Legacy

This evening I attended a prayer meeting for a bivocational pastor friend of mine who suffered a major stroke earlier in the week.  The doctors said there is nothing they can do for him, and he is being moved to a nursing home.  I received an e-mail this afternoon informing me of the prayer meeting that was being held in the church he was pastoring.  That small church was about half full of people who attended that church, other churches in the association, and a handful of pastors who knew him and was notified about the meeting.  Several people stood up and told how this simple pastor had ministered to them or to members of their family.  One young man who was recently ordained as a bivocational pastor spoke about how this man had mentored him over the years.  Many shared their stories with tears running down their faces.  I doubt this pastor knew of the impact his life had on so many people.

Some in the church world believe that you have to pastor a large church to make a difference, but that's just not true.  This man never pastored a church with an average attendance of more than 25-30, and yet his ministry touched lives.  His faithfulness, his sincerity, his servant spirit allowed him to minister to some people who never had an interest in talking to a pastor until he showed up in their hospital room or at some other event.  I doubt that a building will ever be named after him.  People won't study his six step method for growing a megachurch and buy his books and tapes, but he left a legacy that any minister should be glad to leave.  He served his churches with a true servant mentality.  People were able to see the compassion of Jesus Christ through his life and ministry

When people finished sharing their stories of how this pastor's life impacted their lives, we began to pray for him and his family.  Many of us thanked God for allowing our lives and my friend's to intersect.  We prayed for his family, and we prayed that God would bring healing into our friend's life.  Each of us recognized that his healing may be the ultimate healing that will allow him to enter into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we also know that God might choose to bring physical healing to our friend.  It was a very simple, yet meaningful service, one that was quite appropriate to the person it was for.

Events such as this remind me that I am leaving a legacy for others to study.  Whether I am aware of it or not, people are watching, and they are forming an opinion about me, my ministry, and more importantly, my God.  They are watching you as well.  The challenge for each of us is to leave a legacy such as the one my friend has.

Please keep this pastor, his family, and the church he has been serving in your prayers.