A most peculiar thing
is this life which holds me captive
I’m something of a stand-in -
a surrogate for God
The lows and highs of life
are mostly when they find me
In moments of great turmoil
when the need for God breaks in
Beside hospital beds and open graves
holding babies or communion bread
It is God’s love and presence
that hopefully shines through
Sometimes it gets confusing
with both grief and joy colliding
The laughter and the tears
compete for center stage
Death and life in tension
and me caught in the middle
I do not always rise
to meet this holy task
Between the pastor and the person
the fit is, at times, uneasy
But always there is grace
and God’s love to bridge the gap
People do not always see me
past the veil of this strange calling
Behind my presence in the room
stands the one I represent
It isn’t that I’m special
or somehow better than the people
The reasons are a mystery
why God chose me for this work
With humble joy I seek to serve
as channel for the sacred
I am a willing captive
to this life so filled with God
