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

I’ve been sick this week. Still have managed to get through the day with enough grace from on high to do my day to day things. I’ve been pondering the meaning and role that mission has in the church today. I’m overwhelmed by the mere fact that we the church (in North America) are years away from truly becoming a missional community of Christ followers where we reflect the world and our own communities and where we’re becoming equipping centers with the great commission in mind. I’m struck by the fact and thankful that there are many who desire some of the same things I desire, but because of fear are afraid of risking the simplicity of what Jesus calls us to do as his followers. I can’t wait and my prayer continues to be, that one day one mission would exist.

Father’s day is coming…

Daddy gets to go here Sunday after church…and we get to cruise the field and play catch after the game. SHWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET! Thank you honey!!!

Saw an ad for this at Spirit West Coast…

One Sunday morning, the pastor noticed little Alex standing in
the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered
with names with small American flags mounted on either side of it.
The seven year old had been staring at the plaque for some
time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said
quietly,
“Good morning Alex.”
“Good morning Pastor,” he replied, still focused on the
plaque.
“Pastor, what is this?” he asked.
The pastor said, “Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the young
men and women who died in the service.”
Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large
plaque.
Finally, little Alex’s voice, barely audible and trembling
with fear, asked,
“Which service, the 8:30 or the 10:45?”

Get to go here in a couple of days. Hope to have the family join me. Palmer and Johnson are the speakers. Looking forward to being away for some much needed refreshment.

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Woke up Easter morning around 3:20am. Showered, got ready for a beautiful sunrise service at 6:00am (of course it was the Antelope Valley cloud cover) Arrived to the church at 4:30am after stopping at McDonald’s for coffee. (I can’t believe I’m saying this, the coffee is actually better than Starbucks) Littlerock is also the quietest little place in the Valley at 4:30am. Finished one service got ready for the next two. It was a joy to be able to preach on Easter Sunday. Years past I’ve been on the other side listening to the preacher or I was always away doing some kind of youth group mission trip. This year was neat in that I got to be the one giving the message. My favorite sermon of the three was the one I gave to a bunch of folks at the Sunrise service in Juniper Hills. My sermon title was “it really happened,” and my text was Matthew 28:1-10. What was special about the day was that three of the churches from the area helped lead the service. Each of the pastors had a different role and it was a day where we were one church, the church universal proclaiming that Jesus is Lord. We also had a great day back at the church. I loved arriving to the smell of lilies and coffee. After the second service folks stayed and ate some Easter munchies and fellowshiped together. The parental unit in-laws joined us for church. It was neat to have them in worship. We ended the day with a feast back at case de Wahe. Yours truly cooked his first ham. It was also a blessing in that we’ve never owned a home until this year, praise God! We were able to host our first meal for our relatives. The best part once the meal was over and as I couldn’t keep my eyes open from being up since 3:30am and stuffing my face with easter treats was hearing the sounds of the “moms” outside with kids searching for plastic eggs filled with coins and than watching one of the kiddoes counting his loot. Anyways, praise be to God that we in the church universal get to celebrate “Easter” all year long…oh yeah! The dodgers swept the giants…a very cool day.Thanks for the reminder Scotty!

All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s Name comest,
The King and Blessèd One.

The company of angels
Are praising Thee on High,
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply.

The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went;
Our prayer and praise and anthems
Before Thee we present.

To Thee, before Thy passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.

Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.

I spent some time with a member of our church a few days ago. I’ll call him Joe. Joe is roughly in his fifties and lives pretty much everywhere and anywhere. Joe is homeless. When I arrived to the office on Monday, Joe had left several messages wanting me to call him back. I had to track him down at the hospital he was at, because I didn’t have an accurate spelling of his last name. I would eventually find him. You see Joe just wanted someone to know that he was in the hospital.

When we finally connected over the phone he had requested a few things. “I need some visitors” and can you bring me a King James Bible?” The first I didn’t have a problem with and the second request I did some digging and found an old NKJV Bible in a box at church.

When I finally had a chance to go see Joe, he was about to be released when I arrived at the hospital, because there’s a 5 day limit for folks who don’t have affordable health care. After spending about five minutes together, I pieced the puzzle together that the hospital had thrown Joe’s shoes away and couldn’t find a shoe that fit him because the dude wore a size 18 shoe. Joe is a very independent kind of guy and wasn’t thrilled about his stay in the hospital and was ready to leave whether or not they would keep him. 

We agreed that he would sit and wait until he was released until I found him some shoes. I told him that I’d be right back and that he had to be as patient as he was able to be with the staff trying to help him with his release. I made a quick trip to about five different shoe stores, and after five smiles of “you got to be kidding,” a few phone calls to some church folks for ideas, I ended up at a place called Grace Resource. The biggest shoe I could find was a size 14.

When I arrived back to the hospital his nurse said, “he left.” I found a security guard and asked him if he’d seen a big homeless guy wondering around the place. He said, “yeah, he’s sleeping on a bench near the ER.” I wondered around the hospital and found him sound a sleep as the guard had said outside on a bench near the ER. I woke him up and he looked up at me and said, “you’re back.” I said, “found some shoes Joe, let’s get them on.” And with a whole lot of wiggling of feet and pushing, we some how fit Joe and his boats into a pair of size 14 shoes. Don’t ask me how we did it.

After a quick trip to Carl’s Jr, a double six dollar burger combo for Joe’s dinner, and a ride to where his shopping cart was, I learned more about Joe as he shared his life with me, where he was from, and that he grew up a Methodist. What struck me about this experience was that Joe is a bright individual, smart, intuitive, and loves to talk. He knows Jesus and even shared with me that he considered himself a street minister. What really struck me most about this experience was that this is why I’m doing what I’m doing as a pastor. It’s about meeting the people, face to face, right where they are at in life. Rich, poor, and the in-between. The poor in spirit. Nothing to do with numbers, how small or big a church is, or the kinds of programs the church offers to its people. It has everything to do with coming right down to where the people are at in the midst of their joys and the chaos of life. Eye to eye. Sitting with them in their pain.

Whether it’s dropping Big Joe off at his cart, making a hospital visit, or praying with someone about their health, its about the people; it’s the place where Jesus meets us, and settles in, and sets up shop. It’s where he works and reshapes us as people of God. And our only requirement as pastors? Is to act when the Spirit of God nudges us and reminds us of why we do what we do in loving his people into the kingdom of God. It means making our churches people centered. It’s our mission and it’s the mission of God; to love them as Jesus loved them, in-spite of who they are and what they’re going through in life. Thank God for the Joe’s of ministry and thank God for opportunities where we pastors need to be reminded of why we do what we do on a daily basis and to become pastors focused on “kingdom work,” and to borrow a phrase from a show I watched on television last night the “right now” stuff  of today. May it be so.   

7:22am. You know your kids are growing up when you hear this statement while they’re getting ready for school, “Dad, could you pop this?” As he’s pointing to his pimple…AGHHHH!!!! I can’t stand it. I’ve blinked and my kid has a pimple. Anyways, I’ve been in blog silence of late. Lots happening. Organizing office at church with the help of a couple of folks and we hired a new office person too. Thank you God for this day!!!! And it’s almost Dodger Dog time…nice!!

Earlier this week I shared that I had a chance to lead someone to Christ. I have to tell you part of the reason I’m blown away was that in my years of serving in the church I’ve witnessed others coming to Jesus, but I’ve never really experienced first hand someone wanting me to pray with them about their hearts desire to come to know Christ. I was in awe and honored and yet overwhelmed with the responsibility of being a pastor, teacher and in helping others lead a church. Okay! It was awesome!!! Anyways, I do my first wedding tomorrow, it’s a Renaissance theme. I’ve never done a wedding like this. Should be fun. And Youth Sunday is right around the corner! This day is a day I love and yes the break in preaching is a nice one!

It’s been one of those weeks. I’m learning lots about being a small church pastor. I’m learning that it’s most important to do what really matters. This past week I’ve been trying to figure out how to balance the roles of pastor and administrator. Especially when you’re the only one in the office. I’ve also had fun spending time with folks from church who really want the church to grow not only in Christ, but in the way we attract new folks. We joined the gym that a few in the church frequent. One person made sure I met the regulars this past week when I was at the gym. It was pretty cool meeting some new folks. When it hit me that I was now the pastor of a cool, fun filled, hip, little, Christ centered church was when this church member who was introducing me to folks at the gym said, “I want you to meet my new pastor.” I was thankful for his affirmation and at the same time wanted to say, “where?” The Lord is teaching me lots! By the way thanks to those who came to my installation! You all rock! And thanks to our new church for making the day a special one for me as I start as their new pastor.