Monday Morning Confessions Of A Protestant Minister
To the widower of ten years who is deeply offended because I preached an innocuous sermon about an apparently taboo subject in his personal church lexicon - marriage….I’m sorry.
To the fellow from across the street, who staggered into my office stinking and drunk and delirious and paranoid, whom I refused to counsel at the time but told him to go home and sleep it off and then come back, who now remembers nothing about the day except that he is angry at me…I beg your pardon.
To the man who won’t come back to church because he wore open-toed sandals to church, & I told him “Nice toes”…Please come back.
To the lady who stormed out of church because I did not read scripture from the King James Version…Verily I am sore repentant.
To the woman who is mad because I told her loud, unruly, and unsupervised kid to sit down….
To the man who was offended because I, privately and quietly yet deliberately, chuckled that he provided flowers in honor of his cat…
And, to the cat…
12.10.07 (10:06 am) [
edit]
posted by:
emerging (
reply)
post date:
12.10.07 (7:34 am)
Wow, if that's a typical week, then I think I need to post one too.
To the pastor, whom we all run to with every little (yet seemingly earth-shattering in the moment) problem that needs to be resolved RIGHT AWAY....humblest apologies. (Even if he did comment on my fashion sense for wearing combat boots with a dress. OK, maybe he had a point.) Just think how different things might be if we all tried to live up to the same high standards that we require from our pastors (and their families)!
**The cat thing is kinda funny :)
posted by:
Barnabus1 (
reply)
post date:
12.10.07 (10:08 am)
Funnnny!!!! Don't know if this was a real happening or just a tongue in cheek funny about the weirdities of being a Pastor!! Hmmm wonder if weirdities is a word? oh well!!!
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
12.10.07 (10:33 am)
Reply to: emerging
Not a typical week. But, over the course of several months, these are typical matters of behavior by persons steeped in church culture. On Monday, after a very tiring weekend of church work, these kinds of things tend to bother me. About Wednesday, I'll be refreshed and OK.
The cat thing is true.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
12.10.07 (10:35 am)
Reply to: Barnabus1
It should be a word. Every incident I have mentioned truly occurred, although I have changed enough of the details so as not to identify anyone, should this be read by someone who knows me. Ha! That's not going to happen.
posted by:
ggirl (
reply)
post date:
12.10.07 (11:53 am)
People should get over themselves, you know? Just my opinion, of course.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
12.10.07 (4:10 pm)
Reply to: ggirl
Very true. The essence of the Christian faith is about anything but self.
posted by:
ignatius (
reply)
post date:
12.11.07 (3:39 pm)
It's not easy to please everyone, is it? I wish people would say from time to time, "Hey, I'm here because I really like what you say...do...!" It's a lot easier to know when you're NOT meeting people's expectations than when you are!
posted by:
Lisa (
reply)
post date:
12.11.07 (5:43 pm)
this made me smile, thanks!
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
12.12.07 (12:33 am)
Sometimes the only thing to do is go someplace away from everyone and just do the AAAAGGGHHHHHHH thing ~
or if that is not an option, take the phone off the hook and listen to nice music (with earphones on) so you are not disturbed, and have a cup of coffee and a cookie ~ well, a few cookies!!!
I've got cookies and coffee!
You and the missus come on over, and bring Skylar too, she can play with the grandkids and their toys!
posted by:
squirrelzone (
reply)
post date:
12.12.07 (6:02 am)
I think if we learn to put the needs of others ahead of our own needs perhaps our own needs will be met through the needs of the another. You think?.......I think.
posted by:
surrogate (
reply)
post date:
12.12.07 (6:10 am)
Pleasing dead animals is a toughie almost all the time. And they NEVER show appreciation, the ungrateful so and sos.
About all you can do, once they're ready to go, is euthanize them by bashing them over the head with a nicely bound King James version -which, conveniently, they can then be buried with - opened to an appropriate passage of course.
posted by:
FinalyFree (
reply)
post date:
12.13.07 (10:32 pm)
Ohhhh I know your pain, well.
