“I find it hard to avoid offending guilty men, for there is no way of
avoiding it but by our silence or their patience; and silent we cannot
be because of God’s command, and patient they cannot be because
of their guilt.”

That is a quote from Martin Luther. It is one of the little sayings that
help me get through life as an interim pastor. Other ‘one-liners’ keep
me sane and focused. Some of them are from scripture, some from
the catechism, some from my father, some I have picked up not knowing
from where. I suppose someone could make sense out of these but
I just want to share a few so you have an idea where I am coming from.

“The church exists for those who are not in it yet.”

That saying helps me look at any congregation with the eyes of a stranger. Is it a welcoming place, full of the love of Christ for the lost, lonely and loveless? Or is the building merely the clubhouse for the “local Luthurns?”

In the church, “When all is said and done, there is usually more said than done.” This one keeps me from getting too upset when church folk get together to talk about _______________ (fill in the blank: stewardship, evangelism, Bible study, community outreach, etc., etc.) and nothing happens but talk.

In Ecclesiastes 2:24 I have discovered a theme verse for my life: “There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This . . . is from the hand of God.” If you do not like your work, if you cannot stand your job, I feel sorry for you, but not much. Do what you enjoy doing and figure out a way to get people to pay you for doing it. If you cannot figure out how to do that, then look for some way of making the task (toil) more pleasant. As Mary Poppins said, “In every job to be done, there is an element of fun.”

I know that each of these sayings can be taken to an extreme or used totally out of context and can spoil instead of build up. However, taken in small doses each can prove to be a sanity saver. I am a bit reluctant to share my favorite because it is so dangerous and subject to mis-use. It comes from Moses, not the Old Testament Lawgiver, but Robert Moses, late of the Parks and Bridges Commission o f New York City. “It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.”

What are some of the aphorisms that guide you life? What are the sayings that have and continue to help you get through each day in this world God has given us?

T. T. Baumgardner
Interim Pastor