{"id":635,"date":"2008-12-31T00:01:26","date_gmt":"2008-12-31T00:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/12\/what-did-i-do-that-really-mattered.html"},"modified":"2008-12-31T00:01:26","modified_gmt":"2008-12-31T00:01:26","slug":"what-did-i-do-that-really-mattered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/12\/what-did-i-do-that-really-mattered.html","title":{"rendered":"What Did I Do That Really Mattered?"},"content":{"rendered":"

This last Sunday I was able to worship at Irvine Presbyterian Church. As most of you know, I was the Senior Pastor there for sixteen years, from June 1991 through September 2007. This was only the third time I worshiped at Irvine Pres since I left there over a year ago.
\nIt was great to be back with the Irvine congregation, even though it felt strange in many ways. The worship service was\u00a0 wonderful: Christmas-themed, with beautiful Christmas music and a solid, biblically-based message by one of the the church’s associate pastors, Tim Avazian. I love worshiping in the Irvine sanctuary, a building that inspires reverence and exudes warmth.
\nAs I watched the worship service flowing smoothly, with God’s glory at the center of congregational attention, and as I listened to the Word of God being preached truthfully, I was struck by how well Irvine Presbyterian Church is doing without me. Honestly, this thought brought joy to my heart. There’s nothing I want more for my former congregation than for them to be more and more the church God has designed them to be. This is happening right now, even as I sit on the sidelines and cheer. Though the church hasn’t found a new Senior Pastor yet, it is being ably shepherded by the staff, including the Interim Pastor Rick Hull. They’re in the middle of a two-year process of calling a new pastor, which has included the writing of an incisive mission study (PDF of mission study<\/a>).
\nAs I reflected on the fact that Irvine Presbyterian Church is doing so well without me, and has a promising future ahead, I wondered what I did there that will stand the test of time? I served as the church’s pastor for about 6,000 days. What did I accomplish during that time? One day, when nobody at Irvine Presbyterian Church even remembers me, will my impact be more than a dusty portrait hanging on the wall of the administration building? What did I do that really mattered?
\n\"irvine
\nA small part of the answer to this question was before my eyes in the Irvine Pres sanctuary. I served on the building committee that oversaw the design and building of the sanctuary. This was a team effort, through and through.\u00a0 But there are a few features of the sanctuary that reflect my direct and impassioned advocacy. Some of those I could see last Sunday. Others were not quite as obvious. For example, I insisted that it wasn’t enough to put a baby changing station only in the women’s restroom. It took some effort, but finally the committee agreed, though some members were doubtful that this was a reasonable expense.
\nMy contributions to the buildings at Irvine Pres did matter, and still do, though they’re certainly not what mattered most. This is not something that can be easily measured. It has to do with changed lives, both inside and outside of the church. It’s about shaping and encouraging the growth of the congregation. It’s about leading the church to care for the world across the street as well as on the other side of the world.
\nI’m not going to spend much time blogging on the question “What Did I Do That Really Mattered?” I am going to think about it some more, however. As we come to the end of 2008, this is a good time for all of us to consider what we have done in the last year that really mattered. Such reflections may lead us to gratitude, when we realize that God has been at work in and through us. But our examination of our life and its significance should also help us to reconsider and refocus. Most of us, myself included, spend a whole lot of time and energy on that which, in the end, really doesn’t matter. Now is a good time to redirect our efforts.
\nI close with a classic statement by the famed 19th century cricket player and missionary, C. T. Studd: “Only one life,\u2019 twill soon be past, Only what\u2019s done for Christ will last.” Now there’s something to think about.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This last Sunday I was able to worship at Irvine Presbyterian Church. As most of you know, I was the Senior Pastor there for sixteen years, from June 1991 through September 2007. This was only the third time I worshiped at Irvine Pres since I left there over a year ago. It was great to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Did I Do That Really Mattered? - 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\/635","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=635"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}