Unity and simplicity of life. We're a long ways away from that today, aren't we?!
Having worked in a large Christian bookstore over the past few years, I've had the opportunity to meet and talk with many pastors and ministry leaders in the "Christian" community who are just
perplexed at how to deal with church and pastoring anymore. So many are discouraged and feel that everything has become so complicated. So many are leaving the ministry. So many churches are closing up and splitting! It's like an epidemic taking place!!
Maybe it's partly because we've allowed it to become complicated because we've bought into what people think we need in order to do church anymore and to stay "current" and relate to the Xers and subsequent generations. Maybe it actually IS necessary in order to relate to a younger generation. Is it?
But it doesn't seem to have been effective for the most part when you consider the lack of growth in most churches and the fact that so many people IN the church are dissatisfied and unhappy and comparing things to the way it "used to be" and nothing can measure up.
So many pastors and ministry leaders are discouraged, disillusioned and packing it in and dropping out of ministry. They feel it's just not worth the trouble or the hassle and a sacrificial lifestyle
(which really should be part and parcel of living a Christian life -- "take up thy "cross" and folow Me" were the words of Jesus after all) is not what most are willing to live.
I guess that for me whatever sacrifices have to be made, whatever adjustments have to be made to keep up can be justified as long as we're not compromising truth, and as long as we're reaching people with the Gospel and seeing lives transformed. Because
that ........ is the bottom line and is our mandate.
Except that we also have a responsibility to care in the best way/s possible for the saints and the "aints" too
sitting in churches needing the guidance and care of a shepherd.
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