tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post3224007149585560044..comments2023-10-07T03:53:30.709-04:00Comments on old men planting churches: Reflecting On My First Solemn Assembly, September 25, 2010, Plymouth, MAKit McDermotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17818705153986043363noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-73911257097894805152010-09-27T14:49:16.830-04:002010-09-27T14:49:16.830-04:00I love what your friend Ruben told you, Bryan. He&...I love what your friend Ruben told you, Bryan. He's got it right! Much confessing, reconciling and forgiving still needs to transpire between Native Americans and the "white man." There is bitterness and fear in the way. May Jesus use his followers to love and serve the First Peoples community so they might come to know trust Jesus, the Great Peacemaker.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551796086160537522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-90020646396611550282010-09-27T14:43:52.166-04:002010-09-27T14:43:52.166-04:00Thank you for your thoughtful words of wisdom and ...Thank you for your thoughtful words of wisdom and encouragement, Jeanne. I have always suspected I was gifted this way, but never declared it. Saturday, I did.<br /><br />I am glad you are over your cold!Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551796086160537522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-12672716258454141292010-09-27T14:41:01.158-04:002010-09-27T14:41:01.158-04:00Thanks for your words of wisdom and encouragement ...Thanks for your words of wisdom and encouragement Judy. What you say is true. And thank you for the prayer. May it extend God's hand of enlivening grace toward my heart and feet.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551796086160537522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-31322422029926280222010-09-27T14:34:22.036-04:002010-09-27T14:34:22.036-04:00Hey Ben. Sometimes I struggle with great expectati...Hey Ben. Sometimes I struggle with great expectations, but little lasting effect from these events as well. Window dressing with all sorts of emotion seems to pass for the real thing sadly. My hope is that this one was different and substantive change will occur from the surrendered lives of the people there. Time will tell.<br /><br />I hear you on the pastor-role- acceptance deal. It has never been easy for me, but I stepped over the line on Saturday.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551796086160537522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-34719685774572063292010-09-27T14:29:55.124-04:002010-09-27T14:29:55.124-04:00Thank you for your kind and encouraging words, Vic...Thank you for your kind and encouraging words, Victoria. I'm glad you were similarly moved at the event. May Jesus continue to convict us of our roles in making peace, breaking down walls, healing wounds, righting wrongs and building bridges for his glorious Kingdom!Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551796086160537522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-60048994146173352242010-09-27T14:26:56.496-04:002010-09-27T14:26:56.496-04:00Hey Raymond, we were sitting in the first tier of ...Hey Raymond, we were sitting in the first tier of seats on the left as you came onto the floor in the Hall. One of these days we'll cross paths.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09551796086160537522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-42030670976638695132010-09-27T13:26:40.192-04:002010-09-27T13:26:40.192-04:00I went to college in Southampton,NY...right next t...I went to college in Southampton,NY...right next to the Shinnocock Inlet, named after the Shinnecock's who are now on the reservation across the street from the school. It's odd, everyone knows of "the Hamptons" but not the dirty little secret of the res. Anyway, I had a friend while in school named Ruben who was Shinnecock and years later, after my coming into my new life with Christ, I ran into him again. I knew he was a Christian so I asked flat out how he could accept a God given brought to him by folks who did such horrible things..."bry-bry, Jesus is the only good thing the white man ever gave us!" ...so I guess I've been at peace with this for awhile. I do agree that cooperate confession and repentance is the key to communial spiritual awakening.Rev. Bryan Bywaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02282366537394291268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-18516477680064030912010-09-27T12:36:18.304-04:002010-09-27T12:36:18.304-04:00Hi Kit,
I'm glad you got to experience the pre...Hi Kit,<br />I'm glad you got to experience the presence of God in such a powerful way in this assembly and that he enabled you to see yourself as a pastor. I see you in that way and have referred to you that way. I've been reading Peter Wagner's book on Finding Your Spiritual Gifts (and how it can help your church grow) and I find his definitions of the gifts bring clarity to me. I appreciate how he speaks of a spiritual gift as "a special ability" that God gives to sometone to perform the gift and how this is different than performing a role in the church. I believe there are pastors who are gifted by God to serve his church though they were never formally ordained as a pastor. I liked his definition of a pastor, too: someone who is concerned about the spiritual welfare of a group of people for a long time. I think you would be placed in that category. I hope you feel better soon. I had a bad cold and needed antibiotics and I hope Tricia feels better, too! <br />JeanneJeanne Dubuquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00306187930635896357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-66019504912470829422010-09-27T07:16:25.888-04:002010-09-27T07:16:25.888-04:00Pastoral roles come to many and seminary is not ne...Pastoral roles come to many and seminary is not necessarily the only path. As one who has a terminal degree in my field, reaching advanced status is as much about jumping through hoops as it is about gaining knowledge. I'm not knocking the knowledge I've gained as a result of my graduate training, but learning and study don't necessarily need to be driven by the hallowed halls of academe. <br /><br />Although I am not a pastor and I work in a secular context, I find myself pastoring as a leader and shepherd of 3,000 people from the age of 3 to their 60s. What I have learned is that I need to be grounded - grounded in my faith - grounded in obedience - grounded in wisdom from the study of God's Word and through others who have a greater depth of knowledge that can lead me to true wisdom.<br /><br />Kit - you are well-equipped and ordained by God to pastor in the place that you have. The mantel comes with its share of burdens, but Jesus promises that, when yoked with Him, those burdens will be easy and light.<br /><br />My prayer is that as you grow in this new awareness of your true self, that God's glory will continue to be made manifest in you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-11345277423120523112010-09-26T21:00:30.834-04:002010-09-26T21:00:30.834-04:00Great report Kit... good to hear. So often these e...Great report Kit... good to hear. So often these events include so much politics (our nation needs to do X)and scapegoating (anti-gay, anti-Islam, anti-semitic, etc) -- that I am probably too much of a skeptic of these things... I have just seen too many become more Glenn Beck rallies than solemn assemblies... I am encouraged by your report.<br /><br />And by the way, like it or not, you are a church planter and pastor! (and a faithful/good one at that!)Ben D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07514101493778935878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-4651668248962373882010-09-26T10:29:33.306-04:002010-09-26T10:29:33.306-04:00There were many beautiful, solemn moments that sho...There were many beautiful, solemn moments that shook the ground yesterday. Quiet, powerful God reconciliations between man and man and man and God.I was profoundly moved. There were some empty pauses-vessels dry, but trying to pour.It reminded me very literally of what life next to lifelessness looks and feels like.I was convicted of my own heart of duplicity and prayed for forgiveness and a singleness of heart devoted to His passions.<br />The acceptance of the pastoral title has been long coming , Kit. I pray that you walk in His gift and His strength of call in this particular stride. You have been pastor to those I love, and , unmistakeably, to Steven and me in our searching for Christ in the celebration of marriage.Tricia has also been a pastor to me- pointing out the reality of Jesus in the midst of pain and loss and recovering the beauty of joy in Christ.Shepherds are not easy to find.We need and long for pastors. I know that I do.For those of us who have deep scars related to people we have been in caregiver roles for us need you. We are not looking for perfection, merely acknowledgment and reaffirmation that God still cares. You are gifted counselors, but God has called you both to the pastorate however that looks to you, from this side it is very visible. I pray that, again and again, He refreshes your eyes with the water of His spirit to see you as clearly as the rest of us see you...as Pastor,as well as counselor and friend.God bless you as you lead as you are called.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16226727719457146044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3321604364389095781.post-17882204675950990862010-09-26T09:00:24.771-04:002010-09-26T09:00:24.771-04:00I looked for your group to introduce myself but di...I looked for your group to introduce myself but did not see you (only know you from Facebook photo and posts).<br /><br />I was told that the hall seated 1700+.Raymond Williamsnoreply@blogger.com