Please Don't Call Me Reverend

I am new at this.  I am a retired pastor.   Well, I'm not really retired--I've tried that, twice and I don't like it.  I have just returned from a 7 month stint as pastor of  an english-speaking church in Germany and I do not yet have another church to serve.

I have received Jesus Christ as my Savior and have been filled with the Holy Spirit--all by God's amazing grace.  He has called me to pastor churches, which I have done for over 35 years.  I love my calling and would not trade it for any other vocation(even being a sports announcer) but I do not consider myself any better than anyone else.  I do not like the term, "reverend" at all.  I do not like to be called, "reverend', even though that is exactly what I am ofter called.  The title implies that I am to be revered and I am not.  Only God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is worthy of such an honor.  I put my name at the top of this blog as Dr. Harry C. Smith so no one would address me as reverend and also to give what I say a measure of credibility.  I have earned a Doctor of Ministry degree and my total post graduate education involves 120 credit hours yet, even that title is not who I am.  I am Harry Smith, who loves the once-crucified but now risen Lord Jesus Christ, and I have opinions on various subjects which I feel led to share with any who might read them.

This blog will contain comments on many different subjects.  Most of them will be spiritual topics that are biblical and contemporary.  Some will deal with my personal views on a variety of subjects including sports and politics.  When I am not dealing with non-spiritual subjects I will try to remember to remind readers that this is only my personal opinion and is subject to my humanity.  In other words, such views may or may not be how God sees the situation.  Most of the time I will write as if I was preaching in a pulpit to a congregation.  In those cases I expect that the Lord is speaking through me.  Even then the readers should understand that my words may or may not be God's words.  I can only pray that I am close enough to Christ to know His will and hear His voice.  In baseball, a good hitter gets a hit about one out of three times.  I would love it if one third of my pulpit comments were straight from the Lord!

  I don't know if anyone will read this or any of my blogs to follow.  If you do read this I would love to hear from you.  And I welcome your comments on all that comes from this desk.


Harry