I remember the anxiety that filled our nation.  People were dying. We knew the name of the infection that was killing them. But we didn’t really know how the disease was spreading. And killing. 

And because we didn’t know with certitude, the rumor mill raced in to fill the void. The black hole of curiosity and fear that looks for every idea – true or untrue – absorbed it all and spit it out across a world that not only didn’t know, but seems to always want to believe the worst about what it doesn’t know.  

What was it that was infecting people and killing people?  What was the subject of every conversation?

HIV/AIDS.

A LITTLE HISTORY

It was the 1980s. My wife and I were pastoring in northeast Indiana. In our two previous places of ministry, we had had no real contact with this disease. This was the dawn of public awareness; the very first revelations were just coming out. Doctors had just begun connecting the dots, so the reasons for the HIV/AIDS devastation were not yet clear. We knew that people were mysteriously getting sick and some were dying, but we didn’t know why. Not yet. In a sense, we were pastoring people in a right-side-up world, while occasionally receiving communiqués about the upside-down world of this terrible disease.

But that was about to change for us and in a dramatic way. HIV/AIDS stepped out of the papers and into our lives in a big way. Two encounters from that time. Only two of several.  

ENCOUNTER #1

A member of our church, a close friend, told me that a relative was infected with HIV/AIDS. Doctors had told him he was dying. Making this terrible situation even more heart-wrenching, he had contracted the disease through sexual activity. In his mind, he had not only caused his own death, but had inflicted himself with an eternal death sentence. He was convinced that he deserved to die and go to hell – he was certain God had forever turned His back on him. Our friend was understandably distraught. No one in her family had been able to convince this young man of God’s love and offer of forgiveness. Would I, her pastor, visit him as he lay dying and assure him that God’s grace was available to him? Where family could not convince him, possibly he would believe her pastor. 

You have to understand the times in which we lived. Again, no one knew how the disease was transmitted – we knew it was spreading, but had no clue why. There were few proven facts at that time, but rumors abounded in the media. Here are just a few of the ways that media was telling us we could contract HIV/AIDS:

• Breathing the same air as an infected individual;
• Sharing eating utensils (even though previously washed);
• Skin-to-skin contact with an infected individual;
• Bugs (mosquitos and others);
• Swimming pools;
• Using the same toilet;
• A surface that had been touched by an infected individual;
• Sweat or saliva;
• Being in the same room with an infected individual.

Today, these are known to be myths, but at the time, we did not know. The “information” – proven and unproven – swirling around us gave everyone pause to carefully consider our daily routines. And it was in that daily world of the changing proven-and-unproven that we all lived. It was in that world of proven and unproven that pastors had to shepherd our congregations. 

I told this church member that I would pray over her request and also talk with my wife about it. She assured me that she would understand if I decided not to go: I had a wife and little girl who needed me, a church that depended on me. And yes, to be sure, our concern was for my health as well. But we were also concerned for the soul of this young man and his grief-filled pain. After prayer, my wife and I made the decision that I should go in the grace of God and share that same grace with this young man. 

I won’t tell you that I wasn’t nervous as I entered his home that day. I can still remember pausing at the front door and praying before I turned the handle and walked in, not knowing what my actions would mean for me, my family, and my church. I was even more nervous as I entered the living room where he lay weak and emaciated on the sofa. But God met us in that room that day. We wept as forgiveness and cleansing flowed into our hearts. Grace came into our upside-down world. I walked away knowing that God had redeemed a soul and healed a heart of its pain. 

ENCOUNTER #2  

During this same time, someone I did not know asked to meet with me. She said that needed my help in getting right with God and helping someone close to me. She told me that she had recently had an affair with the husband of a close friend of mine. She had since been diagnosed with AIDS and wanted to make things right. She had come to ask me, a pastor, to help her get right with God and then take on a second task. She was concerned for the health of the wife: would I, a pastor, talk to this wife and tell her about the affair? Would I ask her to see a doctor as soon as possible? I agreed to her request, knowing what it would mean to the life of my friend, her marriage, and the lives of her children. The memories of the meeting with this terror-stricken woman and then of my conversation with my friend are forever seared in my heart: the pain of what we knew and the fears of what we did not know in this upside-down world.

These are just two of the stories from that time when the HIV/AIDS scare was moving through America. We’ll leave stories of the SARs, Swine Flu, and other epidemics for another day. 

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY

Every day, I talk with ministers who are leading people through this current time of question and fear in America, this time when people wonder about what is fact and what is fiction. As a pastoral coach focused on U40 ministers (ministers under forty years of age), it is only natural that I would be. I am also in contact with medical professionals and even someone who is involved in combating this scare at a national level. Most of them are ministers; some are not. But all of them share two things in common: all of them are followers of Jesus and all of them are leading others during COVID. Many of them are asking me how my generation pastored people during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s-1990s and others since.  

I don’t want to oversimplify the journey required in pastoring people during times of crisis, but the taproot answer is simple: we sat at the feet of Jesus, looked in the eyes of Jesus, stare into the eyes of Jesus, and listen to the voice of Jesus (I John 1.1-4).

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life – the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

And then lead His people according to who He is and what He says. 

In his book, Mondays With My Old Pastor, Pastor José Luis Navajo explains it this way:

“If you want to have a decisive influence, sit at the feet of Christ each day, and then tell the world what you have seen.” 

The answer to the question really is Jesus. In good times or bad, it’s finding our Sabbath in Jesus. It’s turning from the world around us to turn into the Holy Spirit within us, and there finding our rest, our Sabbath rest, in Him. It’s quieting our human minds until we can hear what He would speak into our hearts. It’s finding Sabbath in Him and then going back out to lead our people in that Sabbath – the rest, peace, joy, and strength of Jesus.  

But this doesn’t happen with a little devotional in the morning, a few verses of the Bible and a P.S. Prayer along the way. Sabbath only possesses us as we possess it: as we sit at the feet of Jesus – in a quantity of quality time.  Only then will we have within us what we need to lead His people in the rest they so need in an upside-down world – and yes, even in a right-side-up world.  

Those who lead God’s people well – in good times or bad – have one passion: it is Jesus. They have set their hearts, minds, and souls on Him. Pastors like this yearn to know Him and love Him, never desiring to leave His presence – you have to pry them out of their time alone with God. And not just Sunday mornings while they sing feel-good songs with the crowd, the lights flashing, and the fog machines on high – just before they preach.

No, pastors who lead well love to be alone with Him in the secret place of the Most High, gazing at the God of Word through the Word of God, adoring Him, meditating on Him, listening to Him, attending Him as His own. Then, as they lead those whom He loves, they don’t do so in their own charisma or leadership techniques they’ve learned. Instead, they lead others in the flow of His Spirit. the currents of the river of Jesus course through them and help bring soul satisfaction to the people of God – in worlds turned upside-down or yet right-side-up. Again, this does not happen in drive-through, McDevotional nuggets from God’s word. It only happens in five-star, sit-down, meat-of-the-Word dinners with Him who is our life, with Him of whom we sing, “In Him, we live and move and have our being.”

PSALM 23 SHEPHERDS

All of the above happens as we become Psalm 23 shepherds. It happens as we follow Jesus in the ministry of Psalm 23 and flow in it. Let me adapt the text to make my point. Without me going into any detailed explanation, the heart of every shepherd will fully understand what I mean.

Psalm 23 . . . 

The Lord is my Shepherd. Because He is my Shepherd, I shall not want; I shall not need to look elsewhere to satisfy my soul. My soul lives in fullness. 

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people to Him so that they do not want to look elsewhere in vain attempts to satisfy their souls. Their souls live in fullness. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures – my soul is fed and at rest in the ever-new nourishment He provides. He leads me beside still water – my soul is refreshed and at rest in the calm and life-giving waters He gives me. 

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people to Him so they too will live soul-satisfied and at peace. Green pastures: no ground of death. Still waters: no swirling confusion. My shepherd leads me to life and peace, and as I satisfy myself in these life-giving elements, I know where to find them, and I know how to lead His people to them.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even as I follow my Shepherd, I remain human, and in need of soul restoration. He never refuses me and He does not send another in His place: He comes Himself to breathe life into me. As He does, He leads me from the ways that would wound my soul and, He leads in the ways that will keep my soul in Shalom wholeness. He does it for His name’s sake; He does it to show Himself a faithful and true Shepherd, a Shepherd worthy of all trust and obedience. 

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people to Him, who is the restorer of their souls. Human and living in a fallen world, they can come again and again to Him who lives ready to renew their souls. They can walk with the One who is always ready to lead them in the way that keeps their souls in the way of life so that they and all the universe might know that He is the faithful and true Shepherd, the Shepherd worthy of all trust and obedience. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for He is with me; His rod and staff comfort me. In this fallen world, it will fall to me to walk in dark places, even places of death. But because He is my Shepherd, I can. And I will. I can and I will because He is with me: He will use His rod and staff to defend me from attack, to correct me when I leave the path of righteousness, and to pull me back into His safety. His defense, correction, and rescue comfort me.

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people through valleys, shadows, and the nearness of death. So strong is His presence at work through me as His undershepherd, that His people will not fear the presence of any evil. The great Shepherd will faithfully guide me as I strive to carefully lead His people through these places, His wisdom instructing me in defending them, correcting them, and rescuing them. He will be their comfort.

He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; He anoints my head with oil; my cup overflows. Not after the battle, but in it, my Shepherd pauses and prepares a table of feasting for me in full view of those who would destroy me. In quiet calm, He anoints my eyes, my ears, my mind, and my thoughts with His with His life-giving oil. He fills the cup of my soul with more blessing than I can hold.

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people to Him and His table. There, they will know His anointing on how they see their world and their life in it; how they hear of the world and their place in it. There, they will know the refreshing of His Spirit in their worried minds and troubled thoughts. God will use me to help them know the life of an overflowing soul.  

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Because He is my Shepherd and I am following Him, I know with absolute certainty that goodness and mercy are following me. They shall follow every day of my life. The end of my journey with My Shepherd will lead me to His house, where I shall dwell forever in Him. The Lord, my Shepherd today, will be the Lord, my Shepherd then. Then as now, my soul shall not lack anything. 

Because this is true and I am experiencing this truth, as His undershepherd, He enables me to lead His people in looking behind them at their pursuers. There, they see His goodness and mercy running with all their might to overtake them and possess them, today and every day of their life, in good times and in bad, in days of wondering and in days of wonders. 

Because all of this is true and I am experiencing this truth, I have the address to His dwelling place! I know the way to His house where there is no want:

• His house surrounded by green pastures and still waters, 
• His house of soul restoration and righteousness, 
• His house where His comfort dwells, meaning death and evil cannot come harm me, 
• His house where His table of plenty is always set for me, His oil of anointing always awaits me, and 
• His cup of blessing is always in my hand, 
• His house where goodness and mercy make their residence as my gracious sisters. 

Because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; I shall not need or even want to look elsewhere to satisfy my soul. My soul lives in fullness. As His chosen undershepherd of His people, He enables me to lead them to Him so that they, too, do not want to look elsewhere in vain attempts to satisfy their souls or even to calm their fears. Their souls live in fullness. 

Because the Lord is my shepherd, I can lead my people in living – living in – the truth of Psalm 62.8:

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

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Special Note: We invite you to consider purchasing our recently released book, “When the Call Comes,” written to help ministers as they walk with those who mourn. Unexpected, or after an extended illness, there is no pastoral responsibility, or privilege, that compares with shepherding people as they say their final goodbyes and mourn their loss. “When the Call Comes” helps pastors serve those who mourn, from the initial call to the end of the funeral.  We address issues like:

“What is the purpose of a funeral and how do I conduct one?”

“What is my role as a pastor, walking families through grief?”

“What should I say when I meet with the family?”

“What do I do in the case of a difficult death: suicide, violence, or infant death?”

“Why do we conduct funeral and graveside services?”

“What do I do when ‘the call’ comes?”

You can read the preface to the book by clicking on THIS LINK or you can purchase your copy by clicking HERE.

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NOTE: Journey Pastoral Coaching exists to provide pastoral coaching to Millennial ministers.

Saddled with large student debt, just beginning to set up homes and start families, and serving in low paying first and second positions, Millennials are those who most desire but can least afford to pay for pastoral coaching.

So we offer it to them at NO COST: Our members do not PAY for coaching; they EARN it by investing in each other.

We are able to do so thanks to the faithful and generous support of individuals and churches like yours who want to see young leaders not only enter the ministry, but remain in the ministry. If you or your church would like to help Millennial ministers in 20 US states and 5 nations build strong for a lifetime in ministry, please click here to contact us by email or to support Journey monthly or with your one-time gift. Thank you.

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“In the early years when I was becoming a pastor, I needed a pastor.” 

 Eugene H. Peterson, The Pastor: A Memoir