Annual Meeting Jitters
Our Annual Meeting is coming up Sunday. Despite the fact that I've not ever run into a problem during a major church meeting when I was a senior pastor - I still get really nervous. I learned that in my first church when I was an Associate Pastor. The church was horribly dysfunctional. Their favorite game at meetings was "Hang the pastor". They also enjoyed "Hang the pastor's family".
Frankly - that would be the end of a pastorate for me. I could manage "hang the pastor" but hope God gives me the grace never to have to walk out of a church because of "hang the pastor's family". I would walk out in a second.
At any rate, I've never had that problem as a senior pastor. But I probably won't sleep well Saturday out of fear. I probably will come home high on adrenaline. And hopefully - just like it's been for the last eight years - I'll come home amazed at another church meeting where no one got hurt.
This reminds me of how powerful first impressions are. I can't get rid of my fear of church meetings even though I haven't had a bad one in eight years. I've never had one where I was the target. And still I have a physical reaction to a coming meeting.
It makes me wonder how many people out there avoid church all together for similar reasons. Maybe they "used" to attend services somewhere and someone did something rude. They played "hang the newcomer". Perhaps it was a rude word about something they wore. A skirt that was too short. Or a trousers that were wrinkled. Perhaps they came in and no one spoke to them. Perhaps they came in and heard a sermon all about hell with no mention of joy or heaven.
If my wounds run so deep because of a few negative experiences at the beginning of my ministry with church meetings... how much pain do others carry? If anyone reading this has been hurt in church - I am one pastor who feels your pain. Ironically - most pastors probably have similar experiences. I hope you won't let the evil done by a few keep you from the love God wants you to experience.
May God forgive us whenever we play any "hang the..." games.
Frankly - that would be the end of a pastorate for me. I could manage "hang the pastor" but hope God gives me the grace never to have to walk out of a church because of "hang the pastor's family". I would walk out in a second.
At any rate, I've never had that problem as a senior pastor. But I probably won't sleep well Saturday out of fear. I probably will come home high on adrenaline. And hopefully - just like it's been for the last eight years - I'll come home amazed at another church meeting where no one got hurt.
This reminds me of how powerful first impressions are. I can't get rid of my fear of church meetings even though I haven't had a bad one in eight years. I've never had one where I was the target. And still I have a physical reaction to a coming meeting.
It makes me wonder how many people out there avoid church all together for similar reasons. Maybe they "used" to attend services somewhere and someone did something rude. They played "hang the newcomer". Perhaps it was a rude word about something they wore. A skirt that was too short. Or a trousers that were wrinkled. Perhaps they came in and no one spoke to them. Perhaps they came in and heard a sermon all about hell with no mention of joy or heaven.
If my wounds run so deep because of a few negative experiences at the beginning of my ministry with church meetings... how much pain do others carry? If anyone reading this has been hurt in church - I am one pastor who feels your pain. Ironically - most pastors probably have similar experiences. I hope you won't let the evil done by a few keep you from the love God wants you to experience.
May God forgive us whenever we play any "hang the..." games.
