GREAT AND NOT SO GREAT EXPECTATIONS, PART 2
In my first post about expectations, I addressed my brothers and sisters who serve as pastors. Now, i want to address my brothers and sisters who are a part of a congregation about what is fair to expect of our pastors and our churches. Let's not forget it’s normal and natural for us to have expectations, but that does not mean our expectations are always reasonable.
With this in mind, let me suggest the number one expectation you should have for your pastor is that he or she constantly work to maintain physical, emotional, relational and spiritual health. The best thing for any congregation is to have a pastor who is healthy, whole and maintains a good heart.
Too often we assume our pastors are godly, spiritual and healthy. After all, these are men and women who spend hours studying God’s word, praying and practicing spiritual disciplines. How can they not be healthy?
Don’t forget pastors are exactly like you. We are broken and bruised men and women made in the image of an almighty God who are in the process of being made whole. As a pastor I know firsthand all the wounds, brokenness and struggle I have worked through and that I continue to work through every single day of my life.
Just like there is no perfect church, there is no perfect pastor. Beware of a pastor who tells you anything different.
We are on the same spiritual journey of transformation and renewal you are. This is why the biggest gift you can give to your pastor is to support him or her in the pursuit of emotional and spiritual health. Never forget this.
This can happen in simple ways. Pray for them. Encourage them when they take a few days off with family. Ask them about who they are, and not just what the church is about. Don’t hang out with them just because they are the pastor - spend time with them because they are your brother or sister. Give them grace in their weakness, and love in their struggle. Don’t assume they hear nice compliments all the time, rather send them a note filled with life-giving words.
If you do this, the very gift you give will end up being a gift to yourself. Because when your pastor is healthy, he or she will be able to love, serve and care for your congregation in the best way possible. While this will surely not create the perfect church, it just may create a healthy church. And there’s no problem with that.