A fellow pastor who is a friend of mine made a post on a discussion board which we both post on a couple of weeks ago that I felt was too good to let disappear into cyber never land. He goes by the pen name of Roughridercog, and I will use that name here also to protect his identity on that board.
There had been a discussion on the board about a pastor who forgot to turn his wireless microphone off after service and when he went into his office broke down crying and everyone in the church heard his sobbing.
Roughrider wrote the following after reading this information.
Why Pastor's Cry
Pastors cry. There's no doubt about it. There are numerous reasons why:
Pastor's cry when they feel as if a church is rejecting their ministry and they still feel a burden for the church.
Nothing hurts like being rejected.
Pastor's cry when the church feels their time there is over and they still feel like there is much to do.
They pack their belongings mixed with tears.
Pastor's cry when they know their time at a church is over and they have deep roots there. When they embrace the congregation at their last service, there are tearstains present on the shoulders of those they embrace.
Pastor's cry when God has given them a message, instructed him to declare it, and yet the church will not hear it.
Those Jeremiah tears are very painful.
Pastor's cry when it seems as if things are falling apart around him and there is seemingly nothing he can do about it. No matter what he says or does, the church still seems fragmented. These tears are like the tears of a parent whose adult children hate each other.
Pastor's cry. No doubt about it. There are numerous reasons for the tears. What can you do about it? You can weep with him. You might not agree with him or particularly enjoy his ministry. But recognize the fact that his heart is torn.
He might love pastoring, but not be particularly good at it. Cry with the man who perhaps has misinterpreted his call. He might have used manipulation to get the church only to find out that it's not what he thought it would be.
Cry with a disillusioned man who perhaps has missed God and needs to receive direction from God. He might have blundered and said wrong things.
Cry with him as the Holy Spirit does an operation on his personality. He might not have any idea where he is going. His wife and children are mad at him and the church for having to move again. Cry with a man as he agonizes over his family.
Pastor's cry. No doubt about it. Cry with him.
Thanks for the great words RR!
3 comments:
I am a staff pastor at a church. I've been here for 4 years pioneering a youth ministry. My senior pastor and I talked and in April I will be leaving. He thinks it is time for me to move on the bigger things. (I am young and this has been my first church) I know he is right and I know that God is pulling me away too... but it really hurts alot. I love the kids I am ministering too and I am not finished with them. I have been crying inside every since we talked. Thank you for sharing this with me, I am can cry outside now.
When I hear/see our Pastor cry...my heart crumbles. I literally have to stop whatever I'm doing: talking, singing, and even (sometimes) praying...and just listen to his weeping, while joining in with my own. I know, weird, eh? Same thing happened when our previous pastor wept. I guess it's because it puts him back to being REAL.
Not that I put him up on a pedastol, but sometimes I think people believe their Pastor should be "above" all earthly things. Hearing the "man of God" weeping says many things...they are hurting, they are repenting, they are grieving, they are physically in pain, they are sad, they are happy. All the fellings that "real" people have, men or women.
I personally appreciate a pastor that allows the rest of us to see that he is human. I loved my pastor growing up, but I thought he and his wife were perfect and I knew I could never live up to that standard. There were many times I literally said to God, "I can't do this. I just keep failing so why should I even try?" (At least I was still talking to God.)
I am now blessed to know many pastors and I've come to realize the ones who aren't afraid to admit their failures are the ones I admire and respect the most.
The Bible is full of people God used who suffered from human frailties. Many of those people were greatly honored by God (David, Moses, Jonah). They sinned but repented and God used them to do great things.
Let me have a pastor who is humble before God (and mand) any day over one who never cries because he/she thinks he has it all together.
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