Candles In The Wind

[JohnDB]

Pastors...
Tough job. One I can't do nor care to.

Today our Senior pastor announced that he was wanting a "Co-Pastor" and that this Co-Pastor would eventually become the senior pastor. That this Co-Pastor would be the Senior Pastor's son who is currently an associate pastor.

And we all get to vote in favor for the church's Constitutional Amendment and Co-Pastor in three weeks or that we just don't support our Senior Pastor at all.

I'm really sad about this. Where I actually have a great relationship with the associate pastor...he isn't senior pastor material. We both are too much alike. Cynicism and sarcasm aren't spiritual gifts that lend themselves to successfully leading a church.

This whole process smells bad to me. Nepotism is not a positive in a church. The aroma of Caiaphas and his son is in the air.

I happen to really enjoy the associate pastor and his preaching...he does much better than his father does in the pulpit when preaching. And I'm afraid of him being used as a pawn in a power struggle for control simply because most everyone has ambition...and being senior pastor for him would be a fantasy come true.

Yeah... I'm on my way out of this town. I'll be gone in a year. So it won't effect me personally....but it will affect me because of the family I have found in the membership that attends there. They matter to me.

 

[reba]

That is between a rock and a hard place. ..

 

[reba]

Med 70s when the discipleship thing hit... It got a brother of mine... got a hold of him big time... He always wanted to be the boss or a leader etc... so the stupid pastor set him over a group of 10 guys.. Little brother had zero idea of the servitude of Christ .. These young married guys were accountable to jack in about every avenue of their lives... down to asking Jack when if and where to take a short vacation.. along with paying tithes directly to him... which he turned over to the pastor... Thankfully the church disbanded PTL The desire to control others never left him ....
I wish someone who my brother would have listened too would have spoke up..

 

[JohnDB]

Yeah. But I am a nobody. Not a somebody. The membership there has two opinions of me that are polar opposite of each other. I am either loved or hated....no one is in between in their opinion of me.

I am a zealot...and those who really know me know this to be true. Kinda odd...but oh well.

And it breaks my heart that I am so powerless. The church is ruled by men who listen to nothing I think. I want to help...but I can't. I'm a man of action. I do stuff. And cynicism and sarcasm aren't going to help...nor is biblical knowledge.

I worry about the spiritual life of my friends there.

 

[Wrg1405]

Pastors...
Tough job. One I can't do nor care to.

Today our Senior pastor announced that he was wanting a "Co-Pastor" and that this Co-Pastor would eventually become the senior pastor. That this Co-Pastor would be the Senior Pastor's son who is currently an associate pastor.

And we all get to vote in favor for the church's Constitutional Amendment and Co-Pastor in three weeks or that we just don't support our Senior Pastor at all.

I'm really sad about this. Where I actually have a great relationship with the associate pastor...he isn't senior pastor material. We both are too much alike. Cynicism and sarcasm aren't spiritual gifts that lend themselves to successfully leading a church.

This whole process smells bad to me. Nepotism is not a positive in a church. The aroma of Caiaphas and his son is in the air.

I happen to really enjoy the associate pastor and his preaching...he does much better than his father does in the pulpit when preaching. And I'm afraid of him being used as a pawn in a power struggle for control simply because most everyone has ambition...and being senior pastor for him would be a fantasy come true.

Yeah... I'm on my way out of this town. I'll be gone in a year. So it won't effect me personally....but it will affect me because of the family I have found in the membership that attends there. They matter to me.

Nepotism in the church is not good and not right. You do have a chance to vote though and you must go with your heart. And if that vote is no then you must vote no.

You do say though that you have a great relationship with the associate pastor (and from what I'm reading this associate pastor is the seniors pastors son who would then become co-pastor and then senior pastor) so if you have a great relationship with him why not talk to him before the vote. Voice your concerns. If your relationship is as good as you say it is then you can be honest with him.

Proverbs 17:17
A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

You mention sarcasm, do you mean sarcasm or satire.

Sarcasm is the use of irony (saying one thing while meaning another) or other rhetorical devices in a biting, hurtful way. There is a difference between sarcasm and satire, although they are related. Satire is the use of irony or ridicule to expose foolishness, but without the “bite” of sarcasm. Satire is gentler; sarcasm is more derisive and sneering.

I really can't imagine you as being a sarcastic person. You love Jesus you love God you love people. How could you be sarcastic.

Sarcasm has at its core the intent to insult or to be hurtful with no corresponding love or wish for well-being. Instead, the goal of sarcasm is to belittle the victim and elevate the speaker. Jesus warned against such harsh, unloving words in Matthew 5:22. Our words should be helpful and edifying, even if they are uncomfortable to the hearer. (Got questions)

 

[Wrg1405]

I must admit I would love to have a Jonathan. A true friend who I could trust to speak to me with truth and love.
Yes advice and thoughts may hurt at first and I may react but I am humble enough (or hope I am and seek to be).

It does work both ways though. I want to be a Jonathan to others myself.

 

[smaller]

There is a LOT of Gospel shown in the relationship of Jonathan/David that is pertinent today, with and between believers.

In every way Jonathan shows David the "inside scoop" on his own father in the flesh, toward David. And they actually conspired against Saul, yet did not seek his demise, even by word. It's quite entirely fascinating. In the end it cost Jonathan his own life, the alliances/allegiance to his flesh father. Lottsa good stuff therein.

An inside screenshot of how Jonathan was placed, in battle. Much significance:

1 Sam. 14:
4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

Philistines/enemies of Israel: "immigrants"

Bozez: "shining-surpassing white/glistening"
Seneh: "thorny"

As usual, all the good stuff remains hidden beneath the surface of fleshly eyes.

This is where all believers stand, (Gal. 5:17, 2 Cor. 12:7) whether they see it or not, between these two precipice's. It's also where Jonathan stood as noted above, with David and his flesh father.

Many times in many ways. The Word is exceptionally consistent in these conveyances.