"Understanding your Pastor"

I have just finished reading a refreshing and fascinating book written by William L. Self entitled, "Surviving The Stained-Glass Jungle."    In this book, Dr. Self takes a behind the scenes look at the work and daily experience of the pastor.       I have found through the years, that very few people in the churches I have served, understand the role and challenges of the pastor.      They try to imagine the pastor as a church version of corporate America. They think of the pastor in a 9-5 job sitting in an office somewhere going over paper work and talking on the telephone.     Their perceptions of the pastor come from the limited time they see the pastor.     They might see the pastor at church (if they come that Sunday) or maybe at the hospital if they are in crisis.     Otherwise, they have no idea of what the pastor does or who the pastor is.

Few people realize that the pastor does not work 40 hours a week, but is 24/7.       The phone can ring and sometimes does, at 3:00 am in the middle of the night.     Someone is in crisis.     They are at the hospital and mom is dying.       The pastor goes to care for hurting people.     The pastor sometimes finds themselve on a roller coaster when called upon to do a funeral in the morning and a wedding in the afternoon.         The minister may start the day with a breakfast meeting and find themselves at the church late at night waiting for meetings to end.       The minister will work at church, work at home, work on the road, and nobody seems to understand the enormity of the task before them.         There are administrative details, counseling moments, committee meetings, budget meetings, and so many little details that surround the life of the minister.      The task of "Preaching" is overwhelming and occupies many, many hours in the life of the ministry.        It is through deep study, constant prayer, and detailed preparation that the minister seeks to share a word from God to the people of God.

We talk about Sabbath Rest and many lay people find it easy to understand how that applies to their life.     I've never quite understood and I'm still on a journey to understand how that applies to the minister.   Most ministers work on Sundays.    I've asked other ministers and I still haven't heard anything that helps me along that task!

People think that ministers are trained in college and seminary and learn the things they need to know for ministry.     Both college and seminary do wonderful things.     They are important and valuable.   They talk about theology or religious education.        Seminary never prepared me for the real world.      Seminary never prepares the young minister for Deacons Meetings, Leadership Teams, or disgruntled people in the church.      Seminary is like a "bubble" and you are really not connected to the real world and the harsh reality of what comes in the life of the church.

Church life has changed during my ministry.      I entered the ministry feeling like everybody should love the pastor.     I loved my pastors in the past and I thought this was how people acted.   I was very fortunate to have a loving congregation in my very first church.    I served that church while going to college.    They loved the pastor and the congregation was so easy to love!     Through the years, I seen so many changes in corporate America that have crept into the church.      There is always somebody wanting to cause confusion in almost every church.         Sometimes people who have no power in the jobs, families, and communities seek power in the church.   They can get power in the church when they get power in no other place!  There are so many changes.

I can remember fond moments visiting and eating in the homes of church members.     Such moments are rare today given the changes in work schedules, time restraints, and the general atmosphere of the way people live today.      Life in the role of the pastor/minister has changed.       I am concerned about young men and women entering the ministry today!       I think about the incredible challenges they will face and the almost certain difficulties they will encounter.    I want for them a "loving congregation" who will love them, care for them, and support them.      I fear that such congregations in the 21st century and beyond will be very hard to find!

My thanks to Dr. Self for sharing his deep understanding after many, many years of ministry.      My thanks to colleagues and other ministers who also understand.      They live the struggles and obstacles everyday and do so with integrity.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!   Amen."    (Ephesians 3:20)

"When the Smoke Clears"

I got up early one cold morning this week and began to stir about the house. My first remedy is putting together a warm pot of delicious Columbian coffee. You just can't beat coffee in the mornings. I get out my grinder (a necessity for any serious coffee drinker) and transform my whole beans into grounds. After the pot of coffee is made, I get a cup topped off by a small bit of whipped light cream. The aroma is great, but the coffee is "just right."

My second process on this cold morning was to build a fire in our fireplace. I got it started like I've done thousands of times before. This time some smoke found it's way into the house. I opened a few windows but somehow the smoke made a quick trip upstairs and the smoke alarm connected to our alarm system went off. That was the first time I had ever heard that alarm go off. Both Wilda and Rebecca woke up to the alarm which gives the alarm great credibility. Soon all was well and we were enjoying a great morning with coffee in hand and a great fire to warm us up.

One of my neighbors is a retired Fire Captain from the City of Atlanta. He has so many rich stories about fire experiences as you might imagine. We were chatting about my early morning experiences and he said something rather amazing to me. He said in all of his many years with the fire department and serving as a Captain, he had never in all that time ever witnessed a fatality with a residential fire that had an active smoke alarm with a good battery. Here is a guy that rolled out of the fire department every single day responding to multiple calls every day he worked. For an inexpensive tool like a "smoke alarm" that can save the life of a person or family, why wouldn't we have that in all of our homes. Recently, I heard Fire Chief Steve Morgan of the McDonough Fire Department say that the smoke alarm is the single most important item to protect lives from fires. He said, "put them everywhere." The value of a smoke alarm cannot be under-estimated.

"When the Smoke Clears" in our lives, maybe we need to think about some basic and simple things we can do to protect ourselves and those around us. The beginning of a new year is a great day to think about what is really important and some good choices we can make so that 2012 will be a great year for all of us.

Do you ever feel stretched to your limits?

Have you ever felt "stretched" to your limits? Something unusual and different has been happening to me during these days. The doctor diagnosed my lower back pain as a "herniated disk." I have been receiving physical therapy for this and the therapy has involved quite a few new activities. One of the most interesting parts of therapy has been the therapist putting me into "traction." This giant structure stretches me from one end to the other. Hopefully, it will be a good part of the process that brings about healing.

While on the traction machine, I began to think about ways we are stretched today. Sometimes, we are stretched financially, emotionally, psychologically, and even spiritually. This is usually an exhausting experience and we want to move to a place of stability & wholeness. Stretching can be a good thing! What would happen if husbands and wives stretched out more and more with arms of understanding, love, and hope? Maybe stretching out gives other people the benefit of a doubt.

Try "stretching out" today with a new love that can empower our lives!

"Just One"

I went to the Olive Garden restaurant the other day to experience one of my favorite choices for lunch, "Zuppa Toscana." It's a great little soup and it warms the day. When I entered the restaurant recently, the hostess gave her familiar greeting: "How many?" My response was "one." The hostess then said, "Only One?" I've heard that before in other places but I got to thinking about the words from the hostess that seem to echo in my ears - "Just One!!"

Those words seem to suggest that "one person" coming to lunch is fairly insignificant or inferior to the restaurant. I began asking myself, "What's so bad about one?" Every single person is important. My son used to work as a waiter in restaurants and I would hear the stories he would tell about that experience. Waiters and Waitresses need good tips and the larger the crowd would suggest the higher the possibility for all of that. I understand from others who have been servers in restaurants that this is not always true.

Jesus had a powerful relationship with those who were alone and not connected. So many examples in the Bible point to this fact. I could never imagine in my mind, Jesus looking out and saying "only one?" I believe that he would see "one" as vital, important, and significant to him. To Jesus every person is important and loved!

In a world that aims for the masses and establishes trends based on the popular opinion of the majority, it's refreshing to take a few minutes over coffee to remember that 'Just One" is very important. Don't miss that "one" person who may need an ear, a shoulder, a hug, or a prayer. Remember that you are important today!!

A New Day!

One of my favorite TV commercials shows a mom and her two children pulling into the drive-through window and she proceeds to order her breakfast items at McDonalds. The only problem is that she is in the drive through to her bank and not at McDonalds. The kids have a great laugh at mom and end with the slogan, "Don't you just love mornings!"

I can remember a day many, many years ago when my mom pulled into the drive-through window at McDonalds, paid for her meal, and drove away. The only problem was that she forgot to wait and get the meal she just paid for. Don't you just love crazy experiences that you can laugh about?

Have you ever started out on a new destination only to realize some time later that your mind was in auto-pilot and you were headed to a familiar place instead of the new destination? It has happened to me. There is something exciting about starting a new destination and going to a new place. There is new opportunity to learn new things and to explore a world you have not yet had the chance to see.

We are facing a brand new year and I'm pretty excited about it! I am ready for new experiences and a new start! What about you?

"Can my day get any Crazier?"

Recently, I found myself in a familiar place. It was the drive through window of the lending institution where my home mortgage is housed. I had rushed over to the bank after spending most of the prime time of my morning in the dental chair getting my teeth cleaned. Have you noticed how the dentist always does the extra stuff when you are in a hurry? They said I needed X-Rays because mine had gotten out of date. It just seems like everytime I turn around, somebody wants to do an X-Ray. I allowed them to do their thing, but every minute I sat in the dental chair, I was thinking of something else I needed to be doing. I rushed off after the dentist to pay my house payment. Just when I felt like my day was going crazy, something new and different comes before our eyes.

I watched as the people to my right went through the drive through lane. They took out the plastic container and sent their banking items through the suction device over to the bank. I can only remember the day that I was in such a lane and something strange happened to me. The plastic container didn't get enough suction and got stuck somewhere between the drive through and the banking window. What do you do? It was a new one for the bank as well. They assured me they would deal with it and we would talk later. That was a nervous answer, but what do you do? Meanwhile, back at the drive through watching the people next to me, they make a big mistake. When getting the plastic container out of the slot and getting their banking papers out of the container, they dropped the container out of the vehicle and it went rolling all underneath their vehicle. The driver couldn't get out because they were stuck. They had too much breakfast and couldn't fit out the door. The passenger gets out and starts going underneath the car in search of the missing plastic container. It's interesting to note the crazy stuff that goes on with other people as well as the daily complications we face.

I remember watching someone entering the car wash a few years ago, who wanted to take the radio antenna off his car. The only problem was he waited until he was in the middle of the wash to roll down his window, get out of the car, and then get totally soaked. This man got a bath that day along with his car. I don't think the car wash charged extra!!

It's the crazy things in life that add some spice to our day. Life is always full of new and different stuff. We can get overwhelmed or just celebrate a crazy day that God has allowed us to live. We can share our craziness in life and laugh together!

"Tigers and Party Crashers"

It is interesting that the two stories that seem to dominate the airwaves every time we turn on the television has to do with (1) Party Crashers, and (2) a golfer named Tiger. Out of all the possible stories and places where airtime is possible, it is just fascinating to me that these two situations have gripped our attention.


Meet Michaele and Tareq Salahi! This lovely blond haired lady wearing a beautiful red dress enters a party at the White House escorted by her husband wearing a black tuxedo. While stories seem to be in conflict, the White House says that this couple did not have a ticket and got through security checkpoints without an invitation. Two things come to my mind:


(1) Security is always on our minds and it is unthinkable that someone could get up close to the President of the United States without the scrutiny of the secret service. I just can't imagine this happening. Neither can the members of the secret service who no doubt privately have faces as red as her dress with embarrassment.


(2) A second thought that comes to mind is that while people are criticizing this couple from all across the country, this couple did something and went somewhere that most of us would just love to go. As we put our little Christmas decorations up and find a budget tree at the local store, wouldn't it be thrilling to walk through the White House and see how in best of the best in the area of interior design do their thing at the home of the President of the United States. We've all heard the expression, "I'd like to be a fly on the wall!" We may wonder about the Salahi family, but one thing is for sure: They went somewhere that we would like to be!
I just can't imagine such an Evening!


The other story is about Tiger Woods who is without a doubt one of the best golfers to ever play the game. This guy is literally dominating in his game and everybody who plays golf wants a little "tiger in their tank!" Tiger left his house at 2:30 a.m. and ran over a fire hydrant and hit a tree. His wife came out of the house using the first thing she could find which is a golf club and gets him out of the car. It was a one car accident in front of his house, but people all over the country talk about criminal charges and how police should search his house and how this situation can be resolved. All this excitement over somebody who runs into a fire hydrant in the middle of the night. Don't worry: Tiger can afford the fire hydrant! In fact, he could buy the whole fire station. If the truth were to be told - we are just fascinated by a golfer named "Tiger."


I realize that news stories may be slow these days and we search for something interesting to watch. There is health care debate, sending troops to Afghanistan, and the election of a new mayor in one of America's most thriving cities. But, if news really gets slow and we need another story to occupy our attention - I've got just the one for all of us. It's a story about God becoming flesh and coming from Heaven to Earth as a baby. It's a story of a birth and we can experience "the new birth!" It's a story about Angels, Shepherds, a Mother, and all sorts of people who experience something new! It's a story about us and how God loves us so much that he sends his only Son into the world. Here's a story worth talking about during these days.