Lighthouse Keeper

 Good afternoon folks,

Gayla and I were at a multi-vocational pastors and wives retreat this past weekend. It was a great time. We met many pastor and wives of small attendance churches like ours and were encourage by them. It is good to be with others in the ministry who understand what you are experiencing. 

As those who know me will tell you, I have said many times if I couldn't be a pastor/preacher I would like to be a lighthouse keeper. I say that because the lighthouses are located by the ocean or other large bodies of water and I really like that. The thought of living on a rugged cost and that I can help keep people safe just sounds cool to me. 

On our trip home, our very long trip; Gayla was driving and I was kind of dozing and the Holy Spirit hit me with a thought. As the pastor of a rural church I am a lighthouse keeper. What do I mean by this? At our church we have always prayed to be a lighthouse to our community. But what exactly does that mean? 

Let's start by looking at what it is that a lighthouse does. A lighthouse, structure, usually with a tower, built onshore or on the seabed to serve as an aid to maritime coastal navigation, warning mariners of hazards, establishing their position, and guiding them to their destinations. From the sea a lighthouse may be identified by the distinctive shape or colour of its structure, by the colour or flash pattern of its light, or by the coded pattern of its radio signal.

In a community the church is a place that is readily identifiable. Ask just about anyone in a small community and they can tell you where the church is whether they attended it or not. Why was the church building built and why do people continue to attend Sunday School and the worship services? They attend so that they can learn about and strengthen their relationship with God, and Christ Jesus through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The church body is a visible manifestation of God and His grace. We are or should be there to guide our friends and neighbors through the treacherous waters called life by living and teaching God's Word. When the moral compass starts spinning, when it's hard to tell right from wrong the church through God's Word gives folks an established position. God's Word is always true and it never changes. As God's representatives the members of a church body help guide their family, friends, and neighbors into the safe harbor of God's love and mercy. Yes, the local church is much like a lighthouse and the pastor, the under shepherd is very much like the lighthouse keeper as they try and minister to their congregation and their surrounding community.   

A Panhandle pastor/Lighthouse Kreeper.