K.C. Wahe - Follower of Jesus, Husband, Father, Pastor, Student, Blogger

This morning I drove down to a hospital in San Jose to visit with one of my youth leaders who’s father was in a serious motorcycle accident. It was a horrible accident. I can’t imagine what my friend is going through along with her mom and her brother. Please pray for my friend’s father for a quick recovery. These next few weeks are critical.

I couldn’t help but notice another family who was in need. It was a family who had just received word of a family members death. As I was leaving I over heard one of the family members say to someone else, “You have to get it together. You need to go and say your good-byes.” How do you know when to intervene as a pastor or lay person when you observe someone else in need of pastoral care and support? Do I flip out my typed “I’m an ordained Presbyterian minister ID card” issued to me by the denomination I serve? I have to be honest in that I was disappointed that I didn’t offer some kind of support. When does one intervene and how do you tell the difference between the Holy Spirit nudging you to show Christ’s love and compassion and the need for the ego to be stroked? I’m certain that I don’t want to be the kind of pastor who feels the need and who looks for opportunities for an accolade or two. I also desire to be someone who shows a genuine and authentic heart for ministering to those who are in need of pastoral care as Christ showed a genuine and authentic heart for loving those who sought the need to be cared for. I had a professor in seminary who once shared that genuine and authentic pastoral care often is just being present in the midst of the pain. His whole idea was that maybe as pastors the best thing to do is to just sit, listen, watch, and pray.

I had a wonderful worship experience this afternoon. It wasn’t with a praise band, singing David Crowder’s latest music, no drums, no guitars, and no vocalists. I had a chance to lead a vespers service here this afternoon and gave a short message on the promises of God to a group of folks. One of the hymns they chose to sing was “How Great Thou Art.” What I noticed during the singing time was the heart for worship and the Spirit of God upon one of the folks called to lead the singing. As I watched him singing with tears in his eyes, I was filled with joy in that even with the worship wars over the years, that no matter what we sing to the Lord in a Sunday worship service, whether a hymn or praise song, we are called to sing to the Lord with our whole heart.

We were camping about 50 miles north of Tahoe this weekend…look what I found…

Although I’ve enjoyed having them home this summer and the time we’ve gotten to spend together as a family, the countdown has begun until that glorious day that all parental units enjoy…

The start of the new school year…

57 hours…and counting…

Yeah!

One more reflection from my experience with this family we helped move this morning. As we finished the packing of their belongings to be placed into storage, we were invited to a quick lunch of chicken and rice. Even to the last minute, this lady saw to it that we were fed. The two of them had nothing left, just a few pieces of chicken, some rice, and a thank you or two. I don’t know if I will ever again complain about not owning a home yet. I do know that I will work on constantly remembering and reminding myself that we are truly blessed by God, knowing that my friends, who had nothing else and even as they were being evicted, showed an act of kindness in the midst of their own sorrow.

I have to believe with all of my heart that the church must become a place where it empowers those who are powerless. Evangelical or liberal…the church must wake up. It must become a place where those who can’t find their way can get back on their feet. Our mission field is right across the street and next door. The Lord calls us to a life of walking alongside those who have hit rock bottom. Whether rich or poor, we have been charged with the responsibility of looking for ways of caring for the brokenhearted. The church doesn’t just stay open on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. It exists to serve and love the people of God as Jesus loved them in all of their brokenness seven days a week. Just an update from yesterdays post, one of the children decided that he would take his parents into his home on a temporary basis until they got back on their feet. The prayer is now that we find our friends a new place to live and a new job.

When I was younger I remember a time my father was unable to pay his rent for our home in Hollywood. I don’t remember much about that day, but I do remember having to move out because of being evicted. I also remember the feelings of shame when we had to move into a motel near the boulevard where those who were at their rock bottom somehow ended up also coming together as one in the midst of the chaos of life. This past weekend there were some folks who were in need of help with their rent. They were given a three day notice to exit or the landlord would have to evict them from their apartment.

The couple had noticed our church directly across the street from them and decided to come and seek help. Guess who happened to be at the church that morning? This afternoon I again visited with this couple who are definitely at their bottom. In the next 24 hours they will have to move out. For some reason every door has closed upon their lives. I was on the phone looking for renters assistance for this couple through local and state agencies. Nothing. Their own children have turned their backs on them.

As I sat and tried to help them figure out their options, I had a sudden flashback of living in that motel with my father after we were evicted back in Jr. High. I felt like a therapist who was encountering a kind of countertransference of issues in the counseling relationship with a client. As I sat and listened to my friends, I was humbled and grateful for how God protected me, provided for my family and I the shelter we needed at the time. I now pray for these friends who look for the same grace and shelter needed, which at this point will only come from upon high. I call upon those in the blogging world who occasionally visit to pray for that grace and shelter they will both need in the next 24 hours. As for my sudden remembrance of issues from my past, I again am thankful for the overabundance of God’s mercies in my life.

I was dropping some church folks off here and I then had to find Arnold to have coffee with him. No luck. I did find his office. It’s a great building. What would it be like to be the “Governator” for a day?

Maybe the dust has finally settled from seminary. I’m beginning to enjoy reading again. These last few weeks I’ve picked up some very cool books. Tonight, the boys and I were hanging out at B&N and I glanced through The Signature of Jesus, by Brennan Manning. The few pages I read I really liked. What jumped off the page made me truly think about the differences between the "committed and the uncommitted" followers of Christ and how am I perceived by those I minister to and serve with when it comes to the depth of my love for the Lord; "At the dawning of the twentieth first century what separates the committed and the uncommitted is the depth and quality of our love for Jesus Christ." Pg. 10. Looks like a great read, can’t go wrong with Manning.