It's Monday and many ministers are facing those predictable, "after the weekend church service blues." It's a way of life for a lot of faithful servants of Christ who desperately desire to be used by God, but wonder if anyone really listened to what they had to say the day before or if their people really entered into the joys of true worship. Granted, every message may not feel like a "home run" TO YOU, but maybe you weren’t the one in God’s “on-deck circle” that desperately needed what was said.
And have you stopped to consider that while you can find a preacher that will always give you a positive message that makes you feel better about yourself on the way out the door each Sunday, that maybe the most positive thing your pastor can do for you is warn you about the greater dangers that can potentially destroy your life and leave your family in ruins? And besides, whether a particular message on a specific Sunday was in your "top ten list” or not, your pastor put in the same amount of "blood, sweat, and tears" to prepare and deliver it. We’re not supposed to judge the value of a worship service solely by whether or not it makes you “tingle all over" with the “experience” of His presence or “it spoke to me” specifically. Isn’t church supposed to be mainly about how God feels about our worship and the special praise we give to HIM?
And, complicating the matter even further is the fact that too often it seems that when the “fire” is really burning within the pastor, from the message God has seared into his spirit that week, that he looks out across the congregation only to realize that this must be the weekend that large numbers of people have chosen to be gone...to the mountains, lake, beach, etc. Or, a large portion are away watching their kids perform in athletic and/or academic competition that MUST take precedence over the worship of God...because life is all about family, their children’s happiness, and/or potential career prospects. Did you know that most people judge a church’s success primarily by the numbers in attendance on any given Sunday (though, that’s an unwise measure)? And, most pastors know that many of his people value him according to this “success” assessment. If you’ve ever sat in on a discussion amongst ministers when they were considering why so many people are absent on Sundays, you’ve heard their consternation in trying to figure out how that many people could ALL pick the SAME weekend to be gone.
Equally disturbing is that too many Christians listen to their pastor preach on Sunday wishing he could be more like the “gifted preacher” they hear every week on TV/radio. And, they often make unfeeling comments after services that potentially make their pastor feel as if his “gift” for preaching...well, let’s just say, they love him because he is their pastor, even if he’s not their favorite preacher. It’s sort of the Corinthian thing, “I’m of Paul,” "I’m of Apollos,” "I’m of Cephas,” etc., etc. Did you know that one of the greatest ways to make your pastor a better preacher is by encouraging him in his work, not comparing him to other preachers? (Do you ever compliment your pastor’s sermons to others in the fashion you compliment the sermons of your favorite TV/radio preacher to your pastor?)
Every Sunday your pastor steps into the pulpit to do battle with the forces of evil. The principalities and powers of the air are all arrayed against him, if he’s exalting Christ and proclaiming God’s Word. Really, in many ways, Sunday services are more like war zones for the minister of the Gospel than they are friendly, family gatherings. It’s “front line” duty where he’s called to give his life and when the day is over he will have expended all his energy in the struggle for the souls and well-being of the people in his community and church. Not everybody will appreciate what he has to say and will usually make it known to him, but if it aligns itself with the Word of God, then God's people ought to respect him for his courage to deliver the truth in an age when truth is dismissed and/or despised.
On one occasion I was driving behind a car with a bumper sticker that said, “Hug A Teacher Today!” and I concur. These men and women have an incredible influence on the minds and hearts of the next generation and we should show them our appreciation for their hard work. But, it set me to thinking! Maybe we need a bumper sticker that says, “Hug A Pastor On Mondays.” Not that you have to literally/physically hug him, but you could at least stop and say a prayer on his behalf or write him a note of encouragement about his message from the day before. And if you’re too cheap to buy a stamp/card to send him, then at least make a positive comment on his Facebook page, send a Twitter message of appreciation to him, or leave him a message on his answering service.
If you do this enough times on Mondays, you might just start believing that YOU have the best pastor/preacher in your OWN church and God might start speaking to you more often in the services.
So, here we go. Let’s make every Monday this fall, “National Hug A Pastor Day!”
p.s. To my fellow servants, notice the picture above. Even if you feel like no one stands by you when you need them most, never forget that the Savior loves you and is reaching out to give you that hug you need today! (2 Timothy 4:16-17)
And have you stopped to consider that while you can find a preacher that will always give you a positive message that makes you feel better about yourself on the way out the door each Sunday, that maybe the most positive thing your pastor can do for you is warn you about the greater dangers that can potentially destroy your life and leave your family in ruins? And besides, whether a particular message on a specific Sunday was in your "top ten list” or not, your pastor put in the same amount of "blood, sweat, and tears" to prepare and deliver it. We’re not supposed to judge the value of a worship service solely by whether or not it makes you “tingle all over" with the “experience” of His presence or “it spoke to me” specifically. Isn’t church supposed to be mainly about how God feels about our worship and the special praise we give to HIM?
And, complicating the matter even further is the fact that too often it seems that when the “fire” is really burning within the pastor, from the message God has seared into his spirit that week, that he looks out across the congregation only to realize that this must be the weekend that large numbers of people have chosen to be gone...to the mountains, lake, beach, etc. Or, a large portion are away watching their kids perform in athletic and/or academic competition that MUST take precedence over the worship of God...because life is all about family, their children’s happiness, and/or potential career prospects. Did you know that most people judge a church’s success primarily by the numbers in attendance on any given Sunday (though, that’s an unwise measure)? And, most pastors know that many of his people value him according to this “success” assessment. If you’ve ever sat in on a discussion amongst ministers when they were considering why so many people are absent on Sundays, you’ve heard their consternation in trying to figure out how that many people could ALL pick the SAME weekend to be gone.
Equally disturbing is that too many Christians listen to their pastor preach on Sunday wishing he could be more like the “gifted preacher” they hear every week on TV/radio. And, they often make unfeeling comments after services that potentially make their pastor feel as if his “gift” for preaching...well, let’s just say, they love him because he is their pastor, even if he’s not their favorite preacher. It’s sort of the Corinthian thing, “I’m of Paul,” "I’m of Apollos,” "I’m of Cephas,” etc., etc. Did you know that one of the greatest ways to make your pastor a better preacher is by encouraging him in his work, not comparing him to other preachers? (Do you ever compliment your pastor’s sermons to others in the fashion you compliment the sermons of your favorite TV/radio preacher to your pastor?)
Every Sunday your pastor steps into the pulpit to do battle with the forces of evil. The principalities and powers of the air are all arrayed against him, if he’s exalting Christ and proclaiming God’s Word. Really, in many ways, Sunday services are more like war zones for the minister of the Gospel than they are friendly, family gatherings. It’s “front line” duty where he’s called to give his life and when the day is over he will have expended all his energy in the struggle for the souls and well-being of the people in his community and church. Not everybody will appreciate what he has to say and will usually make it known to him, but if it aligns itself with the Word of God, then God's people ought to respect him for his courage to deliver the truth in an age when truth is dismissed and/or despised.
On one occasion I was driving behind a car with a bumper sticker that said, “Hug A Teacher Today!” and I concur. These men and women have an incredible influence on the minds and hearts of the next generation and we should show them our appreciation for their hard work. But, it set me to thinking! Maybe we need a bumper sticker that says, “Hug A Pastor On Mondays.” Not that you have to literally/physically hug him, but you could at least stop and say a prayer on his behalf or write him a note of encouragement about his message from the day before. And if you’re too cheap to buy a stamp/card to send him, then at least make a positive comment on his Facebook page, send a Twitter message of appreciation to him, or leave him a message on his answering service.
If you do this enough times on Mondays, you might just start believing that YOU have the best pastor/preacher in your OWN church and God might start speaking to you more often in the services.
So, here we go. Let’s make every Monday this fall, “National Hug A Pastor Day!”
p.s. To my fellow servants, notice the picture above. Even if you feel like no one stands by you when you need them most, never forget that the Savior loves you and is reaching out to give you that hug you need today! (2 Timothy 4:16-17)
