Today was Easter and we celebrated the risen Lord and you had to rise before dawn to serve our church. You and a handful of people gave of your Easter celebration time to feed our community pancakes and chocolate eggs. By the time I got to the church you were sweaty from hard work and carrying a ladder around (I never found out what for) but it made me sad that instead of being able to sit and visit with the people attending and eating breakfast - mostly people from our community that don’t regularly attend church - you were running around with a ladder doing last minute things, or past minute things.
Some people would say “well, you are the pastor, this is the job”
But I would disagree. I don’t believe it to be the job of the pastor to be working for the people so hard that he doesn’t get to know the people. I don’t think it’s the pastor’s job to be there first and leave last. I don’t think it’s the pastor’s job to do all the things for all the people. I don’t think it’s the pastor’s job to let the people consume and consume in a gluttonous fashion the gifts and offerings of the church to the point where they aren’t just consuming the gifts but are also consuming the pastor, and his family.
During the service time, or worship time, you also were playing with the band. Again, serving your church. And it is wonderful to see that my pastor enjoys being part of different ministries but I also noticed that while you were serving your church your family was sitting without you. In fact, I noticed that you and your family had gone all morning barely having a chance to say 3 words to each other. Certainly you were not able to enjoy breakfast together as most of the rest of the attenders were.
I am sorry that you were not able to celebrate Easter morning with your family as everyone else was. I wish I knew how to fix that for you. I have tried to be involved in different things at our church to help out and serve but as a mom with three young children I find it hard to give time to those ministries, my husband is not always able to help as he works on Sundays and some Sundays seem more demanding than others. I can imagine by the time you get home Sunday afternoons you must be exhausted. I know I am spent after trying to contain and teach my three children during the combined worship time our church does.
I wish this scenario was just a one time deal. But, I realize that this is “normal” that Church holidays mean no rest for the pastor. And that even every Sunday, while some Christians would argue for the legality of Sabbath Rest, you are literally sweating for your church. Working so hard that you often have nothing left for your family. Again, I wish I knew how to fix this. If you told me that shouting from the pulpit to everyone to do more, to not just come and take, but to come and give would help, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Maybe I’m way off base. Maybe you love being the one to do 90% of the work. Maybe you love to go home every Sunday feeling completely spent. Maybe you are happy to spend all your time running here and there. Maybe that’s your jam. I think though, maybe not. I think you love your people. I think you get charged up when you can visit and pray and laugh and teach. I think, like the rest of us, you thrive when you are able to use your gifts.
I am praying for you dear Pastor. I am praying for you every day that with every day that passes you are able to serve with your gifts more. I am praying that your family gets the best of you and that you are able to give this church the rest of the best because of that. I am praying that your family does not resent us for consuming you. That they would see that we are sinners that love God and our Church and you and not always in that order. And that sometimes we forget that you are a sinner too. I am praying that your family would have grace for us in our weakness.
Thank you dear Pastor for coming and serving us. Thank you for teaching us about our Lord. Thank you for living our Our Lord right before our very eyes.
I pray that we take the hint.
Sincerely,
sinner and Christ lover.
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