Being a pastor is not an occupation that brings a lot of closure or satisfaction. By this I mean, there’s little time or space to celebrate finished projects or concluded tasks. There is always another Sunday coming, another broken or sick person, another sermon to preach. If Lent isn’t near, then we are preparing for Christmas.

However, in my first years of ministry, I was assigned to work with the Young Adults’ Fellowship. The people who were in the group then are literally the people with whom I’ve grown up. It was the gift of peer ministry. At times, we have prayed with and for each other and shared the joys and the challenges of life, while being at similar places as maturing young adults.

A great pastoral satisfaction has been to walk the faith journey with the original group that I came to know at Marble. Ben was on the Leadership Team and later a co-chair. He was an excellent leader - always warm, welcoming, and unafraid to stand on his strong faith. So, on last Saturday night as I sat and watched Ben and Ritika take their first dance as a married couple, I experienced an extended moment of pastoral satisfaction. As one of Ben’s pastors, I was blessed to share in the marriage preparation and ceremony. Getting to know Ritika has also been a joy.

As they danced, I remembered two similar occasions when I experienced this kind of pastoral satisfaction. Arnel and Czarina’s wedding was a joy-filled time. Arnel and his siblings were a strong part of this church for many years and Arnel brought early technological savvy to the young adults. He, too, was a strong leader and significant friend to many. As we sat together for premarital counseling, I had the opportunity to learn about and perform some Philippine wedding traditions. Their wedding was prayerful and delightful.

The other instance was Kathy and Nicola’s wedding. I first came to know Nicola, not in person, but through praying with Kathy for him and their relationship. There was a lot of time and space for prayer because Kathy lived in NYC and Nicola lived in Italy. Kathy was also a leader among the young adults, placing her creative mark on the newsletter and other printed work. We always depended on Kathy to think ‘out of the box.’ Falling in love with a guy on the other side of the Atlantic was a bit out of the box. Just getting Nicola to NYC was an answered prayer. In the premarital period, I got to know Nicola and experienced them as a deeply centered and loving couple. The wedding liturgy that they planned embraced prayer as the foundation of loving relationships. The reception was a festive intercontinental celebration, with a full dance floor all evening.

In my ministry, I am so thankful to God for these moments of pastoral satisfaction. I am doubly blessed that God allows me to dive into them again through memories and through present relationships. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.