We attend a church in a small town and we love it. However, there is one thing that annoys me to no end. Favoritism. Our Pastor has only been with us for about nine months. He is an amazing preacher. Hits it on the nail head every week. We like him and his wife. BUT...he has his favorites. He always includes them in sermons and jokes. It always, "so and so did this" or "Isn't that right, so and so?". I love all the people he points out...all 5 or 6 of them. Sometimes, I look around to make sure there are more people there than just that handful. I mean...
Anyhow...I think I would understand a bit more if he was from the little town, and had been around these people for awhile but he isn't. He doesn't even live in the town. Maybe he just doesn't realize he is doing it or how it comes across.
I wonder if all those folks who are pillars of the church, the ones who keep the money coming in, feel like they are overlooked? The ones who do all the work...what do they think about not being included in the praise of accomplishments or work well done?
For me, it is annoying. Flat out, annoying. I get deep into the sermon and then suddenly we are mentioning this person or that one. It takes me forever to get back into the sermon, if I ever do, because I am trying to figure out what that has to do with what the sermon is about.
I do not like favoritism of any kind but when the leaders of a church play that game, I get my feathers a bit more ruffled. Don't misunderstand, I am not one that does a lot around the church because of my disabilities and the distance we live from the church so I don't expect to be praised for anything, nor do I want to be, because the Bible plainly says pride and favoritism are sins. I also know that I am sinning by being annoyed with it. You don't need to point that out or tell me I should be focusing on God instead. I got it. I'm just curious whether you have ever experienced these things at church and how you got past it, if you did.
So what do you think?
You know...there is a local church in our area (We do not attend this church, but some of our family does) but the last pastor was notorious for doing this same thing. The people that he favored where not even what I would call BIG givers (but I don't know that for a fact) I just think that he somehow related to these people more so with a deeper connection. He had good messaged each Sunday, but he was not what I would call a good pastor. The people he visited in the hospitals, were family members of the same group he chose as favs. My FIL who is now in Memory care was a Huge giver of the church, and the pastor not once, ever visited him... I don't understand either..
ReplyDeleteFirst, let me say how happy I am that you came for a visit! Second, I had that happen to me recently. I was down in my back and hips for almost a month. Missed church that entire time and never heard a peep out of anyone other than a lady I worked with when I taught at the school. And that was just a quick text and nothing more. Like I said, I don't need to be in the spotlight or have accolades thrown my way but it is annoying.
ReplyDeleteAgain, thanks for stopping by!
Pam
We, too, attend a small church whose congregation seems more like family. Rather, most of them. You bring up a great point, and now I wonder how first-time visitors or even those shy/introverted feel when Pastor Janet mentions so-and-so. Yes, there's definitely a clique but not one I care to be a part of.
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