As I type this post I sit on my recliner in the living room. It's Thursday. It's 10:44 p.m. It's quiet. My family are all sleeping and I just walked in from a fantastic visit with a family who has recently started to attend our church. As we continue to grow I will not be able to have these dinners, coffees and deserts with most who come to Captivate so I genuinely value these times during this season of our ministry.
As I talked with this great couple we discussed all the usual things a meeting like this would entail. We talked about our testimonies, the Bible, God, culture, vision for the church, our city, etc. We just had a great conversation. This couple is a 'diamond in the rough' kind of family. It was sincerely a pleasure for me to be with them this evening.
As we wrapped up our conversation and before I departed I shared a sentiment that your Pastor would likely share with you. I said something along these lines (insert your Pastor's voice for my own):
"Just so you know, I'm human. I'm likely to let you down. I'm likely to say something, do something or neglect to say or do something which may cause friction. Please know, even now, I will not willingly do so. If you would pray for me regularly I would appreciate that very much. If I do happen to cause you pain please feel the freedom to speak with me. If we come together in humility we can always end up at love even if we disagree on an issue at hand. I commit to come to you in humility longing for reconciliation and I ask that in that spirit you come to me as well. In doing so we can honor Christ and His Church."
If you're at Captivate Church I want you to know that this is my heart. If you're not a part of our church family I want you to know that most Pastors who love Jesus and the Church will carry a similar heart. We may use different words to say things but we share one common Holy Spirit. It is in that Spirit that we all long for reconciliation.
Reconciliation does not mean however that your Pastor will always agree with you. He is not made in your image. He is made in the image of God. As you pursue maturity in Christ and your identity is found in Jesus you will usually find that your Pastor is on the same road. He wakes up every day, washes his face and in that image on the mirror he sees many enemies, insecurities and uncertainties. It is not the absence of those things that cause Him to move forward, it's in spite of those that he steps forward to serve Jesus and His Church. He has no "S" on his chest and his calling didn't come with a red cape. What he has is a certainty that he is set aside by God to be a priest among priests. He is broken and sinful and saved by grace the same way you are.
Your pastor is called to be committed to the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ (Gal 1:6-10). Your pastor is called to encourage and equip you to fulfill the work that God prepared in advance of your life for you to do (Eph 2:8-10, Ephesians 4:11-16). Your pastor is called to lead the church to be ministers of reconciliation "...as though God were making his appeal through us." (2 Cor 5:21).
So as your Pastor is attempting to live up to God's standards there will be times when he will fall short of your standards. He's sorry. He's sincerely sorry. Even better than that you can expect (whether public or private) there are times he will royally blow it in your eyes. He needs your grace. He needs your forgiveness. He needs to hear that you love Him. Most of all he needs your fervent prayer. If he's anything like me (or you)... he needs a Savior and therefore he will let you down.
Pray for him early and often and pray that if he does let you down it will not be because of sin issue but rather because you simply saw a time where it was confirmed to you that he is indeed human and you were reminded that he doesn't wear a red cape. Pray then for reconciliation, grant forgiveness and ask God to grant him the strength and wisdom he will need to continue to point people to Jesus in a way that honors both the Father and the Father's people.
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