is not major but one never knows. Thank you all who read this for your prayers. Pastor WaynO

B.S. (blog script :o) ) I will likely not post for a bit and haven't as preparation takes time.

I know for a fact there are more people reading this than are posting. This is the same issue I see in the church visible, a lot of people looking but few participating.
What I would really like to post here is some thoughts about being a pastor. I am not sure about others out there but I have the thought, "is it really ligitimate to be a pastor hired by the church?"
It seems sometimes that if they pay me I become the Christian for them, I do the worship and live the life, I repent and I make the sacrifice. Would it be a different type of church if there were no "Pastor" per say? I know there are faith tribes as some have declared them who worship in this way.
This brings up some real issues because I for one spend a great deal of time visiting with people who are sick or needing encouragement, those whose lives are messed up and some marriages that are on the rocks. I see that the church property is kept up, I don't do the work I just point out the problems ;o). There is a great deal of communication and paper work that comes to me. It is not only the stuff to keep the church legal and in existence but also from other non profits that benefit people.
I work a lot with domestic violence, disaster relief, police departments, hospital chaplain, nursing home chaplain, and on the list goes.
If there is no paid staff how do these things get accomplished?? Who would take the care out into the world?
A lot of what lies under the emerging stuff is the question, "what is the church really?" I struggle with so many of the emerging leaders who are simply trying to stamp their brand of "Church" on something and make it a big deal.
I have read in chat rooms the questions and thoughts from those who really began asking the questions and they are no more satisfied with the new movement than I am. I visited with one of the early leaders and he has basically been left feeling it went the wrong way. The Emergent Church will help you start a local cohort (church) but to stay with them you must atttend at least one of the national conferences. Just a new denomination nothing different except U2 playing at the service.
What is happening and who are we becoming??? What is Jesus tellling us about being the church???? Where do us called to lead, lead the followers???
Arrgghhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Pastor WaynO

Well I supose this is good news. No one responded to my poem so it must not have offended anyone, however no one said it was good either. I still wonder about preaching. What is the purpose of the pastor in the church?????
I seem to do a lot of visiting and a little teaching and a little preaching. If what I read in the emerging stuff is true this is what they all want. If that is true then what is the problem with organized reliegion?
On the other side is this email running around about the movie "The Golden Compass" and after having visited the Desperate Preacher and that discussion I wonder if what we are doing is good or bad. Good in the caution is out there but bad because of the publicity and curiosity generated. Then I wonder after hearing the SRN News report yesterday about video games being purchased how many of those circulating this email will take their children to the movie anyway.
When I put the two thoughts together I come up with this: The church says to do this and don't do that. Live your life in this manner and leave these things alone. After the members leave the church, and some pastors too, you would never know they were at the service to begin with. It might be an issue of Christian speak versus Christian living?????
Any thoughts out there???
Pastor WaynO

Boy I got the wrong button there, I was looking to put that on my other blog http://pastorwayno-biblestudy.blogspot.com/ where we have been talking about stewardship for Christians. Any way Debra has been there participating and she got so inspired that she set up her own blog. Now all that is needed is someone to blog with her.
I spend time here thinking through being a preacher and had time to let stuff grow while driving to a funeral the other day. It was for a real life cowboy from the hat to the boots and all places in between. I was supposed to say something at the graveside so was giving it some thought when it occured to me some cowboy poetry might be nice. I had scavanged some from the net but in my mind one was churning up also. It went something like this:


A wandering from the Elkhorn
They called on me to have somethin' to say
Not all that preachin' so borin'
but somethin' profound for the day

there I was a contemplatin
this ornery old codger who'd died
from up Wolf Creek direction
to know what he'd like my mind had tried

He was from north of the Niobrara
up past the Keya Paha
near the border of the southern Dakota
most important he was know as grampa

Now out in the Wolf Creek area
He was know as quite a fine fella
ridin an ropin and raisin some hell
he many a man helped and child did raise

I still don't know what I would say
but the pressure of a funeral
did pass on that from us that day
we all will miss ol' Jim that's for sure

But he gave us some great girls
and boys he did tooo
in the time of his life he

Ah, heck I can't make this thing rhyme but Jim we will miss and think of you much.
Just ride on up there in the sky on that big ol' paint God kept just fer you
We know your up there as said it for sure, Jesus saves us but more can do
As he made a special place there just fer me an you.


Maybe not a cowboy poet but wonder how tryin to think like a poet or at least like the people we preach to might change what we say????????????????????????
WaynO

The URL for Debra's blog will not get you there unles you do a little editing. Here is the correct way for it to appear http://www.faith-debra.blogspot.com Sorry I missed the www., Explorer will try to correct and put to many /// in. Pastor WaynO

this is awesome stuff. I can post here and no one sees it or at least those who might do not deem it worthy of a response. I just attended the Sheridan Lutheran Church, "Beyond Survival III" and it was a great esperience. I would share some of the enlightenment if anyone was looking but since they are not I won't bore the system.
I am about to take off on the annual pilgrimage to the northern part of NE to go deer hunting. My youngest son and I have made this an annual event for the past several years and it is a great time spent with him and some cousins. The fresh air and the change of pace are beyond the imagination and occassionally someone gets highly motivated and even shoots a deer.
Now that ought to spark something in someone.
Pastor WaynO