My wife was reading to me from the Book of Face about ten things for which pastors need prayer. The list made me think back to the days I started out in ministry. I thought seminary had given me along with the gown that I wore for graduation, a red Superman's cape. I didn't wear glasses yet, so it was hard to disguise that I wasn't Superman all the time. And yes, there still were phone booths where I could have easily changed, but I didn't need to! I had a cape! There was no problem to big that I needed to refer to a trained professional - I had the cape, I was the professional. There was no detail so small that I needed to delegate it; I was the one who could go and buy the bread (sorry folks, Hawaiian bread had not yet appeared!) and the juice, and pick up the lilies, and poinsettias (am I pronouncing it right? Of course I am! I am superman!). Sigh, that was a long time ago.
The years tattered my cape and my soul, as I began to realize, as the hymn says, "I serve a Risen Savior, who's in the world today." Jesus doesn't need a cape, neither do I. My prayer life grew through the years and I learned that I could leave the cape at home, and I could easily say, "I don't know," or "Why don't you pick these things for the church?" and even, "I don't think I can do that, sorry."
I now wore glasses.
