Are you ever frustrated on a Sunday morning or Wednesday evening because you have been in private prayer and have the things of God in the forefront of your mind, only to step into the midst of gathering church members and find their focus is on mundane and sometimes sinful things? Do you avoid them, resent their carnal mindset, throw your focus on the Lord “out the window” and join in their banter, or something else? I believe every pastor must bear this challenge in mind and navigate it successfully, and I wrestle with it even after 20 years of pastoring. This is the challenge of serving in a holy manner in fellowship with the Lord, on the one hand, and remaining accessible to our people, some of whom may have little heart for the spiritual and holy, on the other. It is the challenge of being fully engaged with the Lord and fully engaged with the people simultaneously.
Holy Reverence and the Weightiness of Your Work – One of the most drastic images regarding holiness in ministry is found in Leviticus 10. As Aaron and his sons served before the Lord and His people, his sons Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, and the Lord blazed out and consumed them. Their presumptuousness violated the holiness of God, and He responded decisively. Beyond this, Aaron and his other two sons – the immediate family of the two killed – were not allowed to mourn because they were in the sacred garments and functioning in their priestly roles! It burdens me when pastors and other ministers are flippant about the things of God, make crude jokes and find entertainment value in un-Godly things, and do not bear the weight of holiness. I grant you I referenced an Old Testament picture, but it seems that caring for God’s flock and ministering the Word of God and touch of Christ is weighty business. And hopefully, when you encounter the people on a Sunday or before and after any other time of prayer, worship, or meeting, you have spent time with the Lord preparing your spirit and worshipping Him. On Sunday morning, for instance, you have been in a private time of worship (hopefully), and you are heading for a time of corporate worship. In-between, you encounter people in their Sunday morning routines and fellowship, and you interact with staff as they work. You must bear the holiness of your calling and invite them to encounter and focus on the Lord.
Common Accessibility and Relationships – A favorite picture of the pastor is that of under-shepherd of the flock, and shepherding is relational work. The sheep need to be acquainted with the shepherd and his care for and knowledge of them. This happens as you interact with them, and the times surrounding worship services and other meetings provide some of this time, although not all of it. I would suggest that you need to interact with them concerning their interests without abandoning your call to point them to Jesus. I would suggest that, if you seem too different from them and appear too detached from regular life, they will not listen to your teaching and preaching as well. However, if you are no different than they, you do not call them upward. This also applies to your work with staff. As they prepare for the worship service or event, they may be focused on the details of their role, and this is commendable. You may have to give them practical instruction or encouragement. However, your call is still to help them bring a spirit of worship to the work and to prepare them to meet with God and help others meet with God. We must be relationally accessible without failing to encourage a worshipful and God-focused atmosphere.
Some Issues to Keep in Mind – As you seek to maintain close fellowship with the Lord and full engagement with the people, there are some things to consider.
It will always be more challenging to experience the moving of God and hear His prompting in the crowd and in the midst of ministry than it is alone. It was not without reason Jesus often withdrew to pray and early church leaders practiced private spiritual disciplines.
The culture of your specific church comes into play. Some churches have more reverent and worshipful atmospheres surrounding worship times, and others less so. You will have to navigate the particulars of connecting with your people and not failing to point them to the Lord in your setting. Your call is to influence your church’s culture and cultivate God-centered meetings and worship.
In my experience, most of the people at church seem not to prepare their hearts for worship adequately, so we must keep this in mind and be sure we prepare and encourage others to prepare as well. Teaching this preparation is part of our leadership and disciple making.
Fellowship is an important function in the life of the church, and for older people, church times may be their only fellowship opportunities. Therefore, as we seek to lead the people into a worshipful mindset, we also must appreciate the role of fellowship and how that intersects with the focus on God as we gather.
Look for ways to redeem the secular aspects of their interactions to point toward the work and place of God, not in a sermonizing way but in a natural way. This will take practice.
Keep in mind God’s goals for worship and meetings (and the times immediately before and after these gatherings), as well as the people’s goals and your goals. All of these goals must be kept in mind as we work toward God’s goals.
Earlier, I asked how you respond to the tension between your focus on the Lord and the people’s lack of focus on Him. I believe we cannot afford simply to avoid the people to stay focused on the Lord or give up on the prospect of pointing them toward the Lord and simply join in the banter. Some years ago, I encountered the idea of seeing the work and grace of God in the everyday things of life and worshipping Him in the enjoyment of life. With prayer and intentionality, I believe we can bring together the presence of God and the fellowship of His people. In the cross of Christ, we see the pinnacle of simultaneous engagement with God and the world. Jesus expressed God’s love for us on the cross, He maintained steadfast focus on the Father and the work of redemption in a heavenward direction and a focus on the crowds, His disciples, and the thief on the cross and the work of redemption in an earthly direction. Likewise, as we love our people, we must keep hold of God’s hand even as we shake hands with our people and guide them into His presence.