Church Health and the Care of the Pastor/Preacher
In healthy congregations, the senior pastor is conscientious about all of his responsibilities, but especially about the task of preaching each Sunday. These good pastors plan worship carefully and prepare their sermons with a great sense of responsibility to share a Word from God with listeners. They approach the pulpit with both joy for the privilege of preaching and a strong sense of spiritual accountability for their stewardship of the task.
In healthy congregations, the laity have a sensitivity to the heavy load carried by the pastor, and they pray for their pastor faithfully. This sensitivity causes them to recognize that the worship experience and the hours leading up to it are especially important to the preacher as he prepares for what may be the most important spiritual hour of the week.
Given these facts, it is interesting that church members often utilize those final minutes before the beginning of a worship service to “confront” the pastor with whatever pet peeve or complaint crosses their mind. Sometimes the pettiness of these remarks is downright funny, though the humor is only available to the pastor after a few days or weeks have passed. Here are a few samples from my experience and that of a couple of other pastors who shared with me.
The Top Ten Things NOT to Say to the Pastor Right Before the Worship Service
1. This will be my last Sunday at this church because you didn’t speak to me when we crossed paths in the hallway last Sunday…
2. I have a bone to pick with you; I will call you this week…
3. The sanctuary temperature is at least 3 degrees too hot (or cold). Please get that corrected before the service starts in 5 minutes.
4. I am expecting and important call, so pardon me if my cell phone rings during the sermon.
5. Why didn’t you do _______ last week?
6. I have an early lunch engagement, so try to get the service over on time today. Okay?
7. I saw your child running in the hallway this morning…
8. We're out of toilet paper in the women's restroom.
9. I enjoyed Sunday School today but won't be staying for worship. I heard Charles Stanley this morning already. He's a real preacher.
10. I was in the hospital for several days last week and am upset that you didn't visit me (even though I didn't tell anybody in the church I was hospitalized). How sick would I have to be for you to come see me?
Like many pastors, I have contemplated sarcastic and inappropriate responses to these. Obviously, since I was never fired from a church, I didn’t use them. Here, as a confession of my flawed humanity, are some of my smart-aleck answers:
1. Bye.
2. I have a bone to pick with you, too, since you hit me with this on my way to the pulpit. So be sure and call.
3. I think you have me confused with God.
4. If your cell phone rings during the sermon you will need to hang up and dial 9-1-1.
5. Because I only have 24-7. Why didn’t you do ______?
6. I will let the Holy Spirit know that He needs to coordinate with your daytimer.
7. Let me loan you my Taser so that you can painfully stun him/her the next time you see a kid being a kid around here.
8. I guess I will have to fire the person who is supposed to monitor the ladies’ bathroom toilet paper supply for me. OR We couldn’t buy toilet paper this week because you are behind on your pledge.
9. Be sure to let Charles Stanley visit you in the hospital and conduct your funeral, too.
10. You don’t ever want to be that sick.
Let’s all try to cultivate congregational health by avoiding both the pre-worship silliness and the smart-aleck responses.
Bob Perry,
Congregational Health Team
