Over the last few weeks I've been reading a blog called "Laughing Pastor". I've even been accused of being both the Prairie Preacher and the Laughing Pastor ... I've assured people I am NOT the Laughing Pastor, though many of his postings resonate with things I've experienced in my life and ministry ...Sadly, such is the state of the modern church ...
Fortunately though, one of the delightful things about the Internet is the ability of people from diverse geographic locations to connect and form friendships ... I remember in the early days of the ECUNET (a church based internet network), when a prayer request for a man in Bella Coola who had been seriously and grievously burned in a boat fire, went out ... The replies poured in from ALL over the world ... people were praying for him on every continent and every note, letter and prayer I recieved was sent to the burn unit and read to him as he recovered. Later he would say those words were the "why" he recovered at all - they reminded him over and over and over that he was a child of God and that he was loved and cared for by his family, his friends, and his Church Universal.
Five months after the fire he gave me a special Christmas Present by inviting me to his home while he was home for a brief visit, and he walked for the first time across the room to hug me through his bandages and mummy-like Job garments!! It was a gift I've never forgotten ...
So ... inspite of all the negative stuff said about the Internet and the World Wide Web, there are many positives ... and yesterday I stumbled over another ...
I sent a comment to Laughing Pastor inviting him to be in touch ... and last night he and I began to "chat". I in Manitoba and he in far off Texas !!
I just wanted to share this, and invite MY readers to head over to Laughing Pastor and have a read of his posts ... One cold February day I may need to plan for a road trip to warm and sunny Texas to meet the Laughing Pastor face to face ... but for now ... I'll continue to read his blog, and I'll look forward to hearing from a new friend who shares the trials and travails of ministry with a HUGE dose of humour and laughter !!!
1 comment:
Texans....
We are not all bull headed, swaggering idiots. Really, we're not. Some of us really don't mind that people in the world and even in our state speak another language than English. Some of us do have courage to admit when we've been wrong and change course! Some of us know how to laugh, but not at the expense of others. Some really know how to talk...even though we have an accent. Some of us can't wait to have the opportunity to vote for a new President!
We're not all "red necks" even though I'm related to a few and live down the street from a couple and minister to some. Someone has to be here to speak some sense.
You all give me something to laugh about! Please, I need more to laugh about. I've been caught up in serious things too long. I love to laugh....make me laugh! It's the only way I can make it to the next election. It's the only way I'll endure the church I serve!
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