All-access pass

One of the remarkable things about being a pastor is that, in some instances, it’s like having an all-access pass to a people’s lives. I don’t take that privilege lightly. Clergy can sometimes go where others can’t, physically and emotionally—hospital rooms, troubled relationships, an individual’s psyche and soul, “backstage” at weddings. These are intimate moments because people drop their masks. If you’re in a hospital bed, you couldn’t be any more vulnerable, especially with that lovely gown that opens in the back. If you’re nervous or anxious or joyful or depressed, you're probably not be as concerned about how you look or sound to someone you trust.

I’m sometimes still amazed that people invite, even welcome me into those moments. They bare themselves a bit and that’s scary. If I can just for a moment convey God’s presence, who knows us more intimately than anyOne, what a miracle that is.