I am not always great with my emotions. Sometimes they are bigger than they need to be. Sometimes they are kept buried when should be shown. Sometimes (most of the time) I wear them on my face. And that is just when I am dealing with a single emotion at a time.
I had to deal with multiple emotions this past Sunday. And it sucked. A part of me was filled with joy. But another part was filled with sadness.
I announced to my current congregation, Christ Community Church & School, that I had accepted a new call to serve as the lead pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Bel Air, MD. It was not an easy decision, but I am confident that this is where God is leading us. And it left me with two very different emotions on March 02.
St. Matthew received this news through a letter that I wrote to them and was read by a member during worship on March 02. There was clapping, smiling, and joy. Their call process was now coming to a conclusion and they had reason to celebrate.
Christ Community received the news on March 02 at the end of worship delivered by me. There was tears, frowning, and sadness. Their future was changing from what they thought it would be and they are not sure what is next.
It is amazing how following where God is leading can bring a variety of emotions. I knew both congregations would have different reactions. But I thought I could be “pastoral” in my reactions. But instead, I was human.
I cried on Sunday as I told my people that I am leaving after the school year. It wasn’t very pastoral, but it was very real. I love Christ Community and its people very much. I do not cry all that often, and very rarely do I cry in front of other people. But this past Sunday, I cried in front of my people.
Often, we are taught (especially as men) to bury our emotions. Or to not trust our emotions. Or that emotions have not place in church or faith. But that is just incorrect, especially if we dig into the Scriptures and see all of the different emotions that are expressed by Moses, David, Peter, Paul, and yes, even JESUS!!! There are almost 10,000 different times when emotions are expressed in the Bible.
Emotions are not negative parts of our lives. Rather, emotions are indicators of what is happening in and around us. They are like warning lights on the dashboard of your cars. They help us to know what is going on, if we are willing to explore them.
Jesus wept. We all know that Scripture verse and most of us know the story behind it. John 11 gives us the story of the death of His friend, Lazarus. Jesus wept as he drew near to the grave, knowing full well that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead and that those tears from his family would soon be tears of joy. He wept knowing that He was going to change everything soon. Jesus was sad about the loss of His friend and was sad for his other friends. He was willing to express His emotions.
Joy and sadness and the plethora of other emotions that we express as human beings are good things. Yes, we need to be careful sometimes about how we express them. But it is good to share your emotions. It will help you to see what is going on in and around you. And it will allow others to see also. And then you can rejoice or weep with each other.
As I transition from Christ Community to St. Matthew over these next few months, I am sure that I and others will experience a variety of emotions. And that is ok. Actually, it’s better than ok, it is good. And I know that God will be near as we go through this transitions and these emotions.
World's Okayest Pastor 
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