I spent the day at the hospital. A member of our congregation had triple bypass surgery. He did fine and the recovery looks great. Sitting in a hospital for 6 1/2 hours is extremely tiring. I would rather be moving around than sitting but being with the family during these times is great ministry. It is what being a pastor is all about. I am not able to sit with families at every surgery and I have to evaluate the best use of my time but when I get to, it is meaningful. I know the families appreciate it. It also reminds me that ministry is about touching people. Some people think pastors are suppose to be CEO's but we have to remember that the church is not a business, it is a family. It is the body of Christ. We cannot be so busy that we neglect ministry. My means of measuring is that if the surgery is life threatening I do my best to be there, if it not, then I don't stay the whole time. We also have a great staff that can visit and our Connection group leaders take care of those in their group. It is a delicate balancing act but we do the best we can. I know that I love the people of our church and was glad to be there today.
