Grateful for a Pedestal Fall (There is some good when a pastor falls.)

This Sunday I fell off a member of my church's pedestal.  And it hurt some when I fell.  From this person's perspective, I had done wrong; from my perspective, I acted with grace in alignment with the church's teaching.  I have to admit that I don't like having people not pleased with me.  I want to correct or fix the situation.  But what I realized today as I sat before God, contemplating the wise words of a woman of prayer in our church and the words just read of Jean-Pierre de Caussade, I should celebrate and be glad that I fell, because I never should have been on the pedestal in the first place.

I can come up with very human reasons as to why God is blessing us as a gathered community of faith right now.  I can also come up with very spiritualized reasons.  But I know that according to God's word and my life experience that it rains on both the righteous and the unrighteous.  We may be in a season of blessing right now, but I am sure we will also have seasons of drought.  I know that the Word also teaches us that if we stay connected to the Living Vine we will bear much fruit and apart from Jesus we can do nothing.  But how do you say that to a people, "You had forgotten your first love, but now you've fallen in love with God again, but that doesn't mean things will always be this great, but they should always be better than they were."

How does a pastor point God's people to God without simultaneously being placed on a pedestal?  By making mistakes?  By revealing one's own humanity? I'm starting to realize that giftedness is its own curse, because it makes one's weaknesses all the more striking.  Gifting as a thorn in the flesh of sorts.

So the question remains, how do I rejoice in the moments where I am knocked off people's pedestals?  I suspect it is an attitude of my own heart.  An attitude of thanks that I am human once again to them, which is all I want to be.

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