No More Same Ole, Same Ole

I was reading an excerpt from an e-mail that a minister friend of mine received a couple of days ago and it sickened me. The person that sent it attacked him and all ministers in general and made it appear that we all are good for nothing. The implication was that we only worked on "Wednesdays and Sundays", drew a big salary, and were just plain lazy. The email also said that we get the churches we pastor into debt and then leave them for a big promotion. It also said in their day that ministers would work the fields and preach part-time and that's the way it ought to be today.

I started not to write this, but then I said this is my blog and I can say what I want to, because I am tired of the same ole same ole. You know that stuff that people who either have a problem with the church or with God always throw up about pastors and preachers. So in my last blog of 2010 I decided it was time to vent because I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I don't think that I am an exception to the rule, because most pastors that I know have the same work ethic. Christmas week I spent over 25 hours in hospitals, visited a family with a death, performed a wedding, checked on sick folks, contacted over 25 absentees and did over 15 hours just in general church maintenance and labor. That's not counting the time I spent in study and prayer for my church and services. I got to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family. I don't have a lot of downtime. Christmas Day was the first full day I took off in December. Again, I'm sure that I am not an exception to the rule.

It's amazing to me that the people that fuss about pastors the most are those that don't need them until they get in trouble. My friend did not deserve the email he got nor do any pastors that care about their flock. I never made full salary and benefits until I was 42 years old from the ministry and I always gave more back to the church than anyone else in the congregation. I have been a bi-vocational pastor before. I know the sacrifices that I had to make for my family and grew up in a pastor's home. Unless you have been there you have no right to crticize or complain.

Oh and by the way a promotion for a pastor from one church to another doesn't always mean more money or benefits. Most of the time it means just dealing with more problems and more situations that you didn't start or create. It's not like you get to go home and forget about the stuff at the office. Who ever started that notion has never walked in a pastor's shoes.

So in 2011 no more same ole, same ole. If you don't need a pastor, don't call him when you get sick, go in the hospital, have a death, have marriage problems, your daughter gets pregnant out of wedlock, your son goes to jail, your husband beats you or is running around on you, your grandchild gets in trouble, etc. If he is not necessary then just leave him alone. Then your complaints may have some validity. But if you need him, pray for him, support him, and lift him up. Because you know what-he might just be there when you need him, even if he has to take time off from his family to fulfill his calling to help yours.

'Nuff said!