On a late Sunday evenin’
After a long day of preachin’
I met up with a pastor
We were both too tired to speak
So we took turns a prayin’
To the Lord of the harvest
Till weariness overtook us
And he began to speak
He said, son I’ve made a life
Out of preaching to God’s people
And knowing how to minister
By studying the Good Book
So if you don’t mind me sayin’
I can see you’re close to faintin’
For the sake of your ministry
I’ll give you some advice
So I handed him my Bible
And I prepared for revival
Then he opened up the Book
And asked me to take heed
And the room got deathly quiet
And his face got gravely sober
And he said, if you’re gonna preach the gospel
You got to learn to do it right
You got to know when to baptize ’em
Know when to chastise ’em
Know when to comfort ’em
Know when to condemn
You never count your success
By the number of your converts
The measure of your ministry
Is only by the truth you keep
Every preacher knows
That the secret to survival
Is knowin’ who to cast out
And knowin’ who to keep
’Cause some saints are a blessing
And others just cause trouble
And the best that you can hope for
Is to know the goats from the sheep
And when he finished speakin’
He went back to prayin’
Handed me my Bible
And faded off to sleep
And in that conversation
The preacher’s words were heeded
And in his final words
I found some truth that I would keep
13 Responses
Some just don’t want to be merely “lost” sheep cause Yahweh didn’t want ’em in the first place. “YOU are of your father the devil.” (John 8:44) Who “stacked the Eternal deck AGAINST them?” Probably only a question that anyone who has been truly “born from above” can ask. It wouldn’t have crossed my mind BEFORE salvation. In Yahweh’s care/love and mine. mg
Maybe you could get someone to do a soundtrack on a big pipe-organ, kinda along the lines of Handel’s Messiah?
It’d go viral…
Good idea!
What a nice poem. The truth you keep, I love it!
Thank you for sharing Pastor.
Thanks, Krystal.
Very sweet poem Pastor Wagner.
Thanks, Jennifer.
I love it! The only thing that would make it better would be if you sang it!
You have obviously never heard me sing! 🙂
Excellent, poem, Pastor Wagner! Thank you for letting us have a glimpse of a pastor’s plight and thought process.
Thanks, Lisette!
Great poem brother, thank you for sharing
Thanks, Manny.