Parson to Person
Part 9 - An ongoing 'imaginative/non-fictional' series.
She must have sent that email right after church, I thought, looking at the time signature.
From: robin88@aol.com
Sent: 12/11/05 2:31PM
To: Brian Haas
Subject: Church today
Hi Brian,
I said I had a few questions. First, is it okay that I call you Brian at church? Is Pastor Brian (I heard a few people today call you that) right? I notice you always go by Brian at the diner, is that by design? Oops, I see that I’ve asked three questions already! Better go topically… three topics? So, one topic, what should I call you? Okay, two, (and I’m embarrassed to ask you this but I’m dying to know) why don’t you wear a robe or a collar thing? Is that something to do with being a pastor and not a priest or reverend-minister or something? Third topic… Abby asked me if I loved Jesus. I told her yes. I don’t know what she was asking me really, and I don’t know why I said yes. I know enough about God and the Bible and Jesus to say I think I believe all that – but there’s a lot of it I don’t believe. I’ve heard that Jesus loves me, and I get that. But I’ve never thought of it in terms of my loving Jesus. So, can you shed some light on this for me?
I really liked church today. It was nothing like I expected. I’m still in disbelief, something special was happening there. And, you’re funny Brian. Sarah and a couple of the ladies asked me to lunch later in the week. See ya, Robin
I’d have to wait a little while to respond because Jack and the other local pastors were due in my office any moment for our weekly prayer time. As I read Robin’s message a couple of more times I prayed, “Thanks Lord. You’re at work in this lady’s life!”
So the pastor’s gathered and just before we prayed, like clock-work, Randy spoke up:
“So, anybody have any conversions this week?”
Silence – as there was every week at this same point. Was I the only pastor who recognized it?
Jack spoke up, “We had a few visitors our evangelism and outreach team will follow up with this week.” The program was to deliver some baked goods and an Evangelism Explosion presentation. I wryly imagined, “Have some cookies. If you die tonight, do you know where you’ll spend eternity? How are those cookies?” How is it that the kingdom of heaven is not overcrowding with these tactics?
She must have sent that email right after church, I thought, looking at the time signature.
From: robin88@aol.com
Sent: 12/11/05 2:31PM
To: Brian Haas
Subject: Church today
Hi Brian,
I said I had a few questions. First, is it okay that I call you Brian at church? Is Pastor Brian (I heard a few people today call you that) right? I notice you always go by Brian at the diner, is that by design? Oops, I see that I’ve asked three questions already! Better go topically… three topics? So, one topic, what should I call you? Okay, two, (and I’m embarrassed to ask you this but I’m dying to know) why don’t you wear a robe or a collar thing? Is that something to do with being a pastor and not a priest or reverend-minister or something? Third topic… Abby asked me if I loved Jesus. I told her yes. I don’t know what she was asking me really, and I don’t know why I said yes. I know enough about God and the Bible and Jesus to say I think I believe all that – but there’s a lot of it I don’t believe. I’ve heard that Jesus loves me, and I get that. But I’ve never thought of it in terms of my loving Jesus. So, can you shed some light on this for me?
I really liked church today. It was nothing like I expected. I’m still in disbelief, something special was happening there. And, you’re funny Brian. Sarah and a couple of the ladies asked me to lunch later in the week. See ya, Robin
I’d have to wait a little while to respond because Jack and the other local pastors were due in my office any moment for our weekly prayer time. As I read Robin’s message a couple of more times I prayed, “Thanks Lord. You’re at work in this lady’s life!”
So the pastor’s gathered and just before we prayed, like clock-work, Randy spoke up:
“So, anybody have any conversions this week?”
Silence – as there was every week at this same point. Was I the only pastor who recognized it?
Jack spoke up, “We had a few visitors our evangelism and outreach team will follow up with this week.” The program was to deliver some baked goods and an Evangelism Explosion presentation. I wryly imagined, “Have some cookies. If you die tonight, do you know where you’ll spend eternity? How are those cookies?” How is it that the kingdom of heaven is not overcrowding with these tactics?
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