The Pastoral Grind

(Photo cred: Grant Lubbers) (Originally written for Douglas County Publishing: Pastor's Meditation July 10, 2018) A couple weeks ago several youth leaders and I got to take 22 young people from our area on a service trip in Holland, MI.   For a week, we joined about 30 other students and leaders from churches in Sioux Falls, Ann Arbor, MI, and Rochester, NY.   We were mixed together and split into small groups for work during the day, and after supper, came together for worship and a message, before dividing back into our small groups for discussion.   One of the passages we kept coming back to was the parable of the lost or prodigal son ( Luke 15:11-32 ).   The short version is a father had two sons, one of whom wanted his inheritance early so he could do what he wanted with it.   We’re told this son “squandered his wealth in wild living”—he wasted it!     Having gone broke, he ended up taking one of the lowliest jobs—it would have been humiliating for a Jewish p