14 Years...Wow! Seems Like 1...Seems like a Bazillion

July 7, 1997 is the anniversary of my ordination as a pastor.
Jim Bently, Senior pastor of Gadsden Vineyard Church ordained me and released me into ministry.
It was a heady time for me since I had been called to pastor back when I was a teenager.
I was too afraid and unsure of myself back then to have answered that call, so for over thirty years I ran from it. Now here on this day, I was finally going to surrender to God's call.

God has been beyond gracious to me and my family over these past 14 years and to have finally found a place at Rapha is beyond my wildest dreams. I cannot (nor would I want to) see myself doing anything else.
I am grateful that God continues to follow us even when we run from Him. Thank you Lord for not giving up on me.

It wasn't until August 1, 1998 that I began full time ministry. It truly was simply trying to hear God and having the feeling that you were kind of flying by the seat of your pants. I remember beginning to go out to Rapha to work and teach as a volunteer and God stirring me to begin a Saturday night service for the men and anyone else who were either in addiction or in recovery. You have to remember that this was before Celebrate Recovery so there really wasn't a pattern on how to do church for people in recovery . All I knew was that the music would be different and the message would short and to the point. I knew also that we would be having a ministry time at the end of our meetings.

August 21, 1999 - we held our first House of Blue. We chose that name because the color blue symbolizes an open heaven, that God wants to communicate with His people. We also chose it because the blues is a universal music that seems to speak across age lines, ethnic lines and touches all hearts. The only difference in the music would be that it would point to God who is the healer of all. We held our first meeting and it was totally unreal. I went away that night thinking, "God! You rocked the house so how are you going to top that next week?" He did. He did every Saturday night for 4 years.

March 8, 2004 -- I came on staff at Rapha as the staff Pastor, first as part time and later that year ( August ) full time. I continued to work at Gadsden Vineyard Church as well as teach and minister at Rapha.

April 28, 2006 - I preached my first message at the Church@Rapha that morning, followed by my final teaching at Gadsden Vineyard Church. I was now free to devote myself totally to Rapha. There was great sadness as Vicki and I left what had been home for 12 years to us. But we were excited about all the possibilites that lay ahead.

May 31, 2008 - We move our Sunday Morning meeting to Saturday night at Rapha and see an increase in God working among the men. For whatever reason, I have always functioned better at night. I think God may have simply created me to be that night time pastor. Saturday night was such a night that the devil used in the lives of addicts that God wanted to take it back.

These have been 14 incredible years and in some ways, I feel as though I have had a lifetime of experiences and opportunities given to me. I know that God isn't finished with me yet and Vicki and I will continue to go and love and minister to the men who come through the program.

I always tell people that I have the most tremendous position in the world.
I get to sit in one spot and God brings an endless stream of people to me for ministry. How great is that?
Of course Vicki and I pray a prayer each day that Rapha would go out of business because no one needs a rehab to go to. Silly Prayer? Maybe but I'll keep going out to Rapha to love and teach and minister, all the while expecting God to destroy the monster we call addicition.

On the day of my ordination, at the end of the service, Jim came to me and shook my hand. Leaning into me he whispered in my ear, "Your life will no longer be your own." Never has such true words been spoken to me. But you know what? I would not have had it any other way.

God on you....
mb