YOUR PASTOR

Today... 

I just got home from a week long series of meetings. Many of those in attendance were in the full time ministry. Some, like me, were travelling (AKA itinerant) preachers/teachers. Many were pastors.

This was not my first rodeo, as my husband, the amazing Mr. Brintnall would say. I’ve been to dozens, maybe close to a hundred meetings like the ones I attended this week. 

            

I heard a lot of great music, many tremendous sermons, and even shared several meals that fed both body and soul. 

But let me tell you what I came away with this time. I can’t seem to get it off my mind; it has to do with your pastor.

            

Here is the truth—your pastor is a rock star.

            Seriously. A ROCK STAR.

            

I speak from a unique perspective.

            

I co-pastored a start up church for about a year. I preached most of the time. Like a lot of churches, we had services Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Every week I needed to spend hours in prayer, study, and preparation so I could present a fresh, powerful, memorable, life-changing message, and I had to do it three times every week.

            

I like to preach. No, I love to preach; I think God made me to preach. I began public speaking in the second grade. I’ve never suffered from the commonly held world’s greatest fear of public speaking. I love to hear from God. I love the Scriptures. I love the Holy Spirit. I love leading people to the Lord. I love operating in the anointing. I love seeing people’s lives changed as a result of the Word of God.

Even with my tremendous love and zeal for preaching, I have to admit that the demands of presenting a powerful, life-changing Word three times each week got…tough...

Okay. I know that those of you who aren’t in full-time ministry are thinking, “Hey, I get tired at my job too. Deal with it, pastor!” It’s not fair to compare a secular job with what your pastor does week after week after week…

Let’s do a little comparison of a secular employee with your pastor.

1.  As an employee in the secular world, you need to meet the expectations of your boss and those above you on the corporate ladder. For example, if you are an administrative assistant, you don’t need the approval of the janitor to keep your position. Your pastor, on the other hand, needs to meet the expectations of everyone in the congregation—the janitor, the administrative assistant, the CEO, and everyone in between.
2.  When you go to work on Monday, you know who will be there. Of course, there may be an occasional employee out on a sick day or vacation, but put yourself in your pastor’s place. He/she sees every person who calls that church “home” an average of once (out of an average of 8 possible services) a month. What would happen if the employees at your job showed up only about 13 percent of the time? How would things run? How would the customers get proper attention? Would the companies’ bills get paid?
3. If you make a mistake at your job, it can likely be remedied with a little effort. The widget may need to be retooled; the schedule may need to be changed; the document may need to be rewritten. If your pastor gives the wrong advice in a counseling session, or if something is misunderstood from his/her sermon, someone’s entire life and eternity could be at stake.
4. You can complain to your fellow workers about being tired, overworked, and undervalued (although I don’t recommend it---you know it happens!) and it is accepted as normal behavior. Your pastor is expected to be energetic, engaging, encouraging, powerful, and….well, perfect... all the time.
5. Your private life is your private life. Your boss can be in for a HUGE lawsuit if he/she tries to control your personal choices. As much as I hate cliché’s, it’s the truth--your pastor lives in a fishbowl, and not only the pastor... but the pastor’s entire family...                                 

So as I was driving home today, exhausted, from the conference, I thought about the pastors that were there.

They will go home, unpack, and do laundry just like I did. Since I'm not scheduled to preach anywhere tomorrow, I will have dinner and a sorely needed early bedtime. The pastors won't have the same luxury. They will likely go to their home office, fall on their knees, and pray for tomorrow’s services. 

They will write their messages, or put final touches on it. They will make sure that there are enough volunteers to cover the nursery, children’s church, ushers, parking lot, and the deacon room. They will probably get a few calls from congregants who need prayer or who say, at the last minute, “Oh Pastor, I know I was scheduled to lead the kid’s church service tomorrow, but I decided to visit my relatives on the other side of the state. Sorry.” Still... your pastor will get up early tomorrow to pray some more, eat a light breakfast, and get to church to turn on the Air Conditioning and the lights before anyone else arrives.

Your pastor will be in the pulpit tomorrow fired up with the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. I know your pastor will likely be tired, maybe even a bit weary, but your pastor will be there. Will you?

I will blog you later...in the meantime, appreciate your pastor...He/she is a ROCK STAR!

And...do something today to fulfill your purpose...it may start by getting to church in the morning!

YOUR PASTOR

Today... 

I just got home from a week long series of meetings. Many of those in attendance were in the full time ministry. Some, like me, were travelling (AKA itinerant) preachers/teachers. Many were pastors.

This was not my first rodeo, as my husband, the amazing Mr. Brintnall would say. I’ve been to dozens, maybe close to a hundred meetings like the ones I attended this week. 

            

I heard a lot of great music, many tremendous sermons, and even shared several meals that fed both body and soul. 

But let me tell you what I came away with this time. I can’t seem to get it off my mind; it has to do with your pastor.

            

Here is the truth—your pastor is a rock star.

            Seriously. A ROCK STAR.

            

I speak from a unique perspective.

            

I co-pastored a start up church for about a year. I preached most of the time. Like a lot of churches, we had services Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Every week I needed to spend hours in prayer, study, and preparation so I could present a fresh, powerful, memorable, life-changing message, and I had to do it three times every week.

            

I like to preach. No, I love to preach; I think God made me to preach. I began public speaking in the second grade. I’ve never suffered from the commonly held world’s greatest fear of public speaking. I love to hear from God. I love the Scriptures. I love the Holy Spirit. I love leading people to the Lord. I love operating in the anointing. I love seeing people’s lives changed as a result of the Word of God.

Even with my tremendous love and zeal for preaching, I have to admit that the demands of presenting a powerful, life-changing Word three times each week got…tough...

Okay. I know that those of you who aren’t in full-time ministry are thinking, “Hey, I get tired at my job too. Deal with it, pastor!” It’s not fair to compare a secular job with what your pastor does week after week after week…

Let’s do a little comparison of a secular employee with your pastor.

1.  As an employee in the secular world, you need to meet the expectations of your boss and those above you on the corporate ladder. For example, if you are an administrative assistant, you don’t need the approval of the janitor to keep your position. Your pastor, on the other hand, needs to meet the expectations of everyone in the congregation—the janitor, the administrative assistant, the CEO, and everyone in between.
2.  When you go to work on Monday, you know who will be there. Of course, there may be an occasional employee out on a sick day or vacation, but put yourself in your pastor’s place. He/she sees every person who calls that church “home” an average of once (out of an average of 8 possible services) a month. What would happen if the employees at your job showed up only about 13 percent of the time? How would things run? How would the customers get proper attention? Would the companies’ bills get paid?
3. If you make a mistake at your job, it can likely be remedied with a little effort. The widget may need to be retooled; the schedule may need to be changed; the document may need to be rewritten. If your pastor gives the wrong advice in a counseling session, or if something is misunderstood from his/her sermon, someone’s entire life and eternity could be at stake.
4. You can complain to your fellow workers about being tired, overworked, and undervalued (although I don’t recommend it---you know it happens!) and it is accepted as normal behavior. Your pastor is expected to be energetic, engaging, encouraging, powerful, and….well, perfect... all the time.
5. Your private life is your private life. Your boss can be in for a HUGE lawsuit if he/she tries to control your personal choices. As much as I hate cliché’s, it’s the truth--your pastor lives in a fishbowl, and not only the pastor... but the pastor’s entire family...                                 

So as I was driving home today, exhausted, from the conference, I thought about the pastors that were there.

They will go home, unpack, and do laundry just like I did. Since I'm not scheduled to preach anywhere tomorrow, I will have dinner and a sorely needed early bedtime. The pastors won't have the same luxury. They will likely go to their home office, fall on their knees, and pray for tomorrow’s services. 

They will write their messages, or put final touches on it. They will make sure that there are enough volunteers to cover the nursery, children’s church, ushers, parking lot, and the deacon room. They will probably get a few calls from congregants who need prayer or who say, at the last minute, “Oh Pastor, I know I was scheduled to lead the kid’s church service tomorrow, but I decided to visit my relatives on the other side of the state. Sorry.” Still... your pastor will get up early tomorrow to pray some more, eat a light breakfast, and get to church to turn on the Air Conditioning and the lights before anyone else arrives.

Your pastor will be in the pulpit tomorrow fired up with the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. I know your pastor will likely be tired, maybe even a bit weary, but your pastor will be there. Will you?

I will blog you later...in the meantime, appreciate your pastor...He/she is a ROCK STAR!

And...do something today to fulfill your purpose...it may start by getting to church in the morning!