You might wonder why a minister would nurse a grudge. Why a minister might brood over some wound from the past. Why a minister would struggle with resentment. Unfortunately being a minister does not make me immune to getting my feelings hurt, or any other normal and ordinary human emotions. 

Actually, I'm not sure I'd want to belong to a church if the minister lived his life with a Teflon coating. It seems to me that someone who has been hurt and struggles with forgiveness himself is more likely to help others who struggle with it too. I've always believed the best pastors are wounded healers. 

All this being said, I've been thinking a lot about the life I choose to live, the purpose that God has for my life. My experience suggests that every ounce of my energy directed backwards nursing a hurt takes away from my energy directed toward my purpose. It's hard to focus forward when I am all torn up on the inside living backwards. Choosing my future story requires me to stop nursing my wounds and get moving toward the positive things I can accomplish. Easier said than done right? But the more our life turns toward our purpose, the more the past becomes truly the past.  We are shaped by our past but that does not mean we have to be imprisoned by it. 

This weekend I am preaching my second message in our I Choose series...I Choose Purpose over Popularity.  Grammy award winner Lecrae said, "If you live for people's acceptance, you will die from their rejection."  I hope these messages are doing as much for you as they are doing for me.

 

See You Sunday,

David Emery

 

P.S.  This weekend the nominees for our 2018 board will be introduced in worship. You can view the slate here. You will also be able to meet them between our services. Also I hope that you are making plans to attend our Congregtional Celebration and Chili Cookoff on Sunday January 21st, at 5:30pm. You can RSVP or sign up to bring chili here.