Hosea

Hosea called today.

He wanted to talk to a pastor.

He got me. The guy with an office tucked away in the underbelly of the church next to the nursery. The guy who works on graphics all day.

We talked about the things that are going on in his life right now and we talked about the things that are going on in my life. We talked about pain and struggle. We were open and honest with each other and we prayed for one another. We had church (the way it was meant to be) right there on the phone. Without the lights and the music. Without the coffee and donuts. Without the, "I'll pray for you's" and the "God bless you's". Without the kid's ministery, without the youth group, without the college and singles ministries. Without a choir and a worship leader and without a pastor. We had church.

Through this i realized that it isn't the people who are paid to be "pastors" that will make the greatest impact on this world's dark places and dark hearts. It's those people who have offices in the nursery and who have no faces and no names. It's the army of the invisible people. The army of the faceless, nameless people who will make the greatest advancements for God's kindom.

I also know that the greatest steps in spiritual growth do not happen within the confines of the church buildings but in the world around us. In the lives we live day in and day out. In the relationships we build and the lives we live.