I’m not ashamed to admit that there are some people in my life that I really admire. One of them is our former pastor, Ray Pritchard. He’s not a super fancy guy, and he’s no "church growth expert." But he is a person who simply lives a faithful life obedient to the Father as much as you can expect a man to. From my vantage point, he really lives out James 1:22-25 "Do not merely listen to the word, and
so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it
says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and
immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law
that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard,
but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."
As a member at Calvary, I always looked up to Ray. I don’t really know him personally and we’ve only talked a couple of times, but sitting in the pews week to week for a few years and you feel like you know a guy. What always struck me was that he was seemed confident in who he was… just a man.
Back in the Fall, Ray left Calvary. When I heard that news, as I wrote about back then, I was in a bit of shock… but I always had sensed that this wasn’t the last place for Ray. The shock continued for me when I learned that Ray just felt led to leave Calvary… not head on to greener pastures as so many successful people in ministry seem to do, but just to leave.
I am a lurker of Ray’s blog. Since I served in the youth group when a couple of his sons were growing up, I’ always happy to see news that the boys are doing fine… and better than fine is always a bonus.
But it especially warms my heart to read the joy between the lines as he filled a pulpit last Sunday in Tupelo, MS. You can just sense from his words that he feels at home in the pulpit and any church would be pleased to have him as pulpit supply.
I actually heard someone say "Amen!" when I finished telling the story.
Afterwards someone remarked that I was talking a mile a minute during
that part of the sermon. Someone else chimed in and said, "You had a
lot of ground to cover." When I said I would slow down a bit next
Sunday, a woman spoke up and said, "Just be yourself and bring the
message God lays on your heart." That put a smile on my face.
For me, I need to see this. That may sound so carnal and so selfish or whatever… but I long to see men following and chasing after God with their lives. Not a sprint, but a lifelong marathon.
So, this is a guy I admire.
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