How Random (…or Never Say ‘Never’)!

When I was a freshman at Wittenberg University our University Pastor was
The Rev. Dr. H. Frederick Reisz, Jr., aka Fred, as he was known to those of us who hung around Weaver Chapel. Fred’s column in our chapel newsletter was entitled: Random Thoughts from a Random Mind. Fred would mention all sorts of random tidbits related to the ministry at Wittenberg as well as anything else that seemed to flow through his mind. The title was what stuck with me. I don’t remember anything he mentioned in it (sorry Fred), but I read it religiously.
So with a tip of the hat to Fred, here’s my first attempt at a blog.
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The word “never” really shouldn’t be in my vocabulary. Whenever I say “never” I think God laughs and then sets out to prove me wrong. For instance, when I was in high school I declared, “I will never be a teacher.” (both my parents were). I have discovered just how much teaching is involved with being a pastor. I also said “I will never be a pastor.” Ha!

Then there was the time my high school friend and I visited Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio as we explored options for college. It was windy, wet, and flat. I said, “I’ll never come to Ada again.” My first call was with St. Mark Lutheran Church, Ada, Ohio. Fourteen years.

I said I would never have a cell-phone. God laughed at that, too.

I said I’d never follow a long-tenured pastor in a congregation. For my second call I followed a pastor who had served 40 years (his whole ministry!) in that place. Yes, there was an interim for those who want to know.

Children’s Messages? Never! Stewardship Sermons? Never! God must have been really had a belly laugh with those two!

I said I never wanted to write a blog. But then all sorts of random thoughts started showing up in my mind once I became a Director for Evangelical Mission. These are things I wish someone had told me early in my ministry, or things I wish others would know about being Church. It only took me four years to give up on never writing a blog. Sigh.

I have pretty much run out of things I never want to do, thank God. And I do thank God because all the things I never wanted to do but did do have been blessings for my life. So, welcome to my random mind, and I’ll be back with something new in two weeks.