Pastor Appreciation Month

[AreYouReady?]

Brother Been Thin King, I am perhaps not as eloquent as many here are. I will say this ...that is on my mind. There are many pastors I do like as Christian brothers in the Lord. These are the ones who recognize that they are not any more or any less loved by God than their fellow brother and sister.

It's the ones who glare at you because you disagree with some of his decrees from the pulpit. These types preach from the pulpit the sin of gossip, yet they will burn up the telephone lines fully with the intent to hurt you. And they will say things that are not exactly true.

I don't even know you Brother Been and I have a Christ-like love for you as my brother in Christ. You happen to be a pastor. I don't hold that against you.
I will say that I have a healthy respect for some pastors, however;

Respect and appreciation doesn't automatically come to a pastor (from me) just be cause he holds the title. Respect, admiration and appreciation comes to a pastor as a result of mutual reciprocation of these emotions.

I appreciate a pastor's fruits of the Spirit. I do not appreciate bullies.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

...I appreciate a pastor's fruits of the Spirit. I do not appreciate bullies.

We are told to judge a tree by its fruit. The way to tell the real from the fake is to see if they walk in love. Jesus said that the world will know whether we are real or not by whether we have love for one another or not.

There are lots of "pastors" who have large churches, large homes, large cars, large expense accounts and large egos. Some have inherited this like a family business. There are others who live in obscurity and carry on their hearts a small portion of God's flock over which they have been placed as under shepherds. Some of these pastors plus their wives (or husband) have to work full time just to keep clothes on their backs and food on their tables and to pay the utilities and rent or mortgage payment on the church.

[AreYouReady?]

Originally Posted by Sam

We are told to judge a tree by its fruit. The way to tell the real from the fake is to see if they walk in love. Jesus said that the world will know whether we are real or not by whether we have love for one another or not.

There are lots of "pastors" who have large churches, large homes, large cars, large expense accounts and large egos. Some have inherited this like a family business. There are others who live in obscurity and carry on their hearts a small portion of God's flock over which they have been placed as under shepherds. Some of these pastors plus their wives (or husband) have to work full time just to keep clothes on their backs and food on their tables and to pay the utilities and rent or mortgage payment on the church.

I agree. That is where it should take all the members of the body of Christ to form a local body. (equal responsibility) No two people should hold all the responsibility of the church building. Gathering for a meeting together takes the hands and the feet, as well as the brain and the heart and soul of a meeting. I agree that there are many God-fearing people-loving pastors out there....I just have not seen any that are Jesus Name in my area as of late.

And...I don't have a problem going to a trinitarian church if the people all love one another. That is where Christ is.

It's just that as a saint, who sometimes has been treated like the excrement from the body to be flushed, I do not appreciate being told that I must conform to a look or style that I object to, then be told I must pay them 10% of my household budget to order me around when it comes to the "pentecostal' look and then disguise that 10% as being given to God, when I know that in some churches, it goes straight into the pastor's pocket.

Oh how I wish that I could find a little church who wants all of the body to labor together for the cause of Christ.

[Barb]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

I agree. That is where it should take all the members of the body of Christ to form a local body. (equal responsibility) No two people should hold all the responsibility of the church building. Gathering for a meeting together takes the hands and the feet, as well as the brain and the heart and soul of a meeting. I agree that there are many God-fearing people-loving pastors out there....I just have not seen any that are Jesus Name in my area as of late.

And...I don't have a problem going to a trinitarian church if the people all love one another. That is where Christ is.

It's just that as a saint, who sometimes has been treated like the excrement from the body to be flushed, I do not appreciate being told that I must conform to a look or style that I object to, then be told I must pay them 10% of my household budget to order me around when it comes to the "pentecostal' look and then disguise that 10% as being given to God, when I know that in some churches, it goes straight into the pastor's pocket.

Oh how I wish that I could find a little church who wants all of the body to labor together for the cause of Christ.

I am aligned with such an assembly...

[BeenThinkin]

Originally Posted by AreYouReady?

I agree. That is where it should take all the members of the body of Christ to form a local body. (equal responsibility) No two people should hold all the responsibility of the church building. Gathering for a meeting together takes the hands and the feet, as well as the brain and the heart and soul of a meeting. I agree that there are many God-fearing people-loving pastors out there....I just have not seen any that are Jesus Name in my area as of late.

And...I don't have a problem going to a trinitarian church if the people all love one another. That is where Christ is.

It's just that as a saint, who sometimes has been treated like the excrement from the body to be flushed, I do not appreciate being told that I must conform to a look or style that I object to, then be told I must pay them 10% of my household budget to order me around when it comes to the "pentecostal' look and then disguise that 10% as being given to God, when I know that in some churches, it goes straight into the pastor's pocket.

Oh how I wish that I could find a little church who wants all of the body to labor together for the cause of Christ.

Wish I could tell you where ours is. And I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but there's times we Pastors wish and plead for folks to be more a part, jump in and do their part, help make the church a place that people love and appreciate; not a place that you dread to go to. I've noticed many pictures taken during church and especially during the altar appeal and many of those individuals involved have a horrible look of their face. Looks of agony, crying and wailing and seeming to be in great pain! Why? In my earlier days I went to church and then felt worse after being there than when I arrived. That's not the will of God, in my estimation.

I wish I could share more of my past with you. I am where I am today, partially because I withstood much of what you and others have posted. When you challenge the politics and challenge the "Big Preacher," (and too often his big money), and please believe me I don't mean that to be mean....just a fact, you find real quick that "that wasn't the best thing to do to be popular." Yet, I don't want to linger on this because when I do those with whom I am angry are in control of my emotions and my actions. I can be mad at them all day, angry and frustrated, and they will never know it, but I sure will!

Been Thinkin

[AreYouReady?]

Originally Posted by BeenThinkin

Wish I could tell you where ours is. And I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but there's times we Pastors wish and plead for folks to be more a part, jump in and do their part, help make the church a place that people love and appreciate; not a place that you dread to go to. I've noticed many pictures taken during church and especially during the altar appeal and many of those individuals involved have a horrible look of their face. Looks of agony, crying and wailing and seeming to be in great pain! Why? In my earlier days I went to church and then felt worse after being there than when I arrived. That's not the will of God, in my estimation.

I wish I could share more of my past with you. I am where I am today, partially because I withstood much of what you and others have posted. When you challenge the politics and challenge the "Big Preacher," (and too often his big money), and please believe me I don't mean that to be mean....just a fact, you find real quick that "that wasn't the best thing to do to be popular." Yet, I don't want to linger on this because when I do those with whom I am angry are in control of my emotions and my actions. I can be mad at them all day, angry and frustrated, and they will never know it, but I sure will!

Been Thinkin

Brother Been, you hit the nail on the head with the emboldened quotes. Why is it that when we first come to Christ, we only have our eyes on Christ. Services were exciting and I anticipated each and every service wondering what Christ would have for me that day.

It was only after I married and we went to my husband's church was when I started leaving services feeling worse than when I arrived. I decided then that this was not God's will. I felt like I was in the middle of Stepford wives there in that church. I could not let other people's critical attitudes and critical roving eyes looking for something to whisper around the church destroy me. I had to leave. I feel sure all of this started when the "pastor" perceived that I challenged his authority as to how he put together the Sunday School program, at that time, 35 years ago. So yeah...I got a big dose of what happens to another if they are perceived as challenging something a pastor declared to be "law" within his four walls. One dares not express any ideas that might help others or even one's own spiritual walk.

So....how can the people participate when they are under a pastor who has an authoritarian complex that won't give the saints the freedom to do something for God within the four walls of that church system? [long run in sentence...I know ] The answer is that they cannot if there is no liberty for one to work for the Lord as they feel led by the Holy Spirit.