I hope every pastor and church member (of all churches) takes a moment to read the above linked article “Too many pastors are falling on their own swords”.
“Leading anxious congregations amidst a pandemic, a hyper-partisan culture, a civil rights movement, and an upcoming election is destroying the lives of our pastors. Literally.”
Add that to the lack of funds and trust, the disconnect, apathy, and indifference of people from being absent from the gathering of the body for the last 5+ months – you’ve got a perfect storm of feeling like a failure.
Pray for our pastors.
Pray for our churches.
We’ve been given a gift that the world needs, but so many have buried under a heap of pain, hurt and fear – selfishness. We have the Gospel of Jesus Christ…the Good News that there is a King who has overcome to establish a Kingdom that conquers all evil – sin, death, hell and the grave.
I love my occupation of choice, the venue through which I pursue my calling, but I learned some difficult lessons several years ago. My job as a pastor is NOT my identity. Local churches are born and local churches die but The Church, Jesus’ Bride, will prevail. My occupation does not define my calling or my existence. I could go and do something else if the local church was caving in and I’d still be able to obey and serve my Lord fully, whether a pastor or not. Ive done it before and could do it again through God’s sovereign direction and provision. I’ve given my life to The Church of Jesus, but God forbid that I ever get to the point that I’d take my life for a local church, or for how cruddy/powerless/unsuccessful its members might make me “feel”.
My church is not exempt from some of the same cultural divisions and apathy mentioned above, and I talk to people every week during this season of pandemic, civil unrest and cultural anarchy that are struggling spiritually because of the lack of “normal access” to the gathering of the body. BUT, when you read this article, there are so many warriors and bodies fighting much bigger battles than I can even conceive. We might have people that think some of those same thoughts but they haven’t dared to think them or threaten them…yet.
We need to pray for them.
Minimizing me...making much of Jesus 