Off the top, just let me say...I don't do well with criticism. If you have been around me for very long, you know this. I hate being wrong. Being a pastor, the line between right and wrong is sometimes shaded. I don't mean that I don't know the difference between the two...I mean that people, sometimes other than myself and sometimes myself, view right and wrong differently. The expectations of a pastor at my church are different from those at a larger church say of 200 or even 500. I am expected to different things. People think that they know things and sometimes have no clue as to what is going on. Still, they like to be right and so that is the way it is. For instance, worship. I heard a person say that the new songs that we are singing are, and I quote, "Bringing devil music into the church"! Another person I overheard recently thought that our youth group doesn't do anything relating to God...we only have fun and they didnt want someone in their family coming to the youth group because they just smoke and have fun out there. See what I mean? People have a different scale of right and wrong when it comes to the church. People have left churches because of the lights, carpets, or how they built the church.
If you have read my recent posts, you would know that I had been critized a little recently and I admittedly don't and haven't done well with it. I have yet to find the place where you don't take it personally. After all, it is something that I put my heart and soul into and then only to have someone bash it into the ground. This past weekend our district had a youth pastor and sponsor event at which the speaker spoke about this very thing. He really gave me the needed release valve for the pressure that I was feeling. I will leave you with the two simple things he told us:
1. Every youth pastor/ sponsor will get criticized, and it will happen often.
2. Jesus was criticized for pretty much everything he did and by whom? The religious leaders of his day. I think that is what hurts the most is that the criticism comes from the people who I am trying to help and their families!
If Jesus had it done to him, that means that he knows what I am going through and that right there makes me feel much better!
SMYG
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"Sing God a brand-new song! Earth and everyone in it, sing! Sing to God— worship God!" -Psalm 96:1-2
Disclaimer:
Even though I am on staff at Haymount United Methodist Church, the opinions expressed on this site are entirely my own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of HUMC or my co-workers.
The Jellison's
About Me
- JellyVision
- A Christian above all...Youth Pastor, husband, son, brother, friend and all-around nut job!
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1 comment:
It's difficult to hear criticism no matter who or where you are or what you're doing. We know in our heads that it's going to come, that we can't please everyone all the time, but it still surprises us and hurts us when it happens. And people can be cruel and judgmental in the process. And lots of people have opinions they are too quick to share.
If 20% of the people do 80% of the work then I think it's likely that the 80% who are not so busy working are doing 80& of the ctiticizing of the 20% who are busy working.
Keep looking up. You're right - Jesus took lots of it in His lifetime. And it escalated to the point they killed Him over it.
Peggiford
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