I had the privilege of speaking in our 3rd-5th grade Pastor Appreciation Day Chapel this week.  I love these opportunities for folks, particularly those with connections to our students, to step into the world of our students even for just a few minutes.  Many of the pastors arrived early and seated themselves in our chapel waiting for the kids to arrive.  When the kids started walking down the hall (yes, we could hear them coming), the pastors all stood and began scanning the lines of kids for the student or students from their congregation.  Several kids were also straining their necks trying to look down the hall to see if their pastor was there.  I stood at a distance and watched their faces light up when their eyes met – and am not sure who was more excited, the pastors or the kids.  There were lots of smiles and hugs.

After some introductory remarks, a song, a reading of Scripture and a prayer, I was called upon to speak to this diverse group – with pastors on one side of the room and students on the other.  Having witnessed the connection between pastor and student at this event before, I shared a memory from 40 years ago of Dr. Ross Bair, my childhood pastor.  I told of a time when he encouraged me in my faith.  He knew me personally, and he loved me.  He encouraged me to never be ashamed of the gospel (Rom 1).  He encouraged me to tell everyone who would listen.  I told our students the same thing.  For those who claim the name of Christ, I told them to tell the world.  For those that didn’t, I told them to ask their friends about Jesus.

I then turned to the pastors and encouraged them to picture the lambs of their flock as those who will one day pass along the gospel of grace that they hear from the pulpit on a weekly basis.  Some of them will share the “glorious deeds of the Lord” (Ps 78) with the next generation – including some “yet unborn.”  I imagine that Dr. Bair would be encouraged to hear that “little Scotty” was doing just that as an almost fifty-year-old man.  (Yes, I am reaching out to him this week to send my own Pastor Appreciation Day card!)

My hope and prayer is that we would all thank our pastors during this Pastor Appreciation Month.  And, one of the best ways to thank the pastors that I know will be to pass on the gospel that they preach so faithfully!