One of the things I loathe is admitting to my own weakness. I want to project strength and competence, and I admire such traits in others. On this count I'm hardly unique. Americans in general seem to admire strength and detest weakness. We worship great athletes who will their way to championships. We mythologize the self-made man or woman, the people who seem to control their own destiny.By contrast, many of us hate to be perceived as needy. Indeed the word needy is often used as a derogatory term to describe a dysfunctional dependency on others. And yet I am a pastor in a faith that speaks of Jesus as Savior. Presumably that mean we are in trouble and need to be saved, healed, or changed in some way. We aren't strong enough to fix things ourselves. In other words we are weak and needy.
I was reading today's verses from Paul where he speaks of wanting to do what is right but being unable to do so. (And who among us hasn't decided to do something we knew was in our own best interest, but been unable to follow through.) And I was reminded of a David Brooks column that ran just yesterday in the NYTimes. He was talking about Bill Wilson, the founder of AA and wrote this. "In a culture that generally celebrates empowerment and self-esteem, A.A. begins with disempowerment. The goal is to get people to gain control over their lives, but it all begins with an act of surrender and an admission of weakness. "
I've found myself wondering lately if one of the reasons I sometimes find it difficult to sense God's presence is because I won't let myself be weak enough to need God. Might a little disempowerment, a little weakness be just what the doctor ordered?
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Regarding your July 2010 "From the Pastor", you have two separate issues facing your congregation. One is sectarian, the direction or style of church God is calling it to become going forward. The second issue is non-sectarian, and that is the business/financial needs of the church in order to accomplish what God is calling. They are both separate and entwined. On a sectarian level, a very difficult question needs to be answered before you go forward. If God is calling the congregation to go to the next level of service and calling, are you the Pastor what is needed to provide that leadership? I was involved in a church in which the Pastor, who had been there for 12 years and was adored, resigned as he felt he had fulfilled his mission, as designed by God, and that the congregation needed new leadership to take to next level. I believe you and God need to discuss this in prayerful deliberation to see if this is not the issue and if for the good of God's plan for his church, you need to step aside, then that issue needs to be addressed before the non-sectarian issues are addressed. Once direction and proper leadership is in place, then the "business" side can be addressed and should not only fall in place, but make sense and be a driving force within your church community. This is not an issue about Brett or keeping the finances in the black. It has everything to do with what is God's plan for the church going forward and if you are the one to provide the leadership. Remember, even Moses had a set purpose and had to turn over the reigns to Joshua to complete the journey.
ReplyDeleteA short comment as I believe my thoughts were misinterpreted. I did not, nor am I calling for the Pastor to leave or be relieved. This may, in the end, be a result but not necessarily the result. If the congregation is indeed examining the future direction of the church, it is a natural progression of duty to examine the mission statement, put together a church plan in order to accomplish the mission, examine whether present leadership will enhance the accomplishment of its mission, budget requirements, and stewardship requirments to meet both budget and mission.
ReplyDeleteI wish you good luck and God's blessings as you do His will.