#failedpastor Part Four - Church Hurt...it affects everyone!

Clergy abuse is bad! No argument from me.

Leaders should be held to a higher standard. 

Without a hint of incongruity or indecency.

But sometimes “the clergy” get hurt too.

I have known of leaders who have struggled under the weight in modern church practice, the pressure to perform, pressure to match unrealistic expectations, and are medicated just to try and survive.

I have known of a leader whose wife refused to attend services and support them anymore, and the very deep and personal effect it had on them.

And I have known of leaders (me) who have experienced damaging slander and life changing betrayal.

Man It hurts!

Maybe it hurts a little more because of the vulnerability, availability, sacrifice to lead a small but thriving church family.

And maybe because of the prices many families pay in the service of a larger faith family.

Contrary to public believe, the majority of Church leaders earn less than minimum wage and don’t own a Harley Davidson…

A famous biblical King experienced something related to this…

12If an enemy were insulting me,

I could endure it;

if a foe were rising against me,

I could hide.

13But it is you, a man like myself,

my companion, my close friend,

14with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship

at the house of God,

as we walked about

among the worshipers.

Psalm 55:12-14 NIV

In a modern relatable context, some of the most painful faith experiences come from those who were the very closest to us.

Look, we need great leaders!

And we need great members.

It’s a both / and equation for me.

My encouragement is the following two simple ideas.

Pray for one another

Prefer one another.

Maybe this a reason why John recorded Jesus prayers for the Church just before He gave his life for us? It would make sense that He knew the challenges we would face.

To be honest, I think most of our perceived persecution in the western church its wrongly labeled. We think forces outside the church are the main ones out to get us. 

The reality I have seen is we have more than enough forces inside attempting to demean and damage.

From the arrogant long term believer cynical and out to disrupt.

To those who feel some crazy god sense to destroy the work before them.

Or other church leaders who are insecure and promote their greener grass in the hope of justifying their call.

We are all called to something so much better.

Every one of us. Pastor and People.

I will finish with a phrase that is furnished in scripture over a dozen seperate times…

Love One Another.

Something to think about…