I read this Matthew Poole quote at "Virginia is for Huguenots" .
"Ministers are living Books, and Books are dead Ministers; and yet though dead, they speak. When you cannot heare the one, you may read the other."
I had also been reading some disturbing statistics concerning men in the ministry at "Reformed and Loving it."
For those of us who are blessed with a great Pastor, one who loves the Lord, His Word, and His people we should be very thankful. Do you pray for your Pastor regularly? for his wife and family? that the Holy Spirit would fill him with wisdom and show him the right words to preach? Do you assist him in any practical way you can?
We also need to remember to pray that God would raise up men equipped for the job. Surely the field is ripe unto harvest but the labourers are few!
P.S. If you don't have a Pastor or perhaps don't get on so well with the one you do have (Kevin suggests hugging your Pastor!) that needs a lot of prayers, too. Pastors are people just like us. It touched me when Kevin mentioned how they often don't have others to turn to for support and advice and when they do their confidences are sometimes betrayed. May the Lord also raise up Godly men and women in his church.
I would not feel comfortable hugging my Pastor, or that it would be appropriate, but we can show our thanks, love and appreciation in so many ways. Especially I think they must appreciate some feedback from the messages and studies, when they have devoted so many hours and so much heart to them.
Come on girls! (I think about how a compliment on my dinner makes my whole day worthwhile.)
Oh my!! The idea of hugging my minister!!
ReplyDeleteOtherwise I totally agree!
LOL! Out of curiosity I popped over to your church website. You have three ministers? You must belong to a VERY big congregation?
ReplyDeleteThanks Ruby for you wonderful comment. Juli's husband Kelly is eldest of 16 kids. So yes, they both are used to a huge crowd! Their wedding 6 years ago was a hoot!! Tons of kids and tons of fun. And at the time his mom and myself had not yet had our youngest child.
ReplyDeleteOh Tricia, that is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThe past few years I have met many ex-pastors and ministry workers who have burned out. Some have even turned away from the Lord because of their troubles. This has really opened my eyes to how we can affect other people either with our encouragement or discourgement, in their work and lives. And has shown me the importance of praying for our ministers, continually.
ReplyDeleteIt is a sad thing that pastoring a church is such a tough job.
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ReplyDeleteHey, thanks for reading Reformed and Loving It and sending some traffic my way! :)
ReplyDeleteThe bit about hugging one's minister was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but minister's do need encouragement. Honestly, for me, the best encouragement is seeing growth in grace, but that proceeds at the Spirit's pace.
Just pray for your minister (and tell him you are!). Ask him a question about a sermon he preached. He'll be delighted you were listening!
Hi Kevin,
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling over! Yes, I understood it was tongue in cheek (hugging the Pastor) and know my readers would too. You have to understand just how funny/ weird that would be for some of us ladies!!!