{"id":177,"date":"2007-09-25T03:01:40","date_gmt":"2007-09-25T03:01:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2007\/09\/the-best-job-in-the-world.html"},"modified":"2007-09-25T03:01:40","modified_gmt":"2007-09-25T03:01:40","slug":"the-best-job-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2007\/09\/the-best-job-in-the-world.html","title":{"rendered":"The Best Job in the World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 8 of series: Grace in the Rearview Mirror: A Pastoral Retrospective<\/em>
\nPermalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nThere were many times during the past sixteen years when I thought I had the best job in the world. Yes, of course there were other times as well, and I’ll have something to say about them in due course. But for most of my years as pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I felt extraordinarily blessed.
\nWhen did I think I had the best job in the world? There were many times, actually. Often it would happen on Thursday mornings. Thursday, you see, was my sermon prep day. It began with what I called The Pastor’s Study, a dialogical Bible study of about fifteen people. We’d focus on the text I was going to preach on that week. I’d prepare some comments and background. Then we’d dive into the text and its meaning for our lives. This was some of the most fun I had as a pastor (truly), and I learned a great deal while sharing life with some great folks. Then, after the Pastor’s Study, I’d spend the rest of the day working on my sermon. There were many times, dozens and dozens, when I’d think to myself: “What a fantastic job! I get to study the Bible and talk to people about it, and they pay me for this!”
\nI sometimes felt as if I had the best job in the world when I got to officiate at weddings, especially weddings for people I knew well or their children. First I’d get to meet with people and share some sweet moments as I did pre-marital counseling and worked with them on the planning of the wedding. Then I’d get the best seat in the house for the wedding itself. (Well, not a seat, actually, because I’d be standing. But you get the point.)
\nOne of the greatest privileges of being a pastor is that people share their hearts with you. They come in with the most tender parts of their lives, sharing their fears, their failures, their dreams, their hopes. Yet the wonderful part for me wasn’t just the trust involved in such conversations, but the joy of seeing God work in people’s lives in a deep way.
\nThis points to what I believe is the greatest blessing in being a pastor. In so many different ways over the years I was able to be used by God in people’s lives. Sometimes I’d preach a sermon and a people would put their faith in Christ for the first time. Or I’d pray for folks and experience God’s grace at work in their lives. Or maybe I’d throw out some wild idea in a meeting of my elders, only to see that idea turn into a ministry that made a real difference in people’s lives. (Photo: the sanctuary of Irvine Presbyterian Church on Easter morning)
\nFor example, I’ll never forget an Easter morning several years ago. I preached, as always, a sermon that focused on the good news of the resurrection, and that called people to put their faith in Christ. (Actually, to be precise, I preached that sermon four times each Easter morning.) One year, after the second service, a woman from our congregation came up to me in tears.
\n“I need you to know what happened during the last service,” she said.
\n“What was it?” I asked, not sure whether her tears were joyful or sorrowful.
\n“I brought my mother to church today, as I have for so many years. She isn’t a believer, but she’ll come with me on Easter. I always pray that she’ll become a Christian, but it never happened . . . until today! When you invited people to give their lives to Christ today, my mother did! And then she told me! I am overcome with joy and thanks, and I wanted you to know.”
\nThen I too was overcome with joy and thanks. After I finished greeting the other worshipers, I made my way to a small room behind our sanctuary, where I could be alone. I literally got on my knees and wept with joy, thanking God for the sheer privilege of preaching the gospel. What an amazing thing to be a part of God’s saving work in people’s lives! And you know what, you don’t have to be a pastor to experience this sort of joy. All of God’s people are called into His service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 8 of series: Grace in the Rearview Mirror: A Pastoral Retrospective Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series There were many times during the past sixteen years when I thought I had the best job in the world. Yes, of course there were other times as well, and I’ll have something to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pastors-and-churches"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Best Job in the World - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}