What? Clergy selling ice cream?
As we begin the month of June, we can all say, “Hello summer.”
What better way to celebrate summer than with a great-tasting treat like ice cream?
Many of you agree to this because the parking areas around our local ice cream stands are full.
We come to these places for something good. The desire, anticipation, order, exchange, and hooray, the treat itself are all a part of the experience.
We clergy—priests and pastors alike—have something good, too. Actually, who we represent, teach about, celebrate and love with you is the Best Something Good EVER. With you, we get to experience the desire, anticipation, order (of worship), exchange, and hooray, the presence of Jesus because Jesus IS the experience.
As we begin a new month and a new chance to see our days in front of us, I invite churchgoers and non-churchgoers to think about the desire we have. The desire we all have is to be connected, to have understanding, and to create within us coping skills when good things like ice cream stands are not nearby or available to us in the moment.
Religion aside for a moment, each of us has a relationship with Jesus, just as everyone at the time Jesus was on earth had a relationship with the Son of God. Some stood away. Some said, “No way.” Some said, “Right message, wrong guy.” Some had never heard Him (or heard of Him). Some flat out denied Him and the Father He represented, loved, and followed to His own death for our salvation. Some found Jesus too preachy. Some found Jesus divisive. Some followed Jesus for the fame of it, the spectacle. Some sought this outlying rebel for healing only.
And others, like the priests and pastors I mentioned, myself included, give our lives to Him each day. Oh, this group of people, as we all know, is filled with sin and sorrowful acts at times. Like a bad diet that includes too much ice cream however, we keep seeking Jesus. In doing so, we self-correct. Actually, technically, Jesus self-corrects us not punitively, but lovingly.
What is your desire? Ice cream, yes! But what else? Is there something more? Can there be something more?
Here is TMI FYI. I don’t like coffee-flavored ice cream. Also, if vanilla were the only favor ice cream out there, I’d pass.
I share this because maybe you’ve tried a faith journey that includes religion and, like coffee-flavored or vanilla ice cream for me, the church experience was okay-ish, but just didn’t work.
Try again. Maybe your desire to be connected with God through Jesus has been thwarted, or you’ve been disappointed. Maybe you’ve been hurt.
Clergy doesn’t need to sell ice cream (though we can give it away at a combined church and community event).
But, like ice cream, admit the desire is still there. Pull in to your local church. Anticipate, exchange, celebrate.
Enjoy.
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