Pastor Living On The Streets
ServiceSpace
--Conrad P. Pritscher
2 minute read
Jul 25, 2013

 

Pastor Jeremiah Steepek transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon-to-be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service ... only 3 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food ... NO ONE in the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit in the back. 

As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation: "We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek!"  The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.  The homeless man sitting in the back stood up, and slowly started walking down the aisle.  The clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him.  He walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment. Then he recited:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning.

[Although this story is known to be a hoax, it resembles the real-life story of Willie Lyle, a pastor who lived on the streets for a week.]

 

Posted by Conrad P. Pritscher on Jul 25, 2013