The Real Truth about Burnout

What is job burnout? The Mayo Clinic defines it as "a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long-term exposure to demanding work situations. Burnout is the cumulative result of stress." This can be experienced everywhere within the workplace, and that includes the church setting, with both volunteers and paid staff members.

We saw this happen in many areas of our former church, and, unfortunately, experienced it personally. Burnout is bad enough on its own, but in many church situations there is a lack of sympathy and support when it occurs. One remark that came from the pulpit was, "If you are dissatisfied, then you are disqualified." That, combined with eye rolling and sarcastic comments basically summed up the leadership's position on the subject of burnout. It was interesting that the leadership seemed to be an authority on many issues about which they were actually quite clueless, but, somehow they were still able to impose their selfish philosophy onto everyone in the church.

The Mayo Clinic lists the following as possible reasons for job burnout:

• Lack of control. Perhaps you're unable to influence decisions that affect your job, such as which hours you'll work or which assignments you get. Perhaps you're unable to control the amount of work that comes in.
• Unclear job expectations. Examples include uncertainty over what degree of authority you have and not having the necessary resources to do your work.
• Dysfunctional workplace dynamics. Examples are working with an office bully, being undermined by colleagues or having a boss who micromanages your work.
• Mismatch in values. If your values differ from the way your company does business or handles employee grievances, it will wear on you.
• Poor job fit. Working in a job that poorly aligns with your interests and skills is certain to become more and more stressful over time.
• Extremes of activity. When a job is always monotonous or chaotic, you'll need constant energy to remain focused. Over time this energy drain can lead to burnout.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? It certainly does to us. We experienced frustration over a lack of control, were often unclear about job expectations because of very poor communication, and were mistrusting of co-workers because the leadership would pit one against the other for "information." We often saw situations handled poorly, but were unable to voice that without seeming to be trouble makers. Many people were placed in jobs that they were not qualified for. And, most importantly, the extremes of activity. Oh My Lord, the extremes. No one's energy levels, stress levels, families, or outside activities were ever considered. You just did what you were told to do without questioning it. You were required to work extra hours, sometimes way into the night. One time it got back to the pastor that people were feeling overworked and stressed out. At a staff meeting, he said, "If you have too much on your plate, then EAT SOME." Why we didn't all get up and scrape our proverbial plates off onto his lap, I do not know. I wish I had.

What is even more of a travesty is to treat volunteers that way. We experienced that first hand, and saw many others experience it as well. Somehow it was thought that it was such an honor to attend this church, and be a part of the helps ministry, that it was worth it, and actually beneficial to you to be harshly corrected on a fairly regular basis. I was hurt so many times that I often literally felt like I had been stabbed in the chest with a knife. And this is at CHURCH, of all places. The truly sad part about this was that the staff members and helps people were what made the ministry look so good, at least until they were run off. The more of a creative and "out of the box" thinker you were, the more of a threat you presented. "Yes men" were much preferred. And, ironically, while everyone else was working themselves into a frenzy, the leadership was very self-pampering, often talking about how they needed rest, going on frequent vacations, and coming in to work whenever they pleased.

Burnout is real, it is created by stress, and stress is very unhealthy. Establish your priorities and don't put your church duties ahead of yourself and your family. It will get you absolutely nowhere, and, unfortunately, I speak that from experience.

- V

Spiritual Peer Pressure

I loved to read and to be read to as a child. I particularly liked any kind of fairy tale. One of my favorites was The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson. This story is about an emperor who is very silly and self-centered, and who loves to flaunt his expensive clothing. He hires two tailors who claim that they will make him a fine suit of clothing that would be invisible to people who were either stupid or unfit for their job or position. The tailors are crooks, of course, but the emperor does not realize that. The emperor is afraid that he will not be able to see the cloth himself, so he sends his ministers to go and look at it. They are not able to see it, either, but act like they can so that they are not deemed as stupid or unworthy. The tailors continue with their "sewing," and when they finish, the emperor dons his new clothes for a procession through town. Everyone raves as he walks by, acting as though they can see the garments, when he actually is not wearing anything. Then a child yells, "But he has nothing on!" The crowd realizes that this is true and begins to laugh, but the emperor goes on as though nothing were wrong.

I always remember being able to relate to the child in the story, and I have seen it played out many times throughout my life since then. I have never been good at hiding my feelings. I will not fake my approval of someone. Sometimes I was a little too honest growing up, and that got me in trouble a few times. I grew up in a home where my mom and dad respected and admired me. My dad always told me how smart I was, and, whether it was true or not, I believed him. He taught me that it was important to form my own opinions about things, and that my opinions mattered. He encouraged me to think for myself. My dad was a good, honest, respectable businessman, and he could spot a phony a mile away. I don't like phonies, either.

There have been many opportunities over the years when I could have said what I really wanted to, just like that child in the story. But I was hindered from doing so by spiritual peer pressure. I had some misgivings about the Word of Faith movement, but we were ready for a change from the status quo of stereotypical religion. It was new and exciting, and it seemed like the right path for us. We felt, in a sense, like pioneers of faith. We ended up in a place, however, that once we were there, bewitched us and held us captive. Not literally, of course, but in a psychological way, like we were emotionally beholding to a church and its controlling leadership. That's where the peer pressure came in.

There were so many things that I didn't feel good about. One of many was the concept of giving to get. The saying went,"If you have a need, sow a seed." Lots of things rhymed like that. One year, in the fall, all the ladies were asked to give money to buy a wealthy minister's wife some of her favorite artwork as "seed" for everyone's upcoming Christmas money. I didn't understand why more emphasis was placed on giving to people who had money than giving to people who didn't. I had never heard of such a thing. We just kept being told what "good ground" they were. A few months later, that same minister's wife came to visit and spent an entire church service boasting about how expensive the playhouse was that she had built for her grandchildren. My husband and I knew that there were people in that service who could not even afford a house to live in, much less a playhouse. It was supposed to create a "vision" in them. All it did was create frustration. That situation, which was repeated in many different versions over the years, was something that we remained quiet about, because we didn't want to be perceived as not being "hooked up."

I never liked or understood the fixation on designer clothes, purses, shoes, or even linens and towels. I was puzzled why anyone would pay $1000 for a purse that had a designer's initials scrawled all over it. Could it be so that everyone would know that it was a designer purse? Hmmm... And how would anyone know that you had only Ralph Lauren towels unless you told them so? Isn't that why you have them, or do they actually dry you off better than regular, normal towels? Please don't get me wrong. I do not think there is anything wrong with nice clothes, shoes, and fluffy towels, but the haughty pretentious spirit and boastful attitude that came with it was what was so disgusting.

I also didn't like laughing in the spirit, dancing the money in, running the money in, or pulling an invisible lever and yelling the money in. I thought it was all totally pointless, ludicrous, and unbelievably selfish. Jut downright embarrassing. I didn't actually say much about it except to my husband, but it was obvious that I was not into it. Like I said, I don't hide my feelings very well. Because of that, I was accused by the leadership of "denying the power of God" by not going along with it all. I actually was criticized and ridiculed many times for what was perceived of as overly conservative behavior. I grew up Baptist, and I found myself longing to study about Lottie Moon, go to January Bible studies, and be able to sing again without having to frolic on stage and follow insanely strict rules and regulations.

These stories are just a drop in the gigantic bucket that ended up being full of all our regrets. We are endeavoring to look at it all in a positive way, however, and are learning from those experiences, as well as hopefully helping others to not make the same mistakes that we did. One thing I have learned is that I can trust my instincts. If something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't, so I will question it. If those questions are annoying to the powers that be, then I will go somewhere else. I will stop if I see a red flag. I am never going to blindly accept a man's interpretation of the Bible again. I will read it and study it out for myself. I challenge you to do the same.

Be the child in the story and call it like it truly is. From now on, I know I will.

- V

If You Can't Say Amen, Say Oh Me.

Since 1977, I have been listening to messages from the Word of Faith "camp." I have spent a short lifetime listening to cassette tape series, reading the books from the big name leaders, and traveling all over to be in the seminars. I gave 24 years of my life and my family's life to a church that preached the message of health and wealth. When I finally began asking questions about what was going on, I received the "left foot of fellowship" from among the Word of Faith camp.

What happened so that I could no longer say amen to what I was hearing?

The main reason is that I began to hear a message preached that was more about what I could get from God instead of what could I do for Him. The Gospel had changed from being about helping the world to helping me. I call it the "Gospel of Me".

2 Timothy 4:3-5(New International Version)

3. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

It is sad when people get more excited hearing about someone who got their house mortgage paid, or a preacher getting a Harley Davidson than they do about someone who has been born again and set free from the power of sin. I have seen people run around the church believing that it would cause the money to come in, but I do not remember seeing people run around believing for the lost to come in. When I heard preaching about "the harvest," it was referring to the financial blessing that was due us, not the great harvest of souls. It is HIS harvest not ours.

For so many years I sat quietly by and listened to a message that did little to help anyone except the "men of God" that preached it. It seems that the churches that have been involved in preaching this message always seem to have enough money to buy all of the perks for themselves and their leaders, but when someone comes to ask for financial help, there is very little if any available. In many churches the first thing that they cut when money is tight is their missions spending. I am sad that for 24 years I knew better, but somehow I stayed a part of a destructive "cultish" system. I have seen many people hurt and disappointed during this time. We bought a message that had a small amount of truth and so emphasized just one message that we never realized the complete truth and peace that God intended.

Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)

19. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20.and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The purpose of the Church is found in the command to go into all the world and make disciples. Somewhere that was forgotten, and we were told that we could show how spiritual we were by how much "stuff" we acquired. I heard of a so called faith preacher that said if preachers did not wear custom made suits, they were not pleasing to God. I wonder how God feels when He hears statements like that?

If the church keeps spending the majority of its resources on itself, and the lost never hear the true Gospel, then there will be some grave consequences for those that make those decisions. Sure, there are good things that have been done, and lives have been changed. But, how much more could we have done for so many more if we had done less for ourselves? The model of church that we have developed in America has become impotent in spreading the Gospel. The church that we see today has very little in common with the church that we see in the Book of Acts.

Several years ago when I was in China, a church leader told me that he hoped that America never exported our form of church to China because if we did, it would destroy the revival that they were experiencing. He said what they saw was that the American church seemed more concerned with building buildings than with saving souls. What would he have thought if he had heard some of the prosperity messages that we have heard?

OH ME.

G

Despotism with Nepotism: A Recipe for Disaster

Nepotism is "favoritism granted to relatives or close friends, without regard to their merit. Nepotism usually takes the form of employing relatives or appointing them to high office." This arbitrary practice is seen in business as well as in church settings. It is particularly prevalent in Word of Faith circles. Somehow, the offspring of the pastor receives an "anointing" by genetic predisposition, regardless of whether they have a true call of God on their lives, or a heart for ministry. Or a heart at all.

Despotism is "a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)" In other words, the leader has total authority and answers to no one. This is also often seen in Word of Faith circles. The congregation is duped into thinking that the leadership is not only in control of their lives, but should be treated with great honor and deference. And, unfortunately, this dutiful and submissive behavior has to also be conveyed to the aforementioned offspring whether they deserve it or not. They are often placed in leadership positions when they have no ability to lead. They are placed in ministry positions when they have no heart for people. More qualified people are overlooked so that this son, daughter, spouse, or all of the above, can hold a position in the church and be on the church payroll.

Nepotism is bad enough medicine to swallow all on its own. But then when you add the unpalatable ingredient of despotic rule, that brings the distasteful situation to a whole new level. Not only do the congregation and staff members have this inept individual forced upon them, they cannot raise even the slightest complaint about them without guaranteed retribution from the leadership. Counseling is handled poorly, if even done at all, privacy is breached, church members and staff members are criticized behind closed doors, loyal staff members have insults hurled at them and are constantly being threatened that they will lose their jobs, money is handled in a questionable manner, and when people leave offended because of these situations, it is considered a good riddance. There are never any apologies for this behavior. As a matter of fact, often when people do complain, they are accused of being the one with the problem. It is a no win situation. If you have found yourself in a church where either or both of these are practiced, my advice to you is to find a new church. No matter how well accepted you think you are by the powers that be, and no matter how right you may be in whatever your situation is, overstep your bounds and you will be trampled on. For the sake of your spiritual and emotional health, if you see this going on in your church, get out before that happens to you.

- V

The Seeker-Friendly Church

There has been increasing rhetoric about the "seeker friendly" church, both positive and negative. The first time I heard the term was in a negative fashion from the leadership of the church I once attended. It seemed that great pride was taken in our church being "a hard church to go to." It was as if it were some exclusive club to which only those who had attained a certain spiritual level could belong. If you could tough it out and stick with the pastor, he would "take you places you never thought you would go." To this day, I am still puzzled about what that prideful and grandiose statement meant. I know of many faithful people who stuck with him that ended up in bad places that they did not expect to be, or want to be. So perhaps, in a sadly ironic way, that statement was true.

A seeker is someone who makes a search or inquiry. The word friendly means to be inclined to approve, help, or support. If someone is searching for a relationship with God, as well as with other believers, then why on earth would we not want to lend help to or support to them? If there are small changes that can be made in the surroundings or the delivery of the message without compromising the integrity of the message itself, then why not do it? Who established all the trappings and traditions that supposedly define church to begin with? Man did, of course. Scripture does not support having to follow a strict dress code in order to be deserving enough to worship God. God sees us all the time. Do you suppose that a person is more pleasing to Him if they wear a suit ? Or a designer dress? To be required to dress to the nines on Sunday morning is obviously to be seen of men. That is simply more pressure and emphasis on image. And that pulls people away from God.

Matthew 11:28-30 in the Amplified says:

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
30 For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

And in the Message, it says:

28-30 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Jesus said that we would find rest in Him, and that His yoke was comfortable and pleasant and His burden was light and easy to be borne. Why then should we give any man the authority to place a burden on us? People have enough to deal with out in the world not to have more stress placed on them by church leadership. Sadly, often the leaders in these kinds of churches are so out of touch with the real world that they are clueless about how to help or even how to create an atmosphere of worship where people can truly seek God for answers.

So, bring on the small groups, the coffee, the casual clothes (including the flip flops), and the pleasant surroundings. If Jesus Himself said it was not supposed to be hard, then who are we to change that?

- V

Did You Leave the Church or Did the Church Leave You?

Zell Miller is a former U.S. Senator from Georgia, and author of the book, A Deficit of Decency. Senator Miller is a life-long democrat, and also the former Governor of Georgia. After he delivered the introduction speech for George Bush at the 2003 Republican National Convention, many of his life-long friends and supporters were up in arms with him and disclaimed him as a true democrat. Jimmy Carter wrote him a blistering letter and questioned his loyalty to the Democratic Party. As Senator Miller traveled and campaigned for George Bush, many asked him why he had left the Democratic Party. Senator Miller responded to them and said that he had never left the Democratic Party, but that the party had actually left him.

Today many are asked, “Why did you leave your church?” Many times the response should be, “I did not leave the church. The church left me.”
Many people have remained true to the core values of Christian faith, and the truth found in the Gospel, while watching the church embark on a self-seeking journey to redefine what “good news” is.

What has the church done to cause people to feel this way?

1. It has emphasized building an institution more so than building people's lives. Many have been told to work, work, work for the church, and that you were serving God by doing so. I once heard a pastor say, “I got so busy working for God that I forgot to serve Him.” Many people today have put so much time into doing the work of church that they have no desire or time left to worship him.

2. It has spent more money on itself than it has on reaching the world. We need to realize that the church is not about the people that are in it, but it is about those that have not yet come. It is sad that for many years the church in America has spent up to 95% on itself while less than 5% is spent reaching out to the world. Some churches spend more on flowers than they do on reaching the lost. Where you spend your money will show the world where your heart truly is.

3. Lack of moral standards. We have recently seen many ministers fall because of a lack of moral standards. Almost daily we hear of accounts of another pastor or church staff member that has been caught having some type of sexual affair. Many of these situations are made much worse by the church leaders trying to cover them up or downplay the degree of the sin. We hear statements like they just had a “moral indiscretion” or that it was just a “lapse in good judgment.” True repentance requires a turning away from sin, not excuses for it.

4. It has not had oversight of its leaders. Many pastors have no accountability to anyone. In many churches today there is no control over what the pastor does with the money, what he preaches from the pulpit, how he treats the people, or how he manages the church. We have given absolute power to a few and they are so in love with it that they want more. If all that is done by a pastor is true and correct then there should be no fear of the people being able to ask questions.

5. It has not been faithful to preaching sound doctrine. Many of the messages we have heard in churches today hold very little resemblance to the truths that we find in the Word of God. We must get back to the Gospel of Jesus and quit preaching the Gospel of Me.

6. It has not demanded excellence in its leaders. We need excellence of character more than excellence in material things. We also should see church leaders that have a desire to further their education in the things of God and His Word. Society requires plumbers, real estate agents, doctors, nurses, and the like to pass a test before they can be licensed. They must then continue this education to maintain this license. Why do many ministers think that they have already learned all that anyone can teach them, and then look down on those who have worked hard to earn true degrees?

This is only the beginning of an exhaustive list of the pitfalls to watch for in church leaders. We must pray that eyes are opened to the truth, starting with our own. If we ever think that we are the only ones that know what is right, then we have fallen into the very trap that we so need to avoid.


Proverbs 11:2 (KJV) When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.


G

Who Brought the Offense?

"They were offended."

That was the answer we heard most often over the years when we asked why someone left our church. It was the perfect catch-all response because, not only did it make the person who left seem spiritually weak, it freed the leadership of any accountability for their departure. Even if a person knew that it would be in their own best interest to leave, they were keenly aware of the fact that they would be talked about in the same fashion as their unfortunate predecessors. There were those of us who had dozens of legitimate reasons to leave. But we stayed because we believed we were doing a good work for God, and we were under the impression that we were "in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing." But we were wrong.

According to William Arthur Wood, "Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation." Most people do not react well to domination, control, or intimidation. We saw that in abundance over the years. One definition of control is "to adjust to a requirement." Many of those requirements were an unnecessary show of this control that stifled people's creativity, talents, and abilities. Ridicule and intimidation were practiced on a regular basis, usually in a public forum where the person would be the most humiliated. If you were ever hurt or offended, you didn't dare say anything. Then you would be a poor sport. And if you retaliated, you were being rebellious. People's feelings were rarely considered. They just needed to be "tough." Much teaching was done on not becoming offended, but never on not being offensive. It was the ultimate excuse for bad manners and insensitivity.

So, yes, multitudes left because they were offended. But who offended them?

Luke 17:1-2 (KJV):

1. Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

- V

Guard Against Greed

It seems that there has been quite a bit of controversy in regard to some of the most prominent Word of Faith ministers. The U.S. Senate has called their tax-exempt status and their integrity into question because of the outlandishly lavish lifestyles that they appear to lead. People have been captivated by the prosperity message over the years to the point where they have given inordinate amounts of money to these ministers in hopes of becoming rich themselves. It is amazing how these ministers pick and choose from the Bible just what they need to justify their greed, while ignoring basic Bible truths.

Luke 2:15 NIV says:

15. Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

The Amplified says:

15. And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man's life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs.

The Message Bible says:

15. Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."

I am definitely not of the belief that ministers should be poor. I don't think anyone should be. But there is a moral and ethical standard that ministers should follow, and financial extravagance is diametrically opposed to what the Bible teaches. They are not running corporations or large family businesses. They are living off of people's tithes and offerings. To spend someone's hard earned money to invest toward a standard of living that is far beyond what you need is blatantly disrespectful. It is important for us to stay informed regarding what is going on here. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and pretend that this is appropriate just because these people are ministers.

The Bible speaks against pride and greed, and teaches us to be humble in every situation of life.

Humility is defined as having a modest opinion or estimate of one's importance, rank, etc.

Pride is defined as having a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

Greed is defined as an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth.

Which of these qualities sounds more Christ-like to you? Do you believe that God intended for us to embrace only what we wanted out of the Bible and discard the rest? In this case, it seems as though the message that has been emphasized here is what has best served the messenger.

I have included a link that we have found to be very interesting. Please watch these video clips and note what characteristics you see. Do you see humility? Or pride and greed, among other things? Is this a ministry you want to invest in? You decide.

www.wittenburgdoor.com/copelandclips

- V

Are You Being Equipped?

Matthew 23:1-3 in the Message Bible says:

1-3 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer."

I have heard the statement made for years, "I go to church here because my pastor is such a good teacher." In light of the above scripture, being a good teacher alone is not enough. They must also live it. The Pharisees were good teachers because they taught the law of Moses, but they did not help others to live it. Today we have many ministers teaching the Word, but when we really get to know them, we see that they are not truly living the same message that is being taught in the Gospel.

If a minister is truly living out the Gospel, then we should be seeing him help others more than he helps himself. He should be setting the example by personally getting involved rather than always sending someone else. If he is so busy taking care of his personal needs that he fails to see the needs of the people, or does not have time to help them, then he has lost sight of what true Christ-centered teaching is about.

Matthew 9:35-38 NIV

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Jesus saw the needs of the people and had compassion to help them. He was never so busy that he lost touch with them. Jesus could always pay attention to what they needed because he fully trusted that God would take care of Him.

The true fruit of good teaching will be reproduced in the people that are hearing the message. Do you find yourself wanting to help others and promote the Kingdom of God, or are you merely helping build a man's ministry? Good teaching should stir you to serve others and to help them grow in Christ. If you are being fed a healthy diet of good teaching, then service to others takes place over service to self.

Many people today have never found a place of service for God because they do not have someone to help equip them. There are many good churches that are truly helping people get to that place. Make sure that you are in one.

- G

Sense of Entitlement

Many years ago, back in the 80's, a group of people from our church were sent to "headquarters" in another state. They attended meetings there for a week and returned with a new set of instructions regarding some changes that needed to be made. Apparently we had been quite amiss in a particular area. We had not been addressing our pastor properly. It was no longer acceptable to call him by name, but only by title. After all, how can he operate in the office of a pastor if we don't call him "Pastor?" There was no scripture presented to back up this deep new revelation, but great pressure was placed on anyone who did not follow this rule. It was not a choice which could be made by the individual. It was required. Despite how uncomfortable many of us were with this, we complied. Unfortunately, just the act of calling him "Pastor" did not transform him into the pastor we needed. He was just the same person with a new title. People also referred to him and other so-called spiritual leaders like him as their "Man of God" and their "Spiritual Father." It had always bothered me that these leaders demanded such a place of prominence over the rest of us as though they were superior to us. I knew they weren't. The Bible agrees with me:

Matthew 23:1-12 in the Message Bible says:

1-3 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer.

4-7"Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called 'Doctor' and 'Reverend.'

8-10"Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of 'Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.

11-12"Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.

It is pretty hard to argue with that. I also really like this translation because I believe that honorary doctorates are a joke. Go to school and earn it. Don't make me call you doctor.

Please understand this. Call your pastor by that title if that is what is in your heart to do. But any man who makes demands on you, particularly to be addressed by a title, does not deserve it in the first place.

- V

Welcome to Clarity Rediscovered

Because of the church we were involved in, we now feel as though were living in a fog for the past several years. Since our emancipation from this church, we have been able to open our eyes and our minds to aspects of life which we had unwittingly been deprived of. We have taken on the task of purging ourselves of the false teaching that we have been exposed to and this has allowed us to view life from a completely new and fresh perspective. It is our hope, that through this rediscovery process, we will enable others to do the same.