In July 1985, I began my first pastoral job at Saddleback Christian Church in Mission Viejo, CA. I was a college junior, and we were a small group of about 50 people meeting in an elementary school multipurpose room – one family had fourteen kids – talk about instant youth group!
Four decades later, I am grayer, I laugh a lot more, and I have more people to look after, but I am still doing this work. I am no superstar; I am a journeyman. But if you do anything for forty plus years, you learn a few things. Here are a few insights I’ve gleaned along the way:
- Embrace the Gray: When I started, I saw many theological issues in stark black and white. Today, my opinions are about as gray as my hair. Faith isn’t about rigid certainty right and wrong; it’s about expanding our hearts to offer an extravagant welcome to all.
- The Big Picture Matters: In the scope of eternity, a delayed church renovation or the color of our decor is inconsequential. What matters is our collective commitment to dismantling oppression and standing up for the vulnerable.
- Focus on the Long Haul: I’ve preached a few great sermons and a hundred gosh-awful ones. None of them individually made much difference. People are transformed by the cumulative tone of a community working steadily for social justice over time, not by single episodes.
- Love Covers It All: People will overlook almost any fault if they know you genuinely care. Show up for each other, and you build a community for life.
Ultimately, the Gospel boils down to principles a kindergartener can grasp: Love them all, seek justice for all, and forgive them all. It’s incredibly simple, but it isn’t easy.
Shalom, Paul