Mark and I met six years ago when he was on the search committee here at Christ’s Church. I had known of Mark for years from afar, but now I can say that he is a friend and mentor. Mark and I both share a deep love for the church, pastors, and the moving of the gospel forward.
Read MoreSince last week many have been talking about the suicide of a megachurch minister in California. And quite a few have been writing about it. Perhaps no post has received more attention than that from a minister’s daughter who described the hurts and heartaches of her father.
“I’ve seen firsthand the beauty and pain wrapped up in a life called to ministry for almost thirty years,” she wrote on Facebook. And, as of yesterday, more than 43,000 had read her post. More than 34,000 commented. Almost 7,000 shared it. A few days later she admitted she’s been amazed and “slightly overwhelmed” at the response. The experiences shared by her readers have deepened her commitment to build the church and help those hurt by it.
Read MoreAndrew Stoecklein, pastor of Inland Hills church, a megachurch in Chino, California, committed suicide last weekend. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him. I didn’t really know Andrew, but I had met him twice. And I can’t stop wondering, What kind of pain was he in to take his own life?
I can guess at the answer. Most pastors I know live with the pressure that they can’t be really human. And this happens no matter the size of the church. These guys feel like they’re being held to an impossible standard. Many are put on a pedestal they never chose and don’t want.
Read MoreI didn’t want to go to church Sunday. And I certainly didn’t want to preach. As I lay in bed comfortable under the covers, I wrestled for 15 minutes with the decision to get up.
I could call in sick.
One of our associates was preaching in our chapel service, and he could preach in the main auditorium too.
I’ve never bailed at the last minute before. Our executive pastor would be OK with it.
It’s not that I don’t feel called to preach. But it had been a heavy week: Sermon planning for all of 2019. A death in the family of a good friend followed immediately by the death of a longtime member in our church. People close to me wrestling with worrisome health issues.
It would be a good morning to sleep. It would be a good afternoon to sleep.
Read MoreVideographer and You Tube sensation Casey Neistat (more than 10 million subscribers!) puts it this way: “Don’t let perfection get in the way of good enough. Story is always king. Four good enough shots that tell the story are better than the perfect shot that misses the story.”
