Why I Stayed

When I became a Christian, I was thrilled to find a moral compass to guide me. I was given a purpose for my life. I realized I was no longer condemned to live a meaningless existence controlled by my base instincts. At that point, I would never have understood Martin Luther’s exhortation to “sin boldly.” I was overwhelmed with plain, old non-imaginative sins! I was thrilled to simply be a Christian and have some level of freedom from myself.

I have no question about why I became a Christian. However, occasionally I wonder how I remained a Christian after a life in ministry. After all, popular Christianity has evolved tremendously since I became a follower of Jesus.

The all too public failures of prominent Christian leaders have been excruciating. The swirling currents of hot-tub Christianity have made it difficult to keep up on the “next best thing.” The normal challenges faced in Christian service have sometimes been discouraging. So, why did I remain a Christian? What kept me going in ministry?

I can think of seven things that kept me in the Church:

Jesus. I cannot think of anything or anyone else that has had the same power to keep me alive and growing in faith as the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. I became a believer when I was attracted to Jesus. He was alive. He was bold. In my mind, He was a true revolutionary. He was going to change the world and by following Him, I could be part of what He was doing.

I did not fall in love with the external rules of Christianity. I did not get into ministry because I enjoyed wearing ties or loved going to leadership team meetings. I did not stay a Christian because I was a natural rule follower. It was a focus on Jesus that kept me going.

Good, honest preaching. I know, my belief in preaching probably provides evidence that I do not watch religious television. It’s true. I only feel a sense of skin-crawling discomfort watching most TV preachers. The teachers I am referring to are not as well-known as the guys with big smiles and hairdos which can repel a small caliber bullet. To my knowledge, the men I have valued never made the cover of any news magazine.

Early in my faith journey, I valued the teaching of a man named John Faulkner. Yes, I admit he used his eyeglasses as a homiletic prop – pointing them at you when he wanted to emphasize something. However, his understanding of the Bible was evident, and his application spoke to me almost every single time.

Now, years later, I love to hear his son, Jack, speak. He encourages me in the same way his father did. Jack is a bit technologically impaired. So, you won’t find him on your local television station. However, he smokes a great brisket. My guess is we would have fewer people walking away from the church if more preachers smoked brisket and shared it with others.

Caring, imperfect people. In all my years in ministry, I have never met a perfect Christian. Still, there have been many imperfect Christians who have used the “who they are” to encourage me along the way.

I remember a time Su was going through a particularly difficult patch with her health issues. A woman we visited gave her a shawl which she had knitted. She told Su that she had prayed for her while she was working on it – every single day, every single stitch. I am not sure of this, but I don’t believe “nones,” agnostics, or atheists get many prayer shawls in the mail.

Fellow pilgrims. I have been blessed to be accompanied by authentic companions on my faith walk. Guys like Jack, Gary, Joe and Mark have never been reticent to encourage, strengthen and, occasionally, place a proverbial shoe on a strategic part of my metaphysical backside. It makes it hard to give up when things get tough if you are surrounded by celestial hitchhikers like them.

The Bible. I admit there might be something wrong with me. However, I do not find a disconnect between the Word and the experience of facing life’s challenges. In fact, the Bible has been a lifeline to me. It serves the same purpose as the “fellow pilgrims” mentioned above, but it is much harder to argue with.

A milkshake. That’s right. At a low point in ministry for me – another dark night of the soul experience – a Christian friend took me out for a milkshake. I can no longer remember what we talked about. I do recall I was about ready to throw the towel in and apply for a job in the establishment where we sat. However, by the time we finished the milkshake and conversation, I had decided to at least “try to try” to continue in the work.

Music. Music and singing have always had an important place in my faith journey. Soon after I became a Christian, I began sharing my faith by traveling and singing with my friend and fellow pilgrim, Gary. Later, I played in a band based in East Texas called the Last Generation. This was long before the term Contemporary Christian Music existed. Back in those days Christians simply called what we were doing “sin.” Su and I have always sung together, even while washing dishes. The words of the songs and hymns have encouraged me in hard times and focused me during the good ones.

Beginning my Christian faith was great. Continuing the faith journey has been even better. It has allowed me to see God’s faithfulness in challenging situations. In the end, it is that faithfulness which has allowed a faith-impaired man, like me, have a small part in changing the world.