Ethics,Common Sense,and The Pastor
Dear Pastor,please hear these words and heed them for your good and for the benefit of others:
For pastors when they retire:
When you retire from your present church, “GET OUT!”Take your love offering and retirement watch and leave.I know some have asked you to stay on as a member.Believe me,they are just being nice.You didn’t attend Sunday School or sing in the choir when you were the pastor and you will look stupid if you do that now.Swallow your pride and move on.Give the next pastor the chance to lead the people.Keep your nose out of his buisness.Let me tell you what nobody else will..”IT’S OVER.”
For Pastors who assist in funerals:
Be brief.You are assisting.You are not in charge of the service.You know this.Don’t show your ignorance and lack of respect for the family by rambling on and on.If your pride is wounded because you were not asked to be in charge..get over it.There will be other funerals where you will be the “head knocker.”When you assist in a funeral brevity is the key and common sense should prevail.
For Pastors who come back for weddings:
If you can.. say no.It only takes one pastor to perform a wedding.If it is the church where I am pastor..please come back.Do the wedding.I have no desire to perform any wedding for anybody.
More about funerals:
Recently I shared a funeral service with a pastor f or an elderly gentleman.The pastor gave the “Faith”presentation 6 times counting one time in his prayer and one time at the grave side.We are all impressed that you have memorized the “Faith Presentation.”A funeral service is a place to exalt Christ and his resurrection and bring comfort to the family.To turn a memorial service into an evangelistic campaign is an exercise in ridiculous absurdity.
I am Bill Poore and I approve this message.
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hottubreligion 
May 24, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I agree Bill, and hope I have practiced it. I will not even assist in a wedding, but as I said in class, I cannot refuse a funeral. We are not “in charge” ev en if the family asks for it. We need to be short, and we need, I think, to be biographical, giving more of a eulogy than a message. The pastor is to do any message- and I agree that Jesus should be exalted, more than the “plan of sakvation” be spelled out. A simple sentance or two about how to go to heaven suffices. I like this web site, and I cannot understand how Young and others get in bed with people like Jakes. I guess getting a huge number of warm bodies in a buildingm claiming to be going to heaven in their sins, is easier than preaching the offence of the cross and the demands of discipleship. Bob
May 25, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Very well said. I had a very interesting conversation yesterday with a funeral director who said, “We are glad to have you doing the funerals. Why is it that older retired pastors, or pastors of smaller churches take an hour and half at a funeral? I think it is becasue they look around, see all the people, and its their big chance to have a big say!”
I fear they are correct. Sweet clear and direct is far more effective for the gospel’s sake than windy or blowing a gale at a funeral.
Every Blessing.. there is good stuff here.. I liked your material on TD Jakes (who is coming down to Australia in June… with Ed Young 😦 presenting a combined message on Unity at Hillsong. I guess Ed young Jr must be anti trinitarian too!
Great stuff on the emerging church too (our nsw Australian Baptist seminary has a few emergent psoters boys as lecturers and our whole denom has followed them. Very few baptist churches in my region sing ANY hymns at all Sundays or ever. When we throw out these hymns, we throw out our theology.
Good stuff here.. thanks again!
Steve
June 26, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Since WHEN do you “have no desire to perform a wedding for anybody”? (Someone that you married about 4 years ago!)
June 26, 2007 at 7:41 pm
You gained a husband and I lost my right arm.