My Inspiration, part 1

Hello!  My name is Meagan, and I want to change the world.  Specifically, I want to impact the way Christians in America look at their faith.  More than that, I want to challenge and inspire Christians to take their faith more seriously.  Radically ambitious, somewhat arrogant, and fairly unpleasant, I know.  But it's my passion, and I'd like to share it with you.

Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.  Perhaps an explanation (or exploration) of what motivates me is in order.

My story begins with a good old-fashioned Baptist business meeting.  I was twelve or thirteen, and immensely curious why so many people (myself included)  would show up for such a boring night.  I soon found out.

The pastor was up for a raise, and two hundred people had gathered to determine his fate.  Pre-meeting murmurs filled the sanctuary with discourse.  The pastor stood before the church, mentioned the three microphones available for open commentary, and left the sanctuary.

As quickly as the pastor had left, a bearded man made his way towards the center mic.  Immediately he began attacking the idea of giving his spiritual leader a raise.  A few voices sounded their agreement.  In fact, he continued, the church was paying him too much already.  More voices spoke, louder than before.  Encouraged, the bearded man made his final point: Why should a man who works only 52 days a year get a penny more of his hard-earned money?

Now, I was young and not yet versed in the social etiquette of Baptist business, but I was livid.  Something in my soul knew that those man's words were not fair.  But I was just a kid, and I didn't know how to process my feelings into action.  So I sat in my pew fuming, screaming in my head "You're wrong!  Take it back!"

A white-haired man then stood to speak.  He was older, a deacon, a man even I knew commanded respect.  As he approached the mic nearest me, the crowd quieted.  My spirit quivered.  His steady voice spoke gently, but firmly.

"A pastor," he said, "does not work 52 days a year.  In fact, the least amount of work happens on Sundays.  The time, energy and love our pastor puts into comforting those who are sick and ministering to those who are broken is more than any of us could imagine.  It's easily 50 hours or more a week.  The question is not whether he deserves the raise.  The question is whether we can afford to repay him just some of the kindness he has shown to our congregation and to our community."

My soul rejoiced that night.  Somebody wiser than I had expressed the words I could not say.  (Oh, yeah, and the pastor got the raise.)  I didn't know it then, but that night sparked in me a desire to be involved  in ministries and leadership that has, thus far, lasted more than a dozen years.  (Heck, I even married a youth pastor!)  However, as this first blog is already twice as long as it should be, I'll leave off here for now.  I'll explain (explore) more in part two.