When the Church You are Pastoring Pastors You
Last night I shared with our church small group,
"This is really the first month in church planting that I've felt a significant amount of anxiety. And I'm anxious because we are doing really well. We're financially self-sustainable and building a true sense of community with new people. But I so fear that we're becoming another successful church made up of people who really only pray to Jesus every once in a while."
And right away, one person, still relatively new to the community responds, "Well, I don't think Jesus did that good a job as a church planter, either. Nobody really understood his sermons and all his leaders kind of left him in the end. So unless you want to outdo Jesus, I think you're doing alright."
And then another person chimes in, "Yeah. And prayer is so personal and private. Every person's journey is unique, and beyond your control. I think you need to just let that go."
And then another person, while referencing a sermon from months ago, indirectly reminds me of Jesus' patience.
And then my wife is like, "Um. Yeah I've been saying all this to you for about a month now."
This always happens. And pastors know what I'm talking about. The Spirit of God loves to use the very church you are pastoring to pastor you.
It is a cliche. Discipleship happens in the context of relationships. So maybe we can dodge the cliche by saying it this way:
It is in the reliable presence of a consistent, genuine, and local Christian community that we are re-centered in the love and call of Christ.
But I actually like the cliche. Discipleship happens in the context of relationships. Grateful to be growing as a disciple with people I know and love.
Praise be to God.