Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Glass Living

…for if someone does
not know how to
manage his own
household, how will

he care for God’s church?

I Timothy 3:5

In the midst of her numerous reasons she didn’t attend “certain” congregations was a comment that, as the parent of a "preacher's kid", paralyzed my heart. One particular congregation had been nixed because the pastor’s children were "unruly." Although she wasn’t a parent herself, she figured that if the pastor’s children were “out of control” leadership of the church would produce the same results. Here was a Paul aficionado!

Have you ever wondered what would be the tone if Paul were writing to churches in the 21st century? Even in a cursory reading you’ll discover that Paul’s teachings are distinct and clear cut. There is no wiggle room. In the early church there needed to be clear definitions of the faith to set it apart from all the other gods that were clamoring for attention. Is our society any different? Are we not living in a world that is clamoring to divert our attention away from Jesus Christ?

Pastors and their families are living in this 21st world as well. And, there is no debate—pastors are held and should be held to Paul’s high standard. Christianity has suffered its share of hits by the numerous pastors who have crashed and burned due to sexual misconduct, financial abuse and familial distractions. Human nature apparently wasn’t any different in 62 AD.

But perhaps we could remember our own role in helping our pastors be all that is required. They are human but, unlike their congregations, they live in glass houses. Everyone sees everything.

So, put down any stones and lift up a prayer for your pastor, today.

Jesus, forgive me when I
expect perfection in my pastor.
My own sins I keep well hidden
but often I’m quick to notice
the sins of others.
Today I pray that my pastor
will be encouraged by Your
presence and confident in Your call
.
Amen.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a lovely prayer at the end. During the time my husband was a pastor in Arizona, I was the one who seemed to be more sensitive to critism than he was, but he too was hurt over and over. We got into the habit of forgiving right away, and there were many opportunities to do so, but sometimes it takes a long while for the pain to go away. Then he became the assistant pastor at a church in Beaumont, CA, where the young pastor is up against many of the same kinds of unkind words. My husband, Don, has been able to be a mentor to him and we feel so blessed to be where we can, even as the "older" ones, be used by the Lord! Your mother sent us your blog address, I look forward to reading more of your excellent
writings! In Christ, Pat Cummings