The Pastor looked tired.
He gets up to preach the message and delivers an impassioned four point sermon with colorful illustrations and “all the fixin’s”…still no one comes forward to altar. He starts to doubt his abilities to lead people to Christ. He starts to grow frustrated and restless in his calling. He looks out at his church congregation and believes most are just without “ears to hear” and have settled into Christian mediocrity.
What’s wrong with this picture?
It seems like some sort of fictional story and yet this is not so uncommon among pastors today.
Many pastors get out of seminary and believe that they will make a difference…and most will. Most Pastors are prepared for the fray, and for “ministry life”. Yet, as reality sets in, the risk many might face is disillusionment, ministry fatigue, and a loss of mission.
The problem that I have with the above illustration is two-fold:
1) It’s all about the Pastor. 
We pastors and ministers of this amazing grace can often get it wrong or backwards.
It’s not about us, it never was.
It’s not about how awesome we are, or how contemporary or traditional we are…it isn’t about how much media we utilize on a Sunday morning either. Oh, and it’s also not about how amazing our worship band is or isn’t. These are all surface things.
Dare I say that we as Pastors can begin to have an ego problem.
We call the shots, we make the executive orders, we plan the service and we preach that sermon that our congregation needs to hear each Sunday morning. Is it easy to miss the point of “Church”? You bet it is. Especially when it becomes all about the Pastor.
This is a real danger, so be aware of its beckoning ego-centric call!
2) The authentic joy is vacant in the Pastor’s life & ministry. 
The second problem I see in the uninspired ministry goes hand in hand with the last issue.
If it’s all about us and our ministry team, we run the risk of displaying that misaligned vision to our congregations. And when we “put up a front” and paint this perfect picture for them, they see right through it. It’s like that elementary teacher who is terrified of elementary students…those kids just know when the teacher is scared to death.
Authentic joy cannot be faked.
People, especially our congregation, will know and see through inauthentic fakery.
It doesn’t matter how flowery your sermon is…
It doesn’t matter how “on point” the worship band was this Sunday…
It doesn’t matter if you have everything right on the bulletin this Sunday…
IF you aren’t authentic and you’re just going through the motions, it will be more evident than you think.
What I’m not saying today:
I’m not saying that we have to be Happy all the time – I know that it’s just not possible to put on a happy face when things are far from happy in your church.
I’m not saying that we have to perpetually seek joy and happiness for our church members either.
What I am saying is this:
Authenticity, in every season is a hard commodity to come by all the time.
I have preached those sermons.
I have lived that illustration.
I have been there.
So how do we recapture that Authentic joy once more?
Not by some feel good seminar or self-help section (but sometimes that helps).
Not by continuing to fake it and gut it out for a little while longer.
No, we have to find fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to confide in and to share each other’s burdens.
We need (and crave) fellow Pastors to tell us that they’ve been to those desert places as well.
We have to feast on uplifting, yet challenging spiritual readings by theologians and thinkers who will push up out of our funk from time to time. If the iron isn’t in the fire being sharpened by other iron, then it is growing rusty and dull.
Don’t hole up in your office.
Don’t internalize your struggles and think no one else will relate.
Don’t pretend that you have it all worked out.
Talk, share, connect with other Pastors…
We need to go back to the source of living water…and sometimes (many times) we need each other more than we think.
Capturing authentic joy and passion for your ministry once again requires other pastors, mentors and leaders to help you. Don’t become rusty and dull…let’s help recapture that spark in your life once more!
Something more to ponder today!
To God be the glory!
Pastor's Ponderings 
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