October is the time of the year for the national observance of Clergy Appreciation Month.
Don KirklandThroughout the nation and across Christian denominations, congregations honor in a variety of ways their pastors and their families along with other clergy on their church staffs.
It should not be the only month — or even week or day — however, when church members focus with gratitude on the faithful labors, the sacrificial dedication and the many blessings provided by these committed men and women.
When the disciples of John the Baptist came to him in an advanced state of jealousy over the growing popularity of Jesus and the declining influence of their favorite preacher and prophet, John told them, “No one can have anything unless God gives it.”
Surely, God has given to the clergy — those set apart from the laity for special ministry — the assignment of tending to the spiritual well-being of the flock. It is an assignment of priceless value to the building of the kingdom of God here on earth through the church of Jesus Christ.
Clergy Appreciation Month is an opportune — and I would suggest a necessary — time for all church members to be acutely aware, if they aren’t already, of the incredible pressures endured by the clergy and their families.
Ministers and their families live their lives in a fishbowl. Their every move is visible to their congregations and to others. They are expected by many, and perhaps most, to be ideal families. Usually, they are required by tradition, and often necessity, to be available at all times. Disappointment often follows when the minister is viewed as “down” rather than consistently upbeat. If they do not know the answer to a question about the Bible, family and social life, politics, you name it, another question often follows: Why not? Stability in their personal and home lives is taken for granted. And another thing: They must see to it that the church moves forward in its spiritual development.
Who among our clergy can measure up on a regular basis to such standards? You know the answer. These are unrealistic expectations laid upon the shoulders of any of the clergy by any congregation.
And yet most of the clergy work vigorously in their ministries, offering comfort and direction to the church body as a whole and to individual members. And too often, they do this at great personal expense physically, emotionally and often spiritually. In short, they often neglect personal needs.
It has been said that the Christian life is like breathing in and out — breathing in for strength and breathing out for service.
Jesus was consistently “giving out” in an itinerant ministry that never lacked for crowds and their needs, but was short on time for the often weary teacher-preacher-healer to gather his reserves, to spend time with his disciples or to have fellowship with his Heavenly Father.
Jesus made time, however. He knew that one who is always “giving out” also must be “taking in.”
That is true as well of our clergy.
H.B. London, who views the clergy as an “endangered species,” is the author of a book of devotions entitled “Pause, Recharge, Refresh.”
In his blog, London says that the clergy daily give themselves to their congregations, their families and their communities, and “because of their servants’ hearts, they often forego their own needs for the needs of others.”
His book aims at “reminding pastors daily of how special they are in this world and in the kingdom of God — and how important it is to take care of themselves.”
Clergy Appreciation Month, he says to ministers, is “not to put you on a pedestal, but to create an awareness among the laity of your value and the divine nature of your call. You fill a spot in society that is essential and valued.”
He closes the blog with this, again a note to ministers: “Your people should not look for ways to exalt you, but to celebrate God’s special assignment for you.”
We are reminded in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 that the observance of Clergy Appreciation Month is the right thing to do. “Dear brothers and sisters,” the apostle Paul writes, and his words apply to South Carolina Baptists in the 21st century, “honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work.”
Every congregation and each member of that congregation should — and if obedient to scripture, must — give recognition, affirmation and encouragement to its ministers. And not just in October, but throughout the year.