He called my bluff. After several years in pastoral ministry, no one had ever taken me up on it, but Jay did, and now I would have to come through. I make it a habit to call for baptism from my pulpit, especially from the baptistry, often saying, “I don’t care when or where you want to be baptized. You want to be baptized in the lake in the dead of winter? We’ll make it happen.”
Jay, someone I had been studying with for a while, desired to be baptized outside, in the river, in Michigan, in the winter. I laughed, assuming he was joking. He was dead serious. He had always wanted to be baptized outside and did not want to wait for the spring months. Smiling through gritted teeth, I put a date on the December church calendar.
That December day was a chilly day. The water was frigid. About 40 members gathered, along with some curious passersby. It was a fast baptism. Jay came up out of the water all smiles and praising God. He moved to shore. I was close behind him but lost my shoe in the mud and cut my foot pretty badly on the way out.
That church member loved his pastor so much that he went to spend his Sunday afternoon digging through mud in icy waters to find a worthless shoe when no one else was watching, let alone cared.
Driving home, I was excited but, admittedly, for the wrong reasons. Instead of the joy of a soul who had come to Christ being first on my mind, a much different mental conversation was taking place in my head. This was good for my church members to see, I mused. They saw their pastor personally sacrifice by going down into that freezing water and getting uncomfortable, all for a baptism. Hopefully, that inspires them to step it up and sacrifice a bit more for the cause of Christ. I am ashamed to confess my prideful thoughts publicly, but I was about to be taught a lesson I will never forget.
The following day, I took my little boy for a walk next to the river. We walked by the spot where that baptism occurred. As we moved closer, I saw someone in the water. It was one of my members. I called out and asked what he was doing. He popped up, fully decked out in a snorkel and mask, clearly surprised to see me, and said, “My pastor lost his shoe, and I wanted to make sure that he got it back.” I did not know what to say. He eventually listened as I pleaded for him to come on shore. I had other shoes.
On the walk home, it struck me. That church member loved his pastor so much that he went to spend his Sunday afternoon digging through mud in icy waters to find a worthless shoe when no one else was watching, let alone cared. I was instantly rebuked as I thought about my prideful thoughts the day prior. I was not the only one in that church who cared about the mission and was willing to get uncomfortable. I have members who often go overlooked and are underappreciated, who are waiting for someone to ask them to do something, and who do not care about recognition from men. They are serving Jesus.
As a pastor, I recognize that it is sometimes easy to get frustrated with our members when they do not see things the way we do. Sometimes, we view them as the problem and as just getting in the way of the work God has called us to do. Could we have a thing or two to learn from our members? So often, when we think of revival and reformation, we think of our local churches and try to dream up ways that they can be “pricked in the heart.” Wait a minute, pastor. Could it be that your members are longing for you to be revived? Could it be that God uses our members to teach us valuable lessons on faith and servant leadership? There is no appreciation month for your cradle-roll teacher, head elder, or church treasurer, and yet they continue to serve because they believe in the mission of God.
Have you lost that first love? Are you staying connected with the Life Giver, the Source of all truth and love? Remember why God called you into ministry and remember that we are not immune to some revival and heart work as well. Start with you.
