Hands down, most of you will know exactly who it is in your Church.
Those who love and try to protect their Pastor generally shake their head in amazement at how those 'certain' people want to rush to the Pastor for their daily 'attention fix'.
Frankly, I think my Church is blessed with three of them. These three have mastered the 'fine art' of easing to the end of the pew so they can be the first to rush towards the altar after 'Amen' is said to close the service. It's an acquired art form to see how many ways those 'certain people' can find to come up to me with this weeks edition of "I'll Supply The Drama if You'll Supply The Attention".
I have one 15 year old boy that stalks me at the end of every service and says, "Uh, can I... Uh... I need to talk to you in private for a while please." Countless times I've accomodated him only to hear him say things like, "I... uh... I like it when you... uh... " and then, with some magical air of inspiration his eyes light up and he says somethign like, "Uh... can you tell me what parts of the Bible are important to read?"
ATTENTION HOG.
I love him. I want him well taken care of spirtually. But he doesn't want my attention once or twice a month... Nope! Every service.
Mind you, I'm not complaining but... well... I've had more than one 'good feeling' after preaching my heart out end up "scattered, smothered, covered and grilled" by someone who refuses to even wait for you to get off the platform to tell you how short that message fell of really 'fixing' their problems... but, if you could just talk to them (generally about the same thing you talked about the last 7,594 services) the would just feel so much better!
ATTENTION HOG.
I've got story after story. I've been blessed in my calling to evidently have a really good 'ministry' to attention hogs.
PASTORS: I know you've got stories. Share them so I don't feel alone in my special 'ministry' to attention hogs.
SAINTS: I know you've seen them before. Tell us about them. Maybe there's some that have developed an attention hog art form that we haven't seen!
ATTENTION HOGS: Please... please... please... pray through and let us enjoy that 'good feeling' after preaching our guts out for at least a few hours before you assassinate in with your latest drummed up drama!
well there you have it. One thousand threads about how bad preachers are. One light hearted thread about some of the things preachers have to deal with and already the preacher is being ponted out as the bad guy.
nice.
I remember this lady that always needed to come to the pastor/sunday school teacher/ sunday school superintendant/ choir director/ youth pastor at lest once a week and get them in a corner to help them with their "problem". very secretivly they would tell them the details of what ever happened that week in hushed tones like it was some big deal.
they got a speeding ticket and just knew it was the devil.
someone yelled at them at work, had to be the devil on their tail.
the restrooms at church werent clean, someone (other than them) needed to deal with it.
their son got a C in school, surely the end of the world.
they saw something on the news that must mean the end is near.
on and on and on it went. week after week year after year, until she decided our church wasnt "right" and she left.
I often walk into the church now and sing
Peach, peace
wonderful peace
coming down
from the Father above...
just wish the Father would have shown her the error of our ways sooner. (I think she is AGs problem now! LOL!)
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I have seen those hogs....they will show up on his door step all hours....interupt service.....because their needs are so much more important than anyone elses.... sometimes we need the pastor for an emergency...but the hog people need them allllll the time!
But I like my HOG better.......it has two beautiful wheels and goes fast and says..............potato.......potato..........pot ato
My first thought was this was gonna be a thread about gluttony. And was just waiting for Bro. Steadfast to get butchered......lol
Bro. Ferd the devil gets blamed for a lot of things that are just bad choices in life.....
It was tough to teach my kids personal accountability when the rest of the world was telling them they could do almost anything and not face consequences.
__________________
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8 KJV
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 KJV
My first thought was this was gonna be a thread about gluttony. And was just waiting for Bro. Steadfast to get butchered......lol
Bro. Ferd the devil gets blamed for a lot of things that are just bad choices in life.....
It was tough to teach my kids personal accountability when the rest of the world was telling them they could do almost anything and not face consequences.
you are so very right.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!