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I know that our pastor and his dad were extremely close. Though I never met his dad or saw the two of them interact, over the past two and a half years, Pastor Lonny has mentioned his dad often enough in sermons that I felt as though I knew his character. Theirs was a relational connection as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. Lonny's love, admiration, and respect for his dad are intricately woven in the fabric of his own life.
Pastor Lonny and his family were away from church Memorial Day weekend for his father's funeral. Lonnie had the privilege of officiating at his dad's graveside service. I know from firsthand experience that in the years to come, he will look back on the experience with a sense of gratitude for the privilege that was his.
Yesterday morning during the song service, the thought came to me that I should video Pastor Lonny's message. I was not sitting in a spot ideally suited for doing that, but I surmised that a video from my view in the congregation would be authentic. It would make others feel as though they were there in person if they also had a view of the back of other's heads to hear the spoken Word.
Pastor Lonny doesn't hide behind three points and a poem as is often the case in some churches. I had a close long-term friend who served as a pastor for all his adult life. He routinely prepared his sermons six months in advance, and he never varied from the script.
I'm not suggesting that God cannot use that kind of effort, but I share with you in all honesty, that when I come to worship, I need something relational, personal, authentic, and applicable to the stuff of life that comes my way. I want a message that is fresh. Most of my sermons came from situational circumstances where I found myself asking, "God, what am I supposed to learn from this?" I am still in the process of becoming.
I value Pastor Lonny's transparency and vulnerability. By his own admission, he too, is a work in progress. I wanted to video yesterday's sermon because I knew it would hold a treasure chest of truths and insight. I was not disappointed.
He shared about a childhood picture where he was wearing his father's cleats. Of course, as a little kid, his shoes and feet were inside his dad's shoes. He had his father's baseball glove on one hand and his dad's cap on his head. In reflecting back, he said he may have thought that one day he would wear his father's shoes.
What he learned through life-lessons and his faith walk, is that it was not his place to walk in his father's shoes. They were too big for him. But he could duplicate his father's character and love for his family as he took steps in his own shoes.
With Pastor Lonny's permission, I am sharing yesterday's message. I found it powerfully insightful. The message deals with the topic of loss, comfort and grace.
Did I mention that Pastor Lonny also has an incredible sense of humor? Somewhere in the middle of his sermon, he mentioned tongue-in-cheek that he read somewhere this week: "By Replacing Your coffee with Green Tea, You Can Lose Up To 87% Of What Little Joy You have Left In Your Life.
All My Best,
Don
All My Best!
Don
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