Salt Lake City – Day 1

For years I served in a business that required a lot of telephone time. There were some folks that I would talk to 3-4 times daily. Many of them I never met in person. There were some business associates that I did get to meet. I recall that in almost every instance they looked nothing like the vision I had in my mind’s eye. Have you ever had a similar experience? We get this image in our head, and the other person does not match it.

Yesterday after landing at the Salt Lake City airport, I picked up my rental car. I left the airport to drive to Snowbird, Utah where our conference is being held. (You get really good rates at a ski resort in June!) After stopping for dinner, I began my ascent up the mountain. By this time it was dark. I was very careful since this was an unfamiliar road and to go off the side I knew could be treacherous. After a 45 minute drive I arrived at my destination, parked the car, checked into my room, and wrote last night’s blog. I then went to sleep.

I woke up this morning to go get some breakfast and as I looked out my hotel window and walked to the restaurant I was taken by the beauty that surrounded me. Here it is June and I was looking at breathtakingly beautiful snow capped peaks. Last night I was imagining what it would look like. This morning I was seeing it for myself! Just like the phone calls I mentioned earlier, my vision and reality were not even close.

As you read yesterday, I am out here for a conference. For the most part I like educational conferences, but I am not a junky by any stretch. As much as I enjoy sitting and listening to a speaker teach me something I do not know, I much prefer the times of sharing with other pastors and learning together. After day one of this conference, it is apparent that I will be getting some of both this week. Of that I am glad.

The first worship session tonight was led in total by African Americans and reminded me a lot of my younger days in white Baptist Churches. Tonight was a worship time of encouragement and challenge. Leading a new church is by far the hardest thing I have ever done in ministry, so tonight to get a shot of encouragement was good medicine.

After this meeting I had the opportunity over dessert, to talk to a young pastor in his first pastorate about the challenges related to ministry. As I listened, shared, offered ideas and asked questions, I realized anew that I love helping younger ministers – men and women. About 7-8 years ago I felt that God desired me to invest a portion of my time in the lives of younger men. Tonight as I talked to this pastor, I was reminded of that.