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#719. Pastors who mess you up.

March 1, 2010 in At Church with 153 Comments

I ran into a friend a few months ago. We hadn’t seen each other in a while so we did the mandatory “life summary” catch up conversation. In the midst of that, she all too casually mentioned, “My husband and I have decided to become foster parents.”

What? That’s a big deal, that’s no small thing. And when I asked her about how they came to that decision, she was quick to give me a two word answer:

“Francis Chan.”

She and her husband had read Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love, and in her words, it “really messed her up.” And that’s true, a number of my friends have been messed up by that book. It’s no casual read. It’s a challenge and a conviction that is difficult to deny. But talking with her, I started to think about other ways pastors mess you up. Because the good ones do. They tend to snow globe shake your comfortable little world with God’s truth.

I think there are three primary ways they do that:

1. They tell you to have babies.

I have a friend that has 19 kids. (Possibly an over estimate) Her and her husband are constantly having babies. When I asked her why they wanted such a big family, she said, Voddie Bauchum messed us up.” He’s a Texas pastor who came and spoke at North Point where I attend. He spoke about being fruitful and multiplying. My friends took that to heart. In a big, baby in your belly kind of way.

2. They encourage you to quit your job.

I promise you that right now in Mali or Romania, is a missionary whose journey from Ohio to overseas started with a sermon. They were sitting there peaceful in the pew at church one morning when some minister just dropped a God shaped grenade right in their lap. Next thing you know, they’re getting malaria shots and stepping on a plane for an adventure unlike any other.

3. They tell you to keep your job.

Dang you Andy Stanley. One Sunday, right when I had a pretty good “work grumble” going on, you preached on the idea that God has placed us under the authority of our bosses. You said God always works through authority and doesn’t work through rebellion. Curses!

Those are the three most common ways I’ve seen pastors mess you up. How about you?

Have you ever been messed up by a pastor?