“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” Hebrews 13:17
Having lunch today with my wife at TGI Friday’s, (great salad by the way) I was deeply saddened and angered as I sat by two older women. One of them was speaking with great authority and let me say venom, spite, disrespect and self-righteous pride, about her church and specifically her Pastor. I don’t think she could have found many more ways to verbally tear him down. I’m glad I was almost done with my great salad when she said “I think we are just going to fire him.”
I wanted to walk over and ask, “What church do you attend, so I can know where not to go.” I had many other thoughts, but had I said them, someone might be writing a blog about me right now.
No one knows the burden of a Pastor but a Pastor and/or his wife. How can people become so arrogant and unloving? According to Barna Research, in 2008 there were over 1700 Pastors that left formal ministry every month.
Let me encourage you to take heed to the passage in Hebrews and Paul’s encouragement. Repent if you have been guilty. If justifying yourself is at all running through your mind right now or this blog personally offends you – you need to repent. Make it your aim to make your Pastor’s labor on your behalf a joy. Go out of the way to serve him as he serves you. Love him with the kind of love Jesus died to give you.
Pastor John. I am not a part of your church but just want to say thanks for what you do. You are an awesome man of God and I am praying for you. Your post reminds me of a post Perry Noble had not to long ago. Here it is http://www.perrynoble.com/2007/10/30/the-pastors-pain/
You know, the thing in the statement the lady made that concerns me, “we are going to fire him”, reminds me of how far some in our body have strayed from God being in charge. Certainly there needs to be structures in place that make sense to protect people from people, but the heart of submission to God appointed authorities who are committed to serve their flocks should be the bottom line.
Last time I checked, Jesus is the head of the body and is the one who gets to call the shots. I would encourage anyone who is involved in a church structure that tolerates and allows “generational pillars of power” OR “tyrannical control freak leaders” to find a church where God is in charge, a called leader leads, and loving people live in community.
Thanks for the post John and I am so excited about what the Lord is doing in the Dwelling Place community as a solid faith community to belong to.