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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
The Power To Influence
July 10, 2007
I have been corrupted. I should have confessed this last week when I
returned from Washington DC. I was too embarrassed to admit what I
did. It was just so unlike me. In all my travels to many different cities
across the country in the last decade, I have never been tempted to do
what I did on my last trip out of town.
As I left my hotel and began walking down Fifth Street toward the Capital
and the National Mall I saw a sign that stopped me in my tracks. I have to
confess that it captured my imagination and I knew that I just had to act
on it. So I turned the corner, found the entrance and went inside. There
you have it! As incredible as it sounds, my first stop in Washington DC,
with all of its history, all of its jaw dropping sites, was at the National
Gallery of Art.
I have never been a fan of art museums. I get bored too easily. So when I
wrote down all the things I wanted to see and all the places I wanted to go
in the nation’s capitol, the art gallery wasn’t even on my list. But when I
saw the sign advertising a new collection of works from Eastern Europe, I
immediately thought of my daughter and her love of art history. I went in
there because of her.
The funny thing is that I actually enjoyed myself. As I wandered through
one room after another, my mind traveled back to my visit with Rebecca
last year in Vienna, Austria. That is when she took me to my first art
museum. She was so excited and she told me all about the various painters
from the Baroque era. Her enthusiasm was contagious and she inspired me
to use some of what I saw in my preaching last winter.
So as I entered the National Gallery of Art last week, I could hear my
daughter’s voice telling me things about this painter or that one from her
studies. I chuckled to myself as I realized that I was a different person
now because of her influence. As a matter of fact I went into the National
Portrait Gallery later in the week and enjoyed that too.
Imagine that! It is amazing how one person can influence another to do
something they never would have done on there own. We often think of
this in a negative way. We talk about corrupting someone and leading them
down a wrong path. The truth is that we can also influence people in a
positive way. Let me give you a great example.
If you love going to worship each week and come away feeling
empowered and blessed, you can share that experience with a friend. Too
often we are afraid to invite our friends to join us at church or synagogue
because we don’t want to push our faith on them. Think about it though.
If you enjoy attending services and it enhances your life, then why not
share this gift with those you care about? It may be just the thing they
need to give meaning and purpose to their life. Who is in a better place to
introduce them to God and the faith community than someone that they
know and trust? When they see how much you enjoy it, your enthusiasm
may spark something in them that will cause them to do something
crazy… like show up again the following week.
Hey, if someone I love can get me into an art gallery, then anything is
possible. So go ahead and invite your friends to join you in worship. You
may be the person who introduces them to the greatest joy in life they will
ever know.
God bless. See you in church. Cal
July 10, 2007
I have been corrupted. I should have confessed this last week when I
returned from Washington DC. I was too embarrassed to admit what I
did. It was just so unlike me. In all my travels to many different cities
across the country in the last decade, I have never been tempted to do
what I did on my last trip out of town.
As I left my hotel and began walking down Fifth Street toward the Capital
and the National Mall I saw a sign that stopped me in my tracks. I have to
confess that it captured my imagination and I knew that I just had to act
on it. So I turned the corner, found the entrance and went inside. There
you have it! As incredible as it sounds, my first stop in Washington DC,
with all of its history, all of its jaw dropping sites, was at the National
Gallery of Art.
I have never been a fan of art museums. I get bored too easily. So when I
wrote down all the things I wanted to see and all the places I wanted to go
in the nation’s capitol, the art gallery wasn’t even on my list. But when I
saw the sign advertising a new collection of works from Eastern Europe, I
immediately thought of my daughter and her love of art history. I went in
there because of her.
The funny thing is that I actually enjoyed myself. As I wandered through
one room after another, my mind traveled back to my visit with Rebecca
last year in Vienna, Austria. That is when she took me to my first art
museum. She was so excited and she told me all about the various painters
from the Baroque era. Her enthusiasm was contagious and she inspired me
to use some of what I saw in my preaching last winter.
So as I entered the National Gallery of Art last week, I could hear my
daughter’s voice telling me things about this painter or that one from her
studies. I chuckled to myself as I realized that I was a different person
now because of her influence. As a matter of fact I went into the National
Portrait Gallery later in the week and enjoyed that too.
Imagine that! It is amazing how one person can influence another to do
something they never would have done on there own. We often think of
this in a negative way. We talk about corrupting someone and leading them
down a wrong path. The truth is that we can also influence people in a
positive way. Let me give you a great example.
If you love going to worship each week and come away feeling
empowered and blessed, you can share that experience with a friend. Too
often we are afraid to invite our friends to join us at church or synagogue
because we don’t want to push our faith on them. Think about it though.
If you enjoy attending services and it enhances your life, then why not
share this gift with those you care about? It may be just the thing they
need to give meaning and purpose to their life. Who is in a better place to
introduce them to God and the faith community than someone that they
know and trust? When they see how much you enjoy it, your enthusiasm
may spark something in them that will cause them to do something
crazy… like show up again the following week.
Hey, if someone I love can get me into an art gallery, then anything is
possible. So go ahead and invite your friends to join you in worship. You
may be the person who introduces them to the greatest joy in life they will
ever know.
God bless. See you in church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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