Thankful List Item #17 ~~~ My Pastor, Andy Sensabaugh Pastors are too often taken for granted. We may not intend to take them for granted, but in our own rat race of a life, we often fail to be sensitive to all they do for us and the burdens they cray. If we pay attention we can see some of what they do for us and the burdens they carry. Their load is heavy. They have to be ready every Sunday to deliver a message to the congregation that will feed the flock, giving them instruction, encouragement, comfort, and if needed - correction and conviction. They must prepare during the week to bring not just one such message, but three! Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. In addition to this they also have to prepare for teaching their Sunday School class every Sunday morning. So, thats four messages every week that they have to prepare for through bible study and prayer. But this is just the tip of the ice-burg. A Pastors duties extend far beyond preaching and teaching. They have to keep up with the needs of all their flock in order to know how to pray for them, and minister to them. A Pastor must keep up with who is sick and who is in the hospital and which hospital they are in so that they can go visit them to pray with and for them and offer words of encouragement. These hospital visits are no small chore. At any given time, their may be a significant number of church members in various medical facilities scattered about in the area, and the Pastor is expected to get around to visit everyone of them on a regular basis. But we are still on the tip of the ice-burg here. The Pastor also has the duty of overseeing the business part of the churchs operation. He also oversees all the programs within the church such as the Sunday School program, Youth program, Drama programs, Out Reach programs, etc... He has to insure that these programs are being run in accordance with biblical teachings, the church bi-laws, the church constitution, and the church Conant. When and if they are not, he has the responsibility of making the corrections, while trying not to be overly critical or harsh toward those working in the programs. A Pastor must be a master at balancing authority with sensitivity - at applying the necessary firmness while maintaining the perception of being a source of encouragement and support. That can be a very difficult task! Then there are all the things a pastor does behind the scenes that the majority of us dont even know about. Much of what a pastor does for his flock must be done in confidentiality. When there is strife between church members, he must act as a peacemaker to help them resolve their differences. When a couple are having marital problems, he is there to offer counsel and guidance. There are numerous tasks that the pastor must do with confidentiality. There are burdens that a Pastor caries that he can not discuss with others and can only take them to the Lord. Then there are all the funerals that a pastor must hold, both within and outside his own flock. He has to do his best to comfort those who are grievous over the loss of a loved one. Funerals come unscheduled and unexpected, so a pastor must shuffle his very busy schedule to make time for them. A pastor has one of the most stressful and most difficult jobs a person could have, and they dont do it for money or recognition - they do it out of love. What would we do without these dedicated men of God?! Pastor Andy is an old fashion, tell it like it is preacher. He doesnt sugar coat a message nor does he water it down to make it more appealing or easier to accept. He simply preaches the truth as God gives it to him. He does not preach his message, he delivers Gods message. When he stands at the pulpit, he has not script, nor a planned sermon written out. He only has the word of God before him and he relies upon the anointing power of God to preach through him. Not every message he preaches is going to make us feel good. Its not suppose to. Sometimes we need correction, reprove, rebuke, and conviction. Its how we grow, both in fellowship and in wisdom and understanding. We dont always get what we would like out of Andys sermons, but we do get what we need! Dont take this wrong... its not all toe stomping messages. We often receive messages that cause us to shout, smile, and rejoice in praise. We need it all, and we get it all under pastor Andy Sensabaugh. He is not perfect. He is human and he makes mistakes. There may be times that we may think to ourselves... it it were me, I would do or say that differently; most of us have probably had such a thought at one time or another, but keep in mind that we are not the ones God called to be the pastor. He called Andy, and God knows what He is doing! Nobody can please everybody all of the time. If a pastor is doing everything exactly the way you believe it should be done one hundred percent of the time, somebody else will be dissatisfied. A pastor is under no obligation to please any man. His obligation is to be pleasing to God. I sincerely believe that this is what Andy strives to do. I am very thankful and have been very blessed to have Andy Sensabaugh as my pastor.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 20:20:14 +0000
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