A
ministry friend of mine, whom I have known for many years put this on his blog a few years ago and I feel to pass it on to you today. There are so many emotions I
felt while reading it that I feel it is worth the hand-off to you. Deidre and I have been called to minister to Pastors. This just made that calling more real. God bless!
He’s a
human being.
"Yep.
He worries – like you do. He puts his pants on (or she puts her pants on – or
her skirt… or, well, you get the picture) one leg at a time… just like you do.
He gets overwhelmed… just like you do.
He feels
pressured sometimes. Fifty years ago, he would’ve been a success if he helped
people grow close to God. Today, to be a “success” he needs the gift-set of a
CEO. He’s supposed to keep attendance and finances on a steadily upward
trajectory, speak with a remarkable blend of
hipness/diplomacy/skill/humor/passion/anointing, smile constantly, maintain a
blog, twitter, network, write a book, regularly convert other Starbucks
customers to Jesus, speak at conferences, be covered in at least one national
publication… and in his spare time help people grow close to God.
The thing
is he’s not a superhero to be revered or an archaic throwback to be derided or
a goofball to be avoided. He’s a human being who happens to have been called by
God to help you grow spiritually. He’s a leader and a servant; a boss and a
busboy; a vision-caster and an empathic listener. Sometimes he leans too far in
one direction, sometimes in the other. That’s because he’s human.
But
here’s what else I know about your pastor: he prays for you. He works hard to
shepherd and feed you. Know why? Because he loves you. He loves you, the
passionate Jesus-follower who gives their best to Christ and his body… He loves
you, the faithful supporter who’s always at everything… He loves you, the
sporadic attendee who assures him “you’re plugged in” when you both know you’ll
forget you said that by the time you get to the parking lot… He even loves you,
the critic who questions his vision and motives and the direction of the church
when he’s not around to defend himself.
His
heart, all at once, bubbles over with anticipation and hope for you when you
move forward, grasp a little more of God’s grace, and do good for others… and
breaks for you when you stumble, suffer, or slack off spiritually. He loves to
see you succeed, rejoicing with you in your victories. He hurts to see you
fail, weeping with you over your weaknesses. He forgives you. He hopes you’ll
forgive him too.
He has
nothing to gain in this world by leading and serving you. He’s burned his
bridges. All of his “could’ve been’s” have died at the cross of Jesus so he
could do this. And you know what? He doesn’t mind at all. If he was asked to
run as president, he’d decline… because pastoring you – and doing it well – is
more important to him than anything else in the world.
I just
thought you’d want to know. Your pastor, whoever he or she may be, is first of
all a human being just like you; who just happens to have been called by God to
help you grow spiritually.
And he’s
glad. I hope you are too."
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