Spiritual Hiccups - If Only...

Do not put your trust in princes,
       in mortals, in whom there is no help.
When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
       on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
       whose hope is in the LORD their God.

Congregations sometimes lament, "If only our pastor was better at this or had more of that."  Likewise, pastors often lament, "If only there were more dedicated volunteers or leaders who would do this or that."  Sometimes these laments give birth to new hopes as a new pastor or staff member comes, a new governing board takes office, or a new person becomes chair of an important committee.


As a neophyte pastor 15 years ago, I complained to the pastor of the biggest, richest, and most impressive church in our presbytery (the regional governing body) about how hard it was to get things done, how programs rose or fell on the strength of an elder or committee chair.  He responded that it was not different for him.  He said he was "completely dependent" on the strengths and weaknesses of those in leadership positions at that time.

I don't want to make too much of his remark.  He was probably just trying to help me see that there was nothing wrong with my congregation.  He was trying to tamp down some of my unrealistic expectations.  But still, I wonder where God fits into such conversations about pastors and congregational leaders.  Where does God fit into those "If only" laments?

In today's gospel, Jesus comes to his hometown, and after a brief moment of amazement, the locals "took offense" at Jesus.  Presumably these locals are good religious folks, but they already knew Jesus and so they knew what he couldn't be the one they had been waiting for.  He couldn't be the answer to their "If only" prayers.  "And he could do no deed of power there."

It's interesting how much more "successful" Jesus is when he is outside outside of the religious establishment, beyond where he is known.  Curious that those he commissions as his disciples and emissaries are not from the pillars of the religious community.  And it makes me wonder about how I may miss the power of God at work in my very midst, simply because I am bound and blinded by my "If only" laments.

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