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First, a brief background on why I want to thank you.
There are so many things I do right now. I draw cartoons. Write posts. Write books. Make videos. Paint paintings. Draw drawings. Sculpt stone. Make music (again). Do commission work. Public speaking. Coaching and counseling. And more! And I’ve always struggled with which one I should focus on or how can I do everything all at once under one roof. It’s been very frustrating because, even though all these things are a part of me, it’s not only overwhelming for me. It’s also overwhelming for people who follow me. But it’s also overwhelming for the social media platforms’ algorithms. It all just makes life so complicated. But there’s a simple thread through it all. Many years ago after I had left the ministry for a time, I met with a mentor. I was struggling with what I wanted to do and shared that with him. He said, “Let me ask you a question: What do you want people to say about you at your funeral?” POW! That hit me, but I immediately knew. I said, “I want people to say I was the best pastor they’d ever had.” He responded, “Then that’s it. That’s who you are! Get to it!” This reminded me of the one time I heard John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard movement which I was a pastor of at the end of my pastoral career. It was the last time he spoke before he died of cancer. He said that a pastor’s job is to just walk alongside people and help them get from point A to point B in their spiritual lives. My mind snapped to attention and I said to myself, “That’s me! That’s it!” But… and here’s where you come in… I hear back from people all the time about how I have helped them feel validated and loved, and that I provide a safe space for them to find and be their most authentic selves. And as a result, they feel freer and happier than ever. I hear this kind of thing every single day. I’m not a “real pastor” anymore because I don’t have a local congregation, nor do I fit into what most would consider “Christian” or orthodox or whatever. I was ordained but I voluntarily handed in my credentials. Some joke that I never stopped being a pastor. That NakedPastor means a pastor without his church on. Funny. BUT… I know I am helping people move from point A to point B. And I love it. I’m passionate about this. This is what I do. And you let me know this.
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