Paul writes:

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

(Romans 13:7)

Giving “honor to whom honor” is due doesn’t have to wait until a special ceremony occurs, or until someone retires, or until someone dies. We would all do well finding a reason to celebrate our brethren in Christ for no reason other than encouragement for the sake of encouragement is no bad thing. In light of that, here are eight offerings of praise, though if I had time and space I could add eighty more entries to this list…

Casey Newcomer is a stellar example of patience. The word is often used to describe someone putting up with others (that’s a definition of longsuffering, not patience), but really it should be used to describe someone who endures hardships, setbacks, sudden disaster, and lingering annoyance without his faith buckling or his attitude souring. That’s Casey. The man is always ready to serve, always smiling, and always shining with the light of Christ, no matter what. He’s a walking example to us all.

David Reese is a thoughtful, considerate, serious Bible student, which makes him a thoughtful, considerate, serious Bible teacher. His love of Scripture does not present itself in overly enthusiastic outbursts. Considering his typical demeanor, that would be insincere. Instead, you can tell he loves the Bible because he talks about it with sober respect and genuine awe, the way the inspired poet talks about the Word of God in Psalm 119. We’re blessed to have him.

Shawn Mobley is hard at work. Right now it is mid-June, which is the busiest time for a youth minister, as there is no busier or more hectic time for someone in that role than the summertime. And yet, it could be mid-December, or mid-April, or mid-any-month and the first statement would be just as true: Shawn Mobley is hard at work. I have seen Youth Ministers who didn’t work. They were soon exposed and out of a job. A youth minister that isn’t hard at work is no youth minister worth having. Shawn Mobley is hard at work.

Bill Ulmer does the one-thousand-and-one little things that keep the engine humming at North Heights. We have elders who do elder work. We have deacons who do deacon work. We have preachers who do preacher work. But we also have Bill. What work does he do? He does all the work that slips through the cracks of elder/deacon/preacher work. He does all the work no one thinks about, no one appreciates, and no one knows needs to be done until something isn’t as it should be. What work does he do? He does the Bill Ulmer work. Every congregation has those jobs that no one is assigned to do, but not every congregation has a Bill Ulmer, who does them without command, question, or complaint. They have my pity.

Alex Mills is probably either about to have a Bible study with someone or is about to counsel someone to draw them closer to their Lord. At some point today I assume he’ll find two minutes to eat a disgusting can of vienna sausages, before hurrying off to have another Bible study or another counseling session with someone. It was said of Paul: “If you put him in prison he’ll write the New Testament. If you set him free he’ll evangelize the world.” Of Alex, I would say: If you put him on trial he’ll preach to the judge. If you put him in jail he’ll counsel the other inmates.

My wife has been my wife for seventeen years, this Saturday. Like many wives and mothers, she is the glue that holds our family together. Not many families are as eccentric, and yet as private as ours is. Seriously, we seem so normal out in public, but it’s a madhouse up in here like non-stop. And yet, through all of the insanity, the surprise chaos, the bad moods, and the wild hairs, the one constant has been a woman never afraid to say what’s right and to do what needs to be done, and to balance tender affection with stern rebuke as deftly as the Master Himself. She’s everything I can only try to be, except as a cook. I’m pretty sure I’m a slightly better cook.

Our Deacons have the most thankless job in the brotherhood: They are deacons. It’s a position that carries no authority, offers no salary, and rarely receives the credit for a job well done, and yet they bear the weight of responsibility in all the various works they perform. It is the definition of a thankless job, but it need not be: They are tireless servants, and their hard work and dedication make the Lord smile. We are all thankful for them, though we probably all could do better saying it out loud.

Our Elders are like all elders. Elders are like Moses, in that they have the burden of leadership on their shoulders, forced to contend with a group of people who often operate like stubborn goats rather than compliant sheep. Like Moses, elders must be meek and long-suffering, bearing with the immaturity of their brethren and occasionally contending with rebellion, faithlessness, and all the “advice” that people (who have never been in their shoes) feel compelled to suggest. Our elders, on the other hand, are not like all elders: I know of many congregations who are suffering mightly due to a lack of good leadership. We do not have a lack of good leadership here. We do not have elders who waver between Truth and Error. We do not have elders unconcerned with the struggles of the brethren here. We do not have elders disinterested in the hardships of the world around us. We do not have bad elders. We have good elders, which means we have godly elders. And we thank God for them.

Now it comes to you, reader: There are people around you that deserve to be honored, as Paul said in the text above. Offer it to them today!

~ Matthew