Ministry is painful

When I started this blog, my intention was to write this blog as a genuine Christian. There is a lot of people who claim to be Christians who say and do a lot of evil things and misquote the Bible to justify themselves. They quote where Jesus said, "Blessed are you when people persecute you" to say that they must be doing the right thing when people hate them because they are jerks. It has nothing to do with Jesus, but when people hate them.

There is only one problem. I am a minister. As a minister, I am considered fake. Because I'm paid to care, they say. And they have good evidence. I've been this way since high school, an outspoken Christian who tried to just be different from what they always seen. I had one kid who walked up to me one day and stated, "You know why I'm not a Christian? My preacher died in a casino gambling away money he stole from the church." This happens, so I wanted to avoid those preconceptions.

Maybe I should take the opposite approach. Maybe I should write to ministers.

Ministry sucks. I recently heard a preacher say "Doing the work of God can destroy the work of God in you." This is true, especially because of church people. I hesitate to calm them Christians. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

Church people can be awful. A prof told us if we stayed in ministry long enough, some woman would try to get us to have an affair with her. Then you have church people that stroke your ego, try to be your buddy just to advance their own agenda. Actually the woman who propositioned many ministers may fall in this category or the next, the needy. By this, I don't mean those with real needs, but the guy who stops in twice a week when you're trying to work, because every snide comment his wife make brings him to tears, even if she was just teasing. They want attention, and seem to make up little things to be upset about to get it. They can solve no problems on their own, and listening to or advising them only enables their need.

And this brings us to the last and worst category that I deal with, because they are the ones that I actually deal with: the hyper critical. Some people complain about everything. Absolutely everything. It's too cold. It's too hot. They don't like my shirt. They don't like my shoes. The music was too loud, or too quiet (on the same Sunday). The sermon was too long. The communion devotion was too short. We should do more fellowship dinners. They don't like surving in the nursery once a month, but they were mad at those visitors whose baby cried last Sunday. Someone had coffee in the Sanctuary (but fellowship dinners are ok?). Everything has to be their way, even though their way only matters to them, everyone else hates their way, and it is selfish and anti-biblical.

This week a lady posted on facebook complaining about not doing enough Christmas music, because that is the only way to praise Jesus. Apparently we don't worship Him the other 11 months, just the one leading to Christmas. Because Jesus never grew up, never performed miracles, never died for the sins of the world, or raised from the dead. Nope, he's just a baby that Santa gave presents to. Nope. Just a baby. That's why church is about what they want, and everyone else can go to Hell.

Is it a wonder that Jesus turned over temple tables and drove people out with whips? Is it a wonder Paul wrote scathing letters that make up most of the New Testament? Ministry can be great. You can tell people about Jesus and salvation. You can help those truly in need, like those in need of food and clothing. You can change people's lives, teaching them to care about others needs and what they can do about it. You can ignite people's passion and help them feel truly alive and free as Jesus promised. You are also available to minister to people who were just diagnosed with cancer or who just lost a loved one.

As a minister, I wish I had more time to do ministry, and less time for church people. If you are not a minister by trade, do me a favor. Don't be one of these people. Give a crap that people are in pain and dying and you can do something about that. Don't hold the attitude that we work for you. We don't. We work alongside you. We just have the time to learn about leading and the Bible and other things that you don't. This doesn't make us better. But we do need your trust and partnership. Give us a break, help us out, and stop chucking spears at us.