What's the Word for today?

Just in case anyone doesn't know it yet, I work at a Presbyterian church. I think it's a pretty great church, as churches go, but it's definitely Presbyterian through and through. How do I know? Well, there are the usual clues....

We've got LOADS of committees that talk about talking about doing all sorts of things in and around the church.
More than one elder has Robert's Rules of Order memorized and MAKES SURE that we follow those rules in all our meetings- I mean, how ELSE will we be "decent and in order"?
We serve communion one the first Sunday of the month, and the ushers pass those plates of bread and juice like a well-oiled machine.
There are members who have "their" pew, and they all sit in the back 1/4 of the sanctuary, leaving the front pews for the new/late folks.
Though there are many wonderfully faithful people, most folks don't feel all that comfortable talking about God, Jesus, or their own personal faith in Him in everyday conversations.

That last point is not my favorite, but I am growing accustomed to it- going out to lunch with people and talking more about their jobs, marriages, kids, even the weather than we do about Jesus.

Which is why I was rather caught off guard last week, by a total stranger. I was in our crappy little apartment complex gym, doing my normal morning routine- running on the treadmill while channel-flipping between the Today Show and Saved by the Bell. Usually, I have the gym to myself, and that makes me happy (no one can judge me when I laugh outloud at Matt Lauer, or worse Screech). So I got a little bummed when this other guy came in and started lifting weights.

I finished my run and was stretching when random guy suddenly asks, "Hey, are you a Christian?" I am really not sure at all what lead him to ask. I was wearing an old youth group t-shirt, but it's not like it was a "Lord's Gym: His Pain, Your Gain" shirt. Just a Mexico shirt. But he asked, so I answered, "Yeah, actually I am."

"Me too!" guy exclaims. "How long have you been a believer?"
"Uh, well pretty much all my life," I say, "I'm actually a pastor at the Presbyterian church down the street."
"Wow, really? A pastor? Well, what's the Word for the day today?"

What's the Word for today? Yikes. Uh... Jesus loves you? Does my being a pastor mean that I'm supposed to have THE Word from God upon request? To be honest, I wish I DID have answer, but I was so flummoxed, I weaseled around his question.

"Well, I'm about to go find out," I answer. "I always come in here and run, and then go read my Bible over breakfast."

I kind of thought that would get me off the hook, but no such luck. The guy (who's name is John Paul, I've learned) asks me what Scriptures I've been reading and all about what I think of them, and he talks about how great Jesus is, and how great his church is.

And while I was a little unsure how to respond to new BFF John Paul AT FIRST, I found myself feeling so refreshed by this conversation. Even though I've been a Presbyterian all my life, there are ways I don't feel like I fit. There are ways I don't WANT to fit. And I am afraid I'm conforming too easily. I want to talk about Jesus, and not just in sermons. I want to have a Word from God on the tip of my tongue. I want this passion for God that John Paul exhibited to be the norm, not the exception.

So that was an interesting moment of my week. And interesting article to accompany my moment was this...The 30-Day Leviticus Challenge.

Starting in January, I started doing the One-Year-Bible reading plan. I read a couple chapters O.T, a snippet of the N.T., a Psalm and a few Proverbs every day. And I am deep into Leviticus this month. It's not easy reading, to say the least. But I was definitely intriguied by this idea. What IF we took Leviticus as seriously as we take John or Ephesians? What would we learn about God? What would we learn about ourselves? I'm not sure I'm ready to do it today, I'll be honest. I like my mixed-woven H&M clothes too much.