Location, location, location

Once again Eugene Peterson puts his finger on a rich, wonderful, challenging aspect of being involved in ministry as a vocation.  His observation works in every context where people want to impact others for Christ.  In his book, "The Contemplative Pastor" he writes,

"...one of the genius aspects of pastoral work is locality. The pastor's question is, 'Who are these particular people, and how can I be with them in such a way that they can become what God is making them?'  My job is simply  to be there, teaching, preaching Scripture as well as I can, and being honest with them, not doing anything to interfere with what the Spirit is shaping in them.  Could God be doing something that I never even thought of?  Am I willing to be quiet for a day, a week, a year?  Like Wendell Berry, [farmer and poet] am I willing to spend fifty years reclaiming this land?  With these people?

"Christian spirituality means living in the mature wholeness of the gospel.  It means taking all the elements of your life--children, spouse, job, weather, possessions, relationships--and experiencing them as an act of faith.  God wants all the material of our lives."