Before we returned home from our baseball week in Cooperstown this past Sunday afternoon, we had to travel one last time down Main Street to look for our official “Home of Baseball” souvenirs.  Calie and I both got shirts that let you know, clear as day, where they came from. No doubt they will initiate a conversation or two when we wear them.  “When were you in Cooperstown?” “Did you get to the Hall of Fame?” 
 
This past Tuesday, I worked from home as we had new carpet installed throughout our home.  When the two workers showed up in their company shirts, I noticed that Romans 10:13 was printed on their right sleeve. You better believe that led to a conversation with them, albeit brief.  It also fueled another conversation with the owner of the company later that night.
 
The two scenarios above show how simple we can bear witness to the faith we hold so dearly.  It doesn’t have to be difficult. It doesn’t have to be daunting.  Whether it be a t-shirt, a cross necklace, or a bumper sticker there are so many ways that we can let people know who we are and what we believe.  Of course, there is nothing better than genuine conversation, but making use of the everyday tools we have around us can open the doors for the Holy Spirit to use us. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 

For whatever the reason, on a number of occasions over the past couple of weeks, I have heard these words: “It’s OK Pastor, I don’t want to bother you.  I’m fine.  You’re already busy. Don’t worry about it.”  It has come from many people.  It has come in a variety of scenarios and contexts.  As a result, I want to take this chance to set the record straight and make sure it is crystal clear what DOES and DOES NOT bother Pastor Steve.
 
Here are some things that DO bother me:

• When people are unwilling to engage and understand people with different views and beliefs.
• Having ink or marker anywhere on my skin. 
• When people complain about things but are not willing to do anything about it.
• Having crumbs in the bed or hair in the shower drain.  Gag!
• Young baseball players that leave empty water and Gatorade bottles all over the dugout.
• When people are disrespectful, talking, or goofing around during times of prayer.

 
Here are some things that DO NOT bother me:

• When a member has a question regarding something they read in the Bible, heard in a sermon, read in a book, or saw on TV.
• When a member needs some form of help—financial, manual labor, or otherwise.
• When a member is having problems in their relationships with family, friends, etc.
• When a member feels lonely and needs a visit—at home or in the hospital.
• When a member needs someone to talk to and cry in front of.
• When a member is seeking guidance & encouragement in faith or any other arena of life.

 
As a pastor, God has given me a wonderful calling to be “bothered.”  At one point, I recall a fellow pastor referred to the life of a pastor as one filled with holy interruptions.  He encouraged pastors to embrace the interruptions, because that is so often when real-life and faith collide.  Truthfully, the interruptions that come into my life, into my week, into my every day are not interruptions, as much as they are ministry itself.  This was true of Jesus. He was interrupted all the time—when He was teaching, when He was traveling, when He was trying to find rest.  A great many of His recorded healings and interactions, when lives were transformed and souls were saved, was while He was being interrupted from doing something else.  Jesus was so often interrupted or bothered, even his interruptions were interrupted!
 
As your pastor, God has specifically given me a calling to be “bothered” by each and every one of you!  Anytime, anywhere, regarding any issue.  Of course, the word “bothered” carries all sorts of negative connotations; please know that I don’t use it in that way at all.  As your pastor, I am NEVER too busy for any member of this church.  This is the very reason God established this vocation. My office door is open, my email is accessible, and my cell phone is on.  I am here to serve you.  To help you.  To pray for you.  To counsel you.  To support you. To encourage you.  To laugh with you. To cry with you.  In other words, bring on the interruptions! I look forward to our years of ministry together and I am especially eager for all the unscheduled, unplanned and spontaneous visits that are not, and will never be, a bother!
 
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.”  (1 Timothy 1:12)
 
“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life—the life that God is sending one day by day.” (C.S. Lewis)
 
“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)