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5 Things I Hated Doing as a Pastor

In similar posts I wrote about 6 Things I Hated Hearing as a Pastor followed by 7 Things I Loved Hearing as a Pastor. In today’s post I want to explore 5 Things I Hated DOING as a Pastor. Keep in mind that I loved being a pastor and I loved most the tasks that came along with the position, but I didn’t love everything.

5 Things I Hated Doing as a Pastor

1. Preaching on difficult topics. I preached on marriage, divorce, homosexuality, fornication, adultery, abortion, tithing, racism, prejudice, laziness, gossip, and numerous other difficult subjects, but I didn’t love doing it. As a pastor, I preferred to preach about Jesus and the encouraging passages that abound, but I knew that I was accountable to God to preach the whole Bible even when the topics were not popular or culturally acceptable.

…even when the topics were not popular or culturally acceptable.”

2. Visiting new parents in the hospital. I didn’t really hate visiting new parents, but it always felt a little awkward. I felt better visiting when the mother and the father were both present or when my wife could join me. As their pastor, I wanted to let them know that we celebrated with them on the birth of their child, but at the same time, I wanted to respect their need for privacy. As a man, I was certain that I didn’t understand everything that the new mother was going through physically and emotionally, so I wanted to give her space for rest and healing.

3. Addressing church conflict. When I faced conflict during my early years of ministry I simply prayed and hoped that it would go away. As the pastor, I began to realize that I had to lean into conflict and work towards reconciliation, but it was something that I always dreaded.

…I began to realize that I had to lean into conflict…”

4. Asking for help. In the perfect church world, all the church members would jump in and volunteer when needed. Since that rarely happened, I often had to personally ask people for help.

5. Administering church discipline. The Bible clearly teaches that there are times when church discipline is required. The purpose of discipline is to help the offender discover his sin and his need for repentance. Even when church discipline was appropriate and best, it was always very difficult.

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I Miss My Mommy

You wouldn’t think that a grown man would miss his mother, but I miss my mom more and more each year.  My mom went home to be with the Lord in 1992 at the age of 60.  She was the heart and soul of our family, especially when it came to holidays and birthdays.

One of my favorite Christmas memories is etched in my mind forever and revolves around my mom.  For some reason when I was about 10-years-old, she decided to move the Christmas tree from its usual spot in the living room of our modest little eastern Kentucky home, to the dining area off the kitchen.  She placed it in front of the breakfast nook window and it snowed during the holidays that year.

I remember staring at the Christmas tree with the snow coming down outside in the background. For some reason the combination of the simplicity of the tree, the falling snow, a warm house, homemade candy, and my family nearby is a memory that remains vivid to me.  Even at the time, I seemed to sense that I was experiencing something special.

Enjoy every moment with your family this Christmas and be thankful for each person.  Be sure to slow down so you can notice and appreciate the “little” things about them and about the holiday.  This may be the year that your favorite Christmas memory is etched in your mind to enjoy for years to come.