The following post has nothing to do with my present church situation, thank God, but rather some stuff two friends are going through.
It follows typical and similar patterns.
Someone welcomes you with open arms…they are your best friend, your biggest supporter. Watch them….they will turn. When you stop dancing to their tune…you will become the devil incarnate.
Car park meetings, small group meetings. This is where the conflict is stirred up. Like a witch turning her pot..so the discontents turn their gossip.
The Pastor is very often the one under attack….why? Because their is so much money and power available (insert sarcastic smilie here)
No….often because he/she is a person dedicated to God, and His purposes. Often because they want something more for the church, for the church to grow, become missional, become relevant. For this…because he goes against the statue quo, against comfort, they are disrespected, gossiped about, openly slandered…and they are meant to take it, because they are the ‘godly one’.
After fielding three conversations about this sort of crap this week, I reassured the people involved, they are not mad….it generally happens to us all.
Why do we put up with it? Many of us dont…we leave, we go do something easier. Our family suffers too much.
Others give in, and become the ‘nice pastor’ that people want us to be, but dont need us to be.
Others persevere and pray, and choose to lead with grace, strength and love, and true meekness. Not perfectly, plenty of humanity….but we choose to pray, persevere and lead none the less. And sometimes….heaven shines forth…and people are added to the family of God.
