IT’S WEIRD BEING A PASTOR
It wouldn’t be so difficult being a pastor if Jesus hadn’t messed it up.
WHO GAVE YOU THE AUTHORITY
It’s nice being hired to convene people who generally share the same values and inviting them to sing a few songs and enjoy some inspiring words about how to be successful and happy in life. But then Jesus messes it up by expecting me to tell them that they should welcome everyone. We aren’t allowed to exclude the misfits from membership. Even the Rotary club can fine you if you miss several meetings in a row. The only criteria Jesus seems to allow is that members admit they aren’t worthy. I think that is what that confession of sins bit is in our worship. Though I firmly believe that some others have done a lot worse things than I have.
TRAIN UP A CHILD AND WHEN HE IS OLD
I enjoy sharing with people some life lessons on how to raise your children or three rules for a happy marriage. It is also probably good psychological advice to focus on the power of positive thinking. Too many people allow themselves to get depressed with too much negative thinking. But don’t you have to be realistic and guard against the evil schemes of others. If you don’t look out for yourself, who is going to. You have to watch out for those people who are out to get the pastor.
I also think it is nice to organize classes for the children on how to be nice to your friends and live by the rules. But Jesus goes too far when he tells us that as adults we should be prepared to go the extra mile. It’s a tough world out there and the people who come to hear me aren’t going to be comfortable if I tell them to violate the basic wisdom of economics and “Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.” Wasn’t being foolish with the loans they made what got our banks and financial institutions in trouble recently?
TURNING THE OTHER CHEEK
And I understand that we need to learn to control our anger, but didn’t Jesus ancestors have it right when they said life was based on “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Does he really think that w should always go around turning the other check and going the extra mile? Not only that, but Jesus seems to expect that we clergy should model that behavior. I mean why else would he have included in our congregation so many people who are willing to insult a pastor at the drop of a hat. Sometimes I think that if I really followed Jesus teachings, I wouldn’t have time for anything else but turning the other cheek.
LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR CAREFULLY
And what about this business of loving your neighbor. Jesus seems to even carry that to an extreme by forbidding us to think lustful thoughts about a cute neighbor. I can understand how it might create problems if we acted on those thoughts, but just thinking them — come on. What does Jesus expect — perfection!!!
And worst of all, Jesus seems to think we clergy should advise our congregations to extend our love and forgiveness to the undeserving. Not only the undeserving in the congregation but even those people who have the wrong politics and act in horrible ways out in the world. People can really get upset when you advocate being a peacemaker when our enemies challenge our right thinking. You’d think that Jesus was saying that we should be as forgiving to others as we expect God to be forgiving of us. He might even expect us to take seriously that we should expect God to forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.
SAVED BY GRACE — REALLY?
For some reason Jesus seems to think that we are saved by grace and not by our good behavior. And Jesus also think that we should respond by treating others as kindly has God has treated us.
It’s hard enough being a pastor in this crazy world without Jesus messing it up with all of these crazy expectations.
