Monday, October 29, 2012

WOW!!  I'm kinda shocked that I haven't written on here for 11 months.   While this journey the Lord has started me on took a turn, I didn't share with you what was going on and what is still going on.  Yes, the journey still continues.
Why haven't I written in all these months?  Writers block? Busy? Depression? Lack of motivation?  Yeah, all that and probably more.  While I have ideas for this blog, I seem to just let them rattle around in my head.  Well, the Lord is not going to let me continue like this.  He has given me things to write and I will do it!

Last December, I started calling churches in a 50 mile area around Denver.  I didn't call any churches in Denver Metro area. I called only small towns. I was calling and asking if they or any church in their area was in need of an interim pastor. I told Richard Silversmith, you remember that Richard pastors Christian Indian Center, what I was doing and he encouraged me to look on Denver Seminary Job Site.  I joked with him that he was trying to get rid of me. There were listing from all over the country for all kinds of positions.  The last listing was for a small church that met on Saturday evenings.  They needed someone to fill in as Teacher while their pastor healed from a tragic fall.  There were 4 men who answered the ad.  One I never met, one was, or is, the chaplain at the Denver Rescue Mission, and the other one....well that's where my journey takes a turn. 
Bob Phelps and I took turns teaching.  Did I tell you that the worship music is old Southern Gospel and Bluegrass?  Bob and I met and became friends almost immediately.  He likes to say that he and I were raised together, miles apart.  We tend to think alike about ministry and related fields. But, he is an accomplished musician and singer, and I am accomplished at listening to music.  He was attending a small church in Denver, filling the pulpit and trying to guide them through a rough time in the church's life.  He asked me to pray about coming over and helping out.  What he said was needed were mature Christians to help pray with, counsel, and generally be a help to others.  Bob was voted in as Senior Pastor in April, if I remember right.
I started going on Wednesday evening as I was still going to Christian Indian Center Sunday mornings.  And going on Saturday nights to the Old Country Church.
Well, I also got fill the pulpit every 3rd Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Set Free Church of Denver can be classified as an inner-city church.  Our neighborhood is the poorest in Denver Metro. Many people live on about $10,000 a year, about 75% make less than $15,000 a year, more single family homes than any other neighborhood in the Metro area, and the staggering statistics go on.  Set Free Church gives out an average of 40boxes of free food every Sunday, with emergency boxes during the week.  All the food is donated.
But that is only the beginning of the turn the Lord started in my life.  I'll tell you about some amazing work He has me involved in next time.

In a devotional I wrote, this statement and verse means so much at this time in my life: "Today I will not try to figure things out or try to understand all there is." Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5,6

Love ya'll and I'll write more later.

Troy

1 comment:

TheAutoMomma said...

You are amazing. Thanks for updating the blog. Love you, Lil dad.