Raising The Dead

Well bloggers it's time for me to follow up on my last post and let you know how my meeting went with my preacher last night.

When I first got to his office, he asked me what I believed God wanted me to do specifically. I told him that I specifically wanted to find a church to pastor. He then went on to ask me where I would like to pastor a church. I told him that, being a yankee, I would like to pastor a church in the north somewhere and even more preferably in the city. He told me that he would find some oppurtunities and that he would let me know a week from Wednesday.

I have heard it said that it is easier to give birth than it is to raise the dead. This refers to a pastor going to an area an "giving birth" or starting a new church, rather than a pastor going to a dead church and "raising the dead" or revitalizing that spirit. Of course, I take that into consideration, but the truth is, I have never heard the call of God to start a church. In fact, quiet the opposite has occurred in my heart. I have always been burdened by the stories of churches that are falling apart at the seems because they have no pastor. I would love to be a part of helping a struggling church to get back on its feet.

More than that even, this concept is a rather personal one to me. In the late 1980's, the First Baptist Church in Amboy, IL was struggling to survive as their pastor had been forced to leave. A man named Rocky Fritz, against better judgment, went to Amboy and began to work in that church. He stayed with it for over fifteen years and is still their today bringing a vibrant spiritual life to that church and to that community.

Why is this story personal to me? Simply put, I was saved at that church, baptized at that church, and have experienced most of my spiritual growth as a Christian at that church. I have had these blessings in a large part because a man was willing to go to that failing church and inject life back into it.

Soon I hope to do the same.