 Pastors, thank you.
Your presence in the hospital room following a great tragedy brought comfort. You spoke truth through challenging words across the restaurant table - waking us up from our spiritual stupor. You walked with couples through infertility, infidelity and disconnection, you pointed them to Jesus and led them in prayer and confession. You’ve missed gatherings, parties, events, and sacrificed your weekends to pray and prepare for our Lord’s day gatherings. You’ve dedicated our children, married our young adults, baptized new believers and buried our older friends. You led us to pursue the lost, communicate the gospel. You challenged us to meet the needs of the orphan, alien, and widow. You patiently endured congregational criticisms and whisper campaigns. You’ve lost friends, staff and have endured seasons of loneliness while remaining faithful to our congregation. You stayed in this place to be our shepherd when you could have gone elsewhere. You’ve navigated several election seasons, always leading us with grace and truth - emphasizing, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. You feel the weight of caring for the flock - 24/7. Your tear stained face and fervent prayers may not be known but they are felt. You don’t work for the applause of people - though you often wonder if your prayers, labor and ministry are helping us follow Jesus. They are. Thank you Pastor, thank you.
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 Let the one who is taught the word share all his good things with the teacher. Galatians 6:6 October brings with it many things, cooler temperatures, Fall colors, the outbreaking of jackets, sweaters and flannel shirts. I love this time of year, if I could craft the weather of heaven I would suggest Fall be the eternal season.
With this time of year comes a month in which, those who make up the group that determine what we celebrate in any given month, suggest we express our appreciation for our Pastors. Truthfully, this is a month most pastors kind of dread. Most don’t fully receive words or actions that make them feel appreciated. On the main, the Pastors in your church don’t do what they do for applause or adulation. Truthfully, consider their work. The teaching and preaching of God’s word, the work of discipling, caring, challenging and exhorting you to Christlikeness. This means some of what they will say to you and the entire congregation will be corrective or confrontive. Paul declares this in Colossians 1:28-29. The word warning conveys the idea of exerting pressure on someone’s mind through reasonable and logical appeals. Faithful Pastors proclaim Jesus, warn and teach from God’s word. I appreciate a good warning now and then. My guess is that you do as well, yet there are some warnings which are hard to welcome or receive with joy and thankfulness.
Few have likely ever said to their Pastor, after he shared a message like or similar to the ones above great personal appreciation. Does your Pastor preach the entire counsel of God’s word? Does he challenge you to say no to sin and examine your life before God and his Word, aided by the Spirit? If he does then it’s time to say thanks. Sharing all good things doesn’t just mean a note and gift card to a chain restaurant, a plate of cookies or a gift card to his favorite bookstore. Sharing all good things includes expressing thanks for sermons that challenge, leadership that seeks your maturity and mobilization of teh church for Gospel advance. Are your Pastors faithfully leading you and your church toward Christian maturity and missional advance? Then express your sincere gratitude, be descriptive, tell them how thankful you are that they speak the truth in love and lead well. |
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