Top 10 Sources of Discouragement of Pastors and Church Staff
Yep.
Wow. This gave me an all new appreciation for what my grandfather faced in World War II.
Extra-Ecclesial Gospel Partnerships
Ryan Kelley and Kevin DeYoung answer a few questions about TGC.
Your Church Is Without a Pastor: Now What?
Churches need to think through these things before the pastor leaves.
If you ever wondered what “Every Breath You Take” sounds like in a minor key, this is it. And it’s awesome:
This is what it is like in the dark times:
Sorrow is overwhelming me. I find myself like David in Psalm 38, “my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me”.
I’m a filthy disgusting wreck. Worthless to God. And worthless to people. Every breath that I take is offensive to a holy God. My every word and deed is a stench to his nostrils.
And so I pray Psalm 38. It’s my Psalm because I feel just like David: mourning all day, feeble, crushed, and alone. I’ve been rendered mute and deaf. I’m too down-trodden to speak and too raw to hear words of comfort or rebuke. So, Psalm 38 is my prayer.
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Ask me to name a specific sin that has made me like David in Psalm 38.
I can name only a few. A couple of vague things. Things that I’m broken over, that I abhor, but that I’m fighting. Nothing that isn’t the type of stuff all mankind struggles with.
Truth be told I don’t really know why the Lord has sunk his arrows in me. I’ve repented. I want holiness. 1 John 1:9 tells me that if I confess my sin he is faithful and just to cleanse me of all unrighteousness. You’d think that would mean that I can’t pray Psalm 38 anymore.
But that is what depression does to my mind and heart.
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A recent study shows that prayer is helpful to the anxious only if their view is that God is gracious and loving.
That’s a massive problem because when anxiety and depression rock my soul I never view God as gracious and loving. Psalm 38 becomes my prayer whether I’ve committed the sin of David or not. It’s my prayer because I feel like I’ve committed the unpardonable sin and the Lord has turned his back upon me forever.
Prayer is difficult in these times. It’s difficult because when I approach the Lord I’m not approaching a throne of grace. I’m coming before Him to get yelled at again and reminded of all the terrible things I’ve done—or worse yet—that at the very core of my being I’m deeply unacceptable to the Lord.
So what do I do? Do I just give up praying? If it isn’t helpful unless my view of God is gracious and loving—and if prayer only further distorts my view of God and self—then what in the world am I gaining by praying?
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It is here that I disagree with the findings of that study. It is worded as if God only exists in our conception. But God transcends my depressive thoughts.
Sure it stinks when I come before him with a heart that is barely believing, a heart that can’t grab hold of 1 John 1:9 and believe it for myself. But God is bigger than my moments of unbelief. That is why I still come to him. Because in those moments when I’m praying Psalm 38 (even if it doesn’t apply) the Lord on occasion breaks through and makes himself known.
Psalm 103 floored me again the other day. It floored me because God in his grace helped me to see how he really views me and to see Him afresh, as a gracious and merciful God.
Prayer is helpful even when our thoughts of God are jacked up simply because the gospel is true. When we cry out to God—even with hearts tinged with unbelief, depressive thoughts, and the whole lot—he answers. It may not make me feel better in the moment in which I pray. But God hears and God answers.
David says, “But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer”. That is our hope whether we are praying Psalm 38 for actual known sins or we are making Psalm 38 ours because our hearts are believing the lies of depression.
That’s why you keep praying…even if prayer might make anxiety worse.
Does My Local Church Have the Authority to Contradict George Whitefield?
This is an interesting point. I’m not sure I agree but I am going to give it more thought.
Paul Tripp Thanksgiving Devotional
Sign up here for the Paul Tripp Thanksgiving Devotional.
Please Don’t Put Your Jesus Bumper Sticker Next To Your Republican Bumper Sticker
This might offend some but I think Stephen Altrogge makes an excellent point here.
Here are 52 common mythconceptions that we need to stop believing. I’m guilty of a couple of these.
The only thing good about our cats is that we don’t have to deal with mice like these:
The young man was absolutely smitten by her. But I knew, and I think deep down he knew, that he was stuck in the friend zone. She considered him a dear friend but nothing more.
But she never had the painful conversation with him. She never told him that their chances of being together were about as likely as being struck by lightning and winning the lottery on the same day.
And so he stayed in limbo. She knew his intentions but she didn’t do anything with them. She left him always wondering about her intentions. As a result he was never sure if he was totally free to pursue others.
Why did she keep the door open? Why didn’t she just crush him with the truth of her intentions—or lack thereof? Truth be told she liked having him in her pocket. If they had the conversation it would change things forever. He’d move on. And she wouldn’t have him as a fall back option. So she kept him on the hook just in case her other options fell through.
Churches, sadly, do the same thing to prospective pastors.
Back in July, Thom Rainer wrote an article on five pleas from pastors to search committees. One of them got particular attention in the comments:
“Please stay in touch with me.”
In other words don’t be like the girl who keeps a good friend in her pocket just in case the other options fall through. As soon as a person is no longer considered they should be contacted via email. It’d take about 15 minutes for someone to compile all the emails of the candidates. And about 3 minutes to send a mass email to let them know they are no longer being considered.
A Personal Anecdote
About five years ago when we were moving from Missouri to Louisville a particular church was in contact with us about coming on board. They requested an audio sermon. We weren’t set up very well for recording sermons but we figured out a way to get a couple sermons recorded.
I sent the audio to the church and heard NOTHING. Of course they may not have received the sermon. But I wouldn’t know that either because they never responded to my email where I enquired as to whether or not they had received the sermon.
So my only assumption was that they must have hated the sermon, thought I was terrible and that I was a heretic. I’m exaggerating a bit, but it was incredibly discouraging.
About six months later they contacted me and I learned the truth. The search committee was smitten by another prospective pastor. They liked his sermon better and so began the process of calling him to be the pastor. They went through the whole process only to be rejected by this prospective pastor.
So, naturally, they called up their option #2. Me. They had been keeping me in their pocket just in case the other fella didn’t work out. But much to their disappointment their #2 guy had also already moved on.
Conclusion
I don’t believe that pastor search committees are intentionally doing this to prospective pastors. Many of them are probably new to the process of calling a pastor. And it is likely that none of them have never been a prospective pastor and so they don’t know what it is like on the other end.
We need to educate our people on how to call a prospective pastor even while we are still there. These things need to be taught because this entire process is broken and needs to be fixed. Being faithful to communicate with prospective pastors is a huge step in the right direction.
So really this is a plea to pastors. Educate your people on the process. Prepare them for your departure.