Friday, June 13, 2014

Five Minute Friday - Messenger

It's a Lisa Jo Baker Five Minute Friday-- write for five minutes on the word provided.

http://lisajobaker.com/2014/06/five-minute-friday-messenger/


Messenger--

What does it mean to be a messenger?  Who is a messenger?  What is the message?  Authors are messenger of stories.  Journalists are messengers of the news.  Preachers are messengers of God's Word.  Messengers vary in degree of course.  One of my greatest anxieties is "pulpit anxiety."  I worry myself sick on Sunday mornings wondering if the message I'm about to deliver is the right one.  If it's Godly enough.  How the congregation will receive it.   I know that not every message that is received well is the right message...sometimes it is the challenging ones that are the right ones.  The ones where I receive push-back are likely the more Godly messages because they are taking people out of their comfort zones.  Sometimes a messenger is sent to take people out of their comfort zones.  And then the messenger becomes disliked and I don't like to be disliked and that's where the anxiety heightens.  Do I tell them what they want to hear so I can be liked or do I give them the message God wants them to hear and face the possible wrath of the people?  It sure isn't an easy job but it's the one I'm called to.  If you pray, please pray for pastors.  Our job is a lot harder than it looks.  Thank you and God bless you (and your messages!)


5 comments:

  1. Our pastor is so sweet-spirited, but sometimes I can feel the anxiety he is struggling with and I feel so badly for him. I do pray for him on a weekly basis, but thank you for reminding me to pray this specific prayer. Pastors are truly God's messengers!

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  2. Oh. Julia. I appreciate how you bare your heart here and allow us a glimpse of your humanity as a pastor. It is a hard job , indeed, and you have both my respect and compassion. Thank you. I admit I pray pitifully little for my pastors. Praying grace, peace, strength and wisdom for you tonight.

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  3. Remembering my dad and his sermons. One that was always tough for him was on giving to the church. He felt very strongly about tithe and he and mom were faithful in their tithe and brought us up that way. But he didn't want to come across as asking or especially begging for money from parishioners. So he gingerly handled those sermons even though God directed him to give them. I think he did a wonderful 'job' of it, but then I believed in what he was preaching. Some always left grumbling, but they were most likely the ones God was speaking directly to! Keep that in mind the next time a parishioner complains to you or makes a somewhat snide remark about your sermon! Their 'collar is fitting tighter' and they want it loosened by up quickly and without much effort on their part. I've been there myself.

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  4. Thank you for these comments! Thanks for being so understanding! And yes, stewardship is such a difficult topic to deal with.

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