Here's some thoughts from Philippians 1, where the Apostle Paul writes the words:
"in all my prayers for you, I always pray with Joy...because your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now...and I'm confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
I live in a rural area where life is slower...not much changes over time. There are no tall buildings, no large construction booms building apartments and shopping centers, with endless road construction as life in Madison, Wi. once was.
The land means everything...life comes from the work on the land. The people look at life rather simply....but don't think for a moment they are simple. These are people who with high school educations (often) are running multi-million dollar businesses. They are smart, hard-working, and no nonsense. They value family, honesty, goodness and kindness and hate duplicity and stupidity. Common sense - not ideology rule the day.
They believe that hard work is not only the way a person succeeds in life; but also that hard work is essential to real character and integrity. Getting something for free...whatever it is is not a goal for life.
It's safe to say, I love these people, and I love living among them. I have lived almost 45 of my years in rural areas. I feel at home in this environment and feel out of place, even somewhat claustrophobic in urban areas. While some critically say, "in a small town everyone knows you" - which is often true - it doesn't mean that you live in a fishbowl. There's a respect for individuality even if comes with good natured ribbing.
Ministry in a small town is relational...whether you want it or not. Chances are the people in a congregation of 100 people living in a town of 1000 are related to over 800 of them! Put that together and you realize: they know you long before you're introduced to them. Rule of thumb: "don't do anything you don't want everyone to know about". Growing up in this area, "I'm from around here..." which is a positive, yet it reminds me that people value "stick-to-edness" when it comes to life here. When there are difficulties because of tragedy people don't ask "what church do you go to?"... or "Who did you vote for?... or "Are you a democrat or a Republican?", instead they reach out and help doing what they can. Small town "Mercy Ministry" might include food, building, or just cash...but it comes with heart.
Personally, I wished we could move everyone in America to a small town! I was a Pastor in Madison when I came across the book, "The Land Remembers: A Story of a Farm and Its People" by Ben Logan,(https://www.amazon.com/Land-Remembers-Story-People-Wisconsin/dp/1559717181/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1537289125&sr=8-2&keywords=the+land+remembers ) and I drifted off into remembering the roots that I came from.
It's not set in my growing up years because he tells of life on the farm in the Great Depression, as well as in other areas. Yet it nostalgically reminds those of us of the beauty of those roots.
If my musings on rural life and ministry leave you thinking something something idyllic...it isn't. There is a sense in which rural life is calming, quiet; but I've learned long ago that rural people have the same difficulties as urbanites do. They get lonely, depressed, in debt, struggle with marriages, parenting...taxes are high, drugs and alcohol are real problems. They get diseases, have surgeries, struggle in old age as their friends and family die off.
It soon will be Fall here - although Summer keeps hanging around and grudgingly gives way each year. There's work being done...lots of it. Tractors, corn fields, soybeans, elevators, grain bins, dryers, Pumpkins and squash...the land is being prepared to rest for a few months. I love this time of the year for that...I need that.
Finally, I come back to where I started this musing... "I am confident of this, God who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion."
Peace.
"in all my prayers for you, I always pray with Joy...because your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now...and I'm confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
I live in a rural area where life is slower...not much changes over time. There are no tall buildings, no large construction booms building apartments and shopping centers, with endless road construction as life in Madison, Wi. once was.
The land means everything...life comes from the work on the land. The people look at life rather simply....but don't think for a moment they are simple. These are people who with high school educations (often) are running multi-million dollar businesses. They are smart, hard-working, and no nonsense. They value family, honesty, goodness and kindness and hate duplicity and stupidity. Common sense - not ideology rule the day.
They believe that hard work is not only the way a person succeeds in life; but also that hard work is essential to real character and integrity. Getting something for free...whatever it is is not a goal for life.
It's safe to say, I love these people, and I love living among them. I have lived almost 45 of my years in rural areas. I feel at home in this environment and feel out of place, even somewhat claustrophobic in urban areas. While some critically say, "in a small town everyone knows you" - which is often true - it doesn't mean that you live in a fishbowl. There's a respect for individuality even if comes with good natured ribbing.
Ministry in a small town is relational...whether you want it or not. Chances are the people in a congregation of 100 people living in a town of 1000 are related to over 800 of them! Put that together and you realize: they know you long before you're introduced to them. Rule of thumb: "don't do anything you don't want everyone to know about". Growing up in this area, "I'm from around here..." which is a positive, yet it reminds me that people value "stick-to-edness" when it comes to life here. When there are difficulties because of tragedy people don't ask "what church do you go to?"... or "Who did you vote for?... or "Are you a democrat or a Republican?", instead they reach out and help doing what they can. Small town "Mercy Ministry" might include food, building, or just cash...but it comes with heart.
Personally, I wished we could move everyone in America to a small town! I was a Pastor in Madison when I came across the book, "The Land Remembers: A Story of a Farm and Its People" by Ben Logan,(https://www.amazon.com/Land-Remembers-Story-People-Wisconsin/dp/1559717181/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1537289125&sr=8-2&keywords=the+land+remembers ) and I drifted off into remembering the roots that I came from.
It's not set in my growing up years because he tells of life on the farm in the Great Depression, as well as in other areas. Yet it nostalgically reminds those of us of the beauty of those roots.
If my musings on rural life and ministry leave you thinking something something idyllic...it isn't. There is a sense in which rural life is calming, quiet; but I've learned long ago that rural people have the same difficulties as urbanites do. They get lonely, depressed, in debt, struggle with marriages, parenting...taxes are high, drugs and alcohol are real problems. They get diseases, have surgeries, struggle in old age as their friends and family die off.
It soon will be Fall here - although Summer keeps hanging around and grudgingly gives way each year. There's work being done...lots of it. Tractors, corn fields, soybeans, elevators, grain bins, dryers, Pumpkins and squash...the land is being prepared to rest for a few months. I love this time of the year for that...I need that.
Finally, I come back to where I started this musing... "I am confident of this, God who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion."
Peace.
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