Follow Up to Yesterday

So, yesterday I was commenting on the worship service when I stopped to listen to Marsha's sermon...

Kim soloed on the song "The Word" and hit it out of the park.  Oh man, does she have a great voice or what?  I'm looking forward to listening to hearing more from her in the future.  You could really tell she was into praising the Word, Jesus Christ.

Colleen did a great job at the announcements but it was her prayer that was awesome.  She brought us all into the presence of God and led us through confession and reconciliation and a call to justice and righteousness.  Well done, I was prayed up.

Jeff served as worship leader for the first time and he rocked it.  We always have someone up front and center singing to lead the others in worship.  Usually Marsha fulfills that role and does a fine job.  Occasionally others will fill in.  Annette, Tammy, and Tiffany to name a few.  Today, Jeff was up there with his conga's and it brought a new vibrancy that was a welcome change.  

Marsha's sermon on The Word, Jesus Christ, was wonderful.  She used the metaphor of Scrabble, moved to talking about how important our words are, and then moved to how God spoke His Word in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ.  It was another keeper.  

I was asked at breakfast at camp this weekend (see my prior posts) whether or not I was concerned about how things would go in my absence.  I said, "No" knowing that Good Shepherd has a great staff, band, technical crew, ushers, greeters, teachers, trustees, etc.  At Good Shepherd the lead pastor doesn't have to come in and tell people what to do and be there to make sure they all do it.  That model isn't at all the Good Shepherd model.

In marketing there is a term entitled "value added."  It's when you do something to your product to increase its value to the customer.  Cup holders in a car are "value added" items.  At Good Shepherd, I hope to be "value added."  I've come to expect that Good Shepherd can run without me.  My job is to point the direction to run and to add value to that direction along the way.  I hope I'm much more than a cup holder, but I know how much you all value your cup holders.