January 03, 2007
Taking Care of Self
Years ago our church interviewed a potential candidate for the position of senior pastor. I thought the man’s sample sermon was impressive, but a retired preacher lightheartedly told me, “I’ve never met a preacher yet that doesn’t have at least one good sermon.” Sizing each other up, the candidate and the church at first appeared compatible. However as groups and committees met, the candidate’s conversation began revealing his list of must-haves, I suppose he felt we wouldn’t take care of his needs. One stipulation was that our out-going senior pastor had to leave town. We’ve all heard horror stories of a new pastor living in the shadow of the old pastor. It’s understandable to want a leadership transition to go smoothly, but this situation just smacks of ego. James and John showed us some ego when the asked Jesus if they could sit on his right and his left in glory, but at least they didn’t ask the other disciples to leave town.
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Gail;
----Over and over I notice that the men in the pulpit are usually Type A's more than they are Type B's. Type A's are a pretty get-to-it-ative kind of people, so it is a natural fit. Get-to-it-atives usually get after things the way they know how with fewer questions asked than type B's. But they tend to be more assuming.
----One thing a Christian can be assuming about is that what appears to himself to be a right way of approaching service to the Lord is the right way for everyone else, too. It isn't always true. Another closely related one is that what is religiously significant to himself is religiously significant to everyone. With the exception of those fundamentals mentioned in the Word, that isn't usually true either. Regardless, this is the mentality that most Christians bring to what they do.
----But when preachers bring this mentality to the pulpit, they make messes. The first and obvious mess is a pulpit being filled a bit too much with the preacher, leaving less room for clear Biblical concept. The second mess is in the sanctuary where some will be strongly attracted to the preacher, and others will be more disaffected. To one extent or another, that can be divisive.
----So it is no wonder that many preachers want their predicessor out of town, if possible. But if all preachers would apply enough humility to their situations, they would realize that their ways are not the ways, and their religious aspirations are not the religious aspirations. Neither is the church an instrument for the effecting of their ways and aspirations. In fact, the preacher is there to sharpen and augment the ways and aspirations of the church where they are Biblical, and prune them where they are not. The preacher is about stepping into the pulpit to edify the church, not to make the church a reflection of himself.
----Maybe many would like to tell me to mind my own business and do my own CPA stuff. But I would think that the church would be a much more unified and loving place if preachers would be more squared with I Pet 4:10-11, "Each one should use the gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God." If I were a preacher I know this would lead me to filter my sermons and teachings to the church through the very fine filter of the Word of God, rather than filtering the Word through my sermons. And that would greatly reduce the need to have the town to myself.
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