Most pastors I know didn’t plan
on becoming a pastor. There’s usually a story connected to it of
how God unexpectedly led them down that path. A number of years
ago, I saw that our church was getting ready to plant a new church
in Harlem, New York called Renaissance Church. That’s when I first
heard the name Jordan Rice. He was going to be the lead pastor.
Like other pastors I know, he didn’t plan on becoming a pastor, but
his story is unlike any story I’ve ever heard. He grew up in a home
full of lawyers, and he was headed that way, trying to avoid being
a pastor of a church. But on April 15, 2010, Jordan heard Tim
Keller speak at Calvary Baptist Church in New York. Keller’s
sermon, titled God Loves Cities, painted a picture of
cities that compelled Jordan to do something. He was practicing
family law, but as soon as he heard the sermon, he knew the law was
behind him.
By June, his wife, whom he’d recently married, became sick.
This began a journey of profound loss and confusion that ultimately
became a beautiful story of redemption. At the heart of it, you’ll
hear of a God who calls and a God who cares for us in the midst of
dark moments. Today, we’ll wrestle with the question of, “How does
God lead me through darkness?"
About the Podcast
While Jesus came to save the world, speak to the crowds, and call his disciples, he still meets us one at a time.