George's Birthday

March 22, 2010
David Ashcraft

Pastor Fox has a birthday this week. Birthdays are special; we all like them, and they provide a good opportunity to tell people how much they mean to us.

We often forget that pastors are people and that they need to be appreciated. Too many of us are quick to criticize and too slow to say, "I really appreciate the good job you are doing for God." We neglect to pray for them.

I have copied part of an article I read this morning and though I would share it as a reminder to say Happy Birthday George. Thanks for being our pastor.

Pastors are no strangers to pain. It's as familiar as a church bulletin, as common as a potluck. But I'm not talking about the pain of those you pray for in hospital rooms. There's plenty of that, to be sure. The pain I'm referring to is the Pastor's pain.

What pulpiteer hasn't felt intense pain from critiques of certain pew-sitting dragons? Name a pastor who hasn't hurt over unrepented sin, feuds, or heresy within the congregation. Who among us hasn't chaffed over unsigned letters. We vow we'll never read them. But we always do. We even memorize some of the lines.

Some pastors claim they've developed thick skin - but that's a crock. In most cases a pastor's skin is thinner, more sensitive than the average. That's why you're in this work. It was that tender heart that wanted to serve others. It was your soft soul that jumped when God came calling for volunteers. No, this is not an industry of thick skins. Hard work? You bet. High expectations? Yep. Larger than average egos? Probably. But thick skin? Not-a-one. The pain you feel is real and it serves an important purpose. God intended it to.

The New Testament's most common word for pain is Basanos, an Oriental word meaning a touchstone. A touchstone was a fine-textured velvety black variety of quartz. This very dense stone was used in ancient days to assay gold ore. It's still one of the most reliable methods. A strong-armed goldsmith would rub pure gold firmly against the flat touchstone leaving a golden colored steak. Then the suspect alloy would be struck repeatedly beside the golden mark. After rinsing away the broken debris, the two colors would be compared and the alloy would be determined to be authentic or fake. Being shattered against the touchstone was harsh but effective in finding true gold.

Some of us are, no doubt, going through that process now. Repeated blows on a touchstone tend to discourage even the best of pastors. The enduring pain may seem unfair and needless. But God's methods have always included pain. The cross and the grave served as Jesus' touchstone. His pain was undeserved and harsh, but it revealed pure gold. Paul's touchstone was a prison cell. The result? Gold. David's touchstone was a cave. Job's was an ash-heap. Daniel felt his in captivity. Abraham's was Mount Moriah. Joseph's was a pit. Each was a personal touchstone; each meant pain, but each produced gold.

Is it possible to pastor a church without experiencing pain? No. Is it possible to show your true worth without being pounded on a touchstone? Evidently not. Is it possible to turn that pain into gold?

What do you think?

Blessings,

Ron Walters