Today’s author is Prince of Peace’s Intentional Interim, Pastor Steve Sylvester.
As I stand in the pastor’s study here at Prince of Peace on Wednesday morning, I am hearing the “squeak, squeak, squeak” of tricycle wheels on the gym floor across the hallway. Along with the squeaky wheels in need of grease there are excited yelps, background chatter and the occasional sleep deprived squall. In order to hear all of this, and to see the “So good to see you again!” drop offs and the “Did you have fun today?” pick ups, I keep my door open.
Considering that I am actually working—reading and writing emails, studying Scripture in preparation for writing my sermon tomorrow, etc.—it’s fair to ask why I would invite these distractions. My answer is that they are not distractions. They are not distractions because I am listening to God, and most of the time, listening to God means paying special attention to the simple realities of everyday life.
As I listen to God through the interactions across the hallway, I am reminded—no, I am put on notice—that the decisions I make must be more about those children than about myself. Seventh Generation decisions would, of course, be ideal, but at the very least I need to act on behalf of the children two generations behind me who are already here.
This kind of listening and acting doesn’t come naturally for congregations. For example, a church I served in the past paid for the “Pastor for Senior Ministries” out of the general budget, but the salary of the Director of Confirmation Ministry was mostly offset by fees paid by parents. This “pay for what you need” model of support made perfect sense in the context of our consumer economy, but it did not make sense if one took the time actually to listen to God.
Am I passive-aggressively saying something here to the good people of Prince of Peace? No. I’m from Missouri, so if I have something to say to you, I’ll say it to you directly. What I will say directly is that it is well for us to remember to keep our doors and our ears open.