To Be Successful

In our Sunday School class last weekend I asked not what must someone do to be successful.  That will get a general answer showing some perspectives and values.  We asked what must a pastor do to be successful.  That's a little different than what a dentist must do.  Or someone in another role.  We asked what must a pastor do to be successful here.  A pastor may be successful in a storefront church but not here, in a megachurch but not here, in a church in Montana but not in Florida.  After all, local situations are particular.

Two matters came up that I was grateful for.  Neither one will really say what the a pastor must do to be successful at Cocoa Presbyterian.  I do think a step towards success in that matter, however, is asking the question itself, "What must a pastor do to be successful here?"

The first matter that came up was what a pastor must do to be successful to me and to us.  Of course.  I and we are the nest.  I and we are the home team.  I and we are doing the calling.  I and we come to this church.  We are bringing the pastor here to do something for me and us.

So the pastor can do what that line of thinking will produce and he or she should.  To an extent.  The line of thinking does not necessarily, though it may, hit what will make the church successful in terms of God and the world he is seeking.  The issue to ponder is whether focusing on the needs of the 100 or 200 or whatever who are present in a church means that they are satisfied while 1000 outside the front door are missed because they have a different set of concerns than those inside.  The question to yoke with what a pastor must do to be successful with us is what a pastor must do to be successful with them.  A church is never present just for us but for us and them.

The second matter that came up was what must a congregation do to be successful with a pastor.  Isn't that a good question?  Pastors around the world are thinking, "Wow, and you are already a step in that direction just by asking the question."

As a pastor my short answer was and is -- love the pastor.  We already know that he or she is human and therefore does not have the whole package to do everything well all of the time.  Even Pastor Jesus had people leave his church, and worse, and he was God!  But if in a family the best thing a man can do is love his wife because that means good things for her, for the kids, for him, then that's the same in the church.  Do you know anyone who does better with judgment than encouragement, reservation rather than support, criticism rather than care?  We can still be truthful.  Even then, though, remember what some wag said, I think very rightly about most human being's psyche's, "One 'You Turkey' erases nine 'Atta Boys'."