I am REALLY missing it
@doubleloveyou (2466)
United States
October 9, 2008 2:01pm CST
Most of my friends know that I am a pastor. That is a preacher at a church. The truth of the matter is that right now I do not have a church that I preach at normally. Actually Mylot has become my outlet for preaching lately. (Some of you have put up with some rather long sermonesque responses)
My wife and I and our 4 kids moved away from the church that I had started and pastored and now live in a different state all together. We go to a wonderful church, but I have a problem. I wnet from being the senior pastor of a church to now being a part of the congregation. That in and of itself is not a problem. The problem is me. I was ministering full time all week every week to people. Now I am on the worship team and from time to time I teach a class, but it is like I hit a brick wall. Think of it in terms of a job. You are working full time 40 hours a week. You love your job. You know that you are making a difference and then....BAM. You, let's say, get sick and you have to be out of work for 6 months. How do feel? Well I feel pretty useless. Not saying that I am not ministering at all, it is just really hard to go from one extreme to the other.
I am really just venting I suppose. Has anyone ever felt this way? What did you do to over come the feeling of uselessness? Would you be so kind as to pray with me that God would move me into the ministry that He wants me in? Thanks to all my friends.
Oh, and By the Way. You will probably see more "Sermonettes" as I fulfill my NEED to share the good news. :)
2 people like this
4 responses
@CarlKnittel (692)
• United States
23 Oct 08
I was a truck driver running 70 hrs a week, leading music at the truck stop chapels on Sundays. When I was home I led music at Wednesday bible study and put on a gospel concert at the nursing home once a month. 4 years ago I fell off the back of a flatbed trailer and injured my back pretty badly. I went from earning up to $75k a year and working constantly to being lucky if I can handle a few hours a day in an Ice Cream Truck. The activities director at the nursing home changed and I they canceled me after almost 2 years of regular visits.
Back problems made it difficult to sit through services and i passed the Wednesday leadership to another. Now I am the music director for a small church with 2 services a week and not much to do outside of a little planning Wednesday evening and a little singing Sunday morning. All I can say is what I do. PRAY. I know God has plans for me in the ministry and in life and I believe He is leading me to full time work in the ministry but until then I try to go with the flow and learn what he's teaching.
"Be still and know that I Am God."
It seems to me Billy Ray Cyrus even wrote a song about that verse. Made pretty good theme music for "DOC".
2 people like this
@doubleloveyou (2466)
• United States
24 Oct 08
I is difficult when you are forced to stop. Having to just put the brakes on and hold on. It is difficult at times. We just need to be patient and wait for His leading.
It's like standing at an intersection waiting for the "Do Not Walk" signal to change to "Walk". If we decide to go when it say "Do Not Walk" we risk getting hurt. Sometimes we have to just wait.
1 person likes this
@LouiseKnittel (4764)
• United States
24 Oct 08
I know the "Pans" I have for you!!
I know it is supposed to be Plans.. It is a joke between me and Carl.. And his typos.. He typos when I don't LOL...
2 people like this
@CarlKnittel (692)
• United States
28 Oct 08
When she first asked about my typo she said "what 'pans' does God have for me?" I told her a Wok. "Wok like a good Christian"
As for the down time you should think of what He might be getting you to look at. When I tore my rotator cuff it took a couple of months before I realized that I had been asking Gods direction for my life but kept myself to busy to listen to the answer. It was during that downtime that God led me to start using my talents in ministry and to learn and prepare for a future in full time service. If I hadn't been forced to sit still without anything to do I might not have gotten the message.
What have you been praying about lately. How much time have you spent looking for or even just listening for the answer. Even when we are actively doing what we know to be God's work we can sometimes miss what He wants us to do.
@sconibear (8016)
• United States
9 Oct 08
well PG i'm not a church going man myself........that's not to say i haven't been in the past.
i'm a recovering catholic......went to church and catholic school into my teen years,
i've also been the member of a couple of wonderful non-denominational churches.
so i do know a bit about what the bible says, and what God's plan is for us.
i just tend to have my own "church" in my head now days. 
anyways, just because you don't have your own flock any more doesn't mean a good number of the sheep aren't wandering lost in the wilderness.
perhaps there's a need for your services at your local hospital, convalescent home, youth organization, or even jail.
also i've attended church services in people's houses, and rented warehouse and office spaces.
but one of the best places i used to attend was when i lived in St. Joseph, Missouri, the church we went to used to hold services in the park, under the trees, with the grass under your feet......followed by some awesome fellowship and a great BBQ picnic.
perhaps you could organize something like that.
Pastor G........if you preach it.......they WILL come.
anyways, just because you don't have your own flock any more doesn't mean a good number of the sheep aren't wandering lost in the wilderness.
perhaps there's a need for your services at your local hospital, convalescent home, youth organization, or even jail.
also i've attended church services in people's houses, and rented warehouse and office spaces.
but one of the best places i used to attend was when i lived in St. Joseph, Missouri, the church we went to used to hold services in the park, under the trees, with the grass under your feet......followed by some awesome fellowship and a great BBQ picnic.
perhaps you could organize something like that.
Pastor G........if you preach it.......they WILL come.2 people like this
@sconibear (8016)
• United States
9 Oct 08
oooooh, i should add......the church service in the park is weather permitting of course.
winter is coming after all. 
winter is coming after all. 2 people like this
@doubleloveyou (2466)
• United States
9 Oct 08
Thanks, sconi.
I do hope things begin to fall into place here. It has been kinda funny because i have had people here on Mylot refer to me as the "Online Pastor" lol.
Really Mylot has been my main release for me. It's been good.
I actually am going to talk to a gentleman next week about starting a "homeless church" here in town. It may be just the thing God is calling me to. Amybe I can find a warehouse for us to meet in to avoid the weather when needed.
Thanks for the uplifting. I appreciate it.
1 person likes this
@MH4444 (2161)
• United States
9 Oct 08
Well, I can say that often our lives change and we think we need one thing when another is really required for our lives. So, this is a time perhaps for you to discover that path. I had something sort of similar to that some years back and I ended up where I am doing what I have been doing. It's much better now that I look back at it all. I came to realize that I was trying to maintain a thing that didn't really fit my life. Now, it fits. Sure I really got into it; kind of like your thing; but where I am now is so much better.
Hope that helps.
Keep up the posts as you feel inspired. I love good inspirational posts.
2 people like this
@doubleloveyou (2466)
• United States
9 Oct 08
Thanks MH,
It is frustrating at time. Then other times I feel like a burden is lifted. I know that i will be directed in the way I should go. The Bible states that "The steps of a righteous man are ordered by God." I will just wait for His leading.
Thanks again for the words of encouragement.
2 people like this
@acevivx (1566)
• Philippines
11 Oct 08
I understand how you feel and it is quite normal to feel so. If for several years you have been used to a full and busy schedule no matter what occupation or pursuit you are in, you would feel so useless if your time is not spent in useful undertakings and you seem to have so much time on your hands where you think you are not being useful. But my friend, I might not say it accurately but isn't it that we are suppose to be patient and wait for God to let us know what are his plans for us " in His own time" or when He thinks it is the proper time for us to know His plans? Well it's possible that in His own way, He is making you take a rest which you well deserve so why not relax and enjoy it while you are not too busy and spend more time with your family. Ministering to their needs? But whatever, I will of course pray with you that He will soon let you know what He has in mind for you. God Bless.
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