We May Or May Not Be Back

There are a few statememnts that people make that send up a red flag in my mind. Things like, "I usually don't make personal observations about someone after meeting them just once, but...". Or "Do you ever look at ways of earning an extra income?" and "Are you satisfied with your long-distance service?" There is one other as a pastor that sends cold chills up my spine, it's when people say, "I have been a Baptist all my life and I have never....", you fill in the blank. That happened to me this morning. At the end of three great worship services at Dallas Bay I was rushing to the front door to meet our guests. I don't get the opportuniy the first two services because we are all preparing for the beginning of the next service. Well I had just made it past the first set of doors heading for the front door when a lady doing double-time caught up with me and stood between me and my destination. Self-centered as I am I just figured that she couldn't wait to tell me what a good job I had just done. Was I ever wrong. This lady, a few years my elder, said, "We (glancing at her husband) were going to join your church today, but you did not give us a chance." Quickly I responded that I had just finished giving the invitation and had made appeal for people who wished to join by signing the card indicating their desire. Something that several families had already done that morning. And then she said it. The words that immediately told me that this lady and I would probably not always be on the same page. "I have been a Baptist all my life (is that possible) and I have never seen it done that way. That's just not the ways it should be done."

Let me begin by saying, I am sure this a wonderful and sweet couple. I appreciate that they enjoy DBBC enough that they want to be a part of the church family. But am I wrong here or should I be concerned that the first words I ever hear from this lady, whom I have never met, is how she disagrees with what we are doing here? Wouldn't it be a clue to this lady that we don't do a lot of things the way it has been done "all her life." I explained to her if she wanted to inform me up front, that is before the service begins, that she and her husband wanted to join I would be happy to meet her at the end of the service and present them to the congregation. She informed me that they may, or may not be back. I want the best for that good lady. I want her to be where she and her husband will be happy and be ministered to. I am also ok knowing that may not be at Dallas Bay. Hoping that you are where you are happy and blessed this is the new and improved pastor at Dallas Bay signing off until next time.
In His Shadow,
PAstor Ken