Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Why I like Pastor Dustin

This week at Avalon Church the guest speaker was Dustin Janney. Dustin is the music leader and the Youth Pastor at the church. I'll admit it always felt a little weird to refer to someone who just turned 30 and could pass for 25 if he needed to as "Pastor Dustin" but after this week I have no more issues using the title with him.

Pastor Dustin spoke about the presence of God, how there is nowhere you can go where His presence is not, and that His presence is real whether you are aware of it or not. He spoke about signs we have experienced the presence of God, and explained that if you are not experiencing freedom, you are not experiencing the reality of God's presence.

I had never heard him deliver a message before (at least without a guitar in his hands) but always thought he should be given his chance to put on the "big pants" and grab the microphone. Being the Youth Pastor and spending most of his ministry time with middle and high school students, his style is naturally geared toward them. What I liked best was that he did not try to change that style or the message to fit the main service. Based on the phrasing he used and the anecdotes he chose, it felt like he was addressing a group of students. But when you get right down to it, aren't we all students after all? Anyway, the passion he has for God and His truth was so clear in that short time he had, it changed my whole perception of him.

I don't think I can properly express how grateful I am to God that He has assembled so much talent at Avalon Church, and that I get to experience it every week. I'm looking forward to having you sing for us again next week, Pastor Dustin, but I also hope you have more chances to teach us through the spoken message. Also, I'll never think of TooJay's garlic chicken pasta the same way again.

"Pastor Dustin." Yeah, that doesn't feel strange at all now.

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