Mr. and Mrs. Bower share many moments of joy and fellowship together. Several years ago, Mrs. Bower was struck by an automobile and has since been confined to her wheelchair. Articles of Christian inspiration and poems of challenge have continued to pour forth from her consecrated pen.
errors. The Scriptures say that we shall be like Jesus •— “ when we see Him as He is.” But until that time, we are in the flesh and are heirs to the weaknesses of the flesh. All of us are capable of making wrong choices, unwise decisions, unfortunate remarks. We all exhibit flaws and make errors. To lead the victorious life should be the goal of every Christian — not just the pastor; and to expect perfection in him, that we do not achieve in ourselves, is unfair. Pastors will sometimes make mistakes. These are God’s concern, not ours. The Scriptures say, “ To his own master he standeth or falleth.” Indeed they say more, “Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” Pastors are people! They need privacy. Because men of God, like men of medicine, are on 24 hour call, their private life is constantly invaded. The pastor has less time with his family than the average man — but needs more. He, who gives constantly to others, has need of the comfort, understanding and warmth that are the basic portion of life within the family circle. Unnecessary phone calls to his home rob him of his all-too-brief oppor tunity to be alone with his own. The surprise “ I just dropped in” visit you were planning to make may be more than a surprise. It may be an intrusion. It is God himself who “ setteth the solitary in families;” so there must be something there that a man can find nowhere else. The pastor’s privacy needs to be guarded by his congregation. Over against this fact there stands another opposed to it, but equally true.
Because pastors are people, they are often a little lonely. The very nature of their task makes them that way. They have been set apart by God for a holy work, and they must spend much time apart with God, in preparation for that work. For this reason they may often seem aloof. The man in the pulpit has been dwelling “ in the secret place of the most high,” and it is as unfair to e x p e c t h i m to c o m e suddenly down to earth at the sanctuary door, as it would ‘be to expect Moses of the shining face to come down from the mountain to inquire, “And how are all the children?” The pastor’s aloofness may trouble him more than anyone else. He must not play favorites with the members of his flock; he dare not discuss his problems with anyone in the congregation. He is a man who “must show himself friendly,” yet have few intimate friends of his own. If he seems a little aloof, don’t forget that he is a little lonely too. Pastors are people: very special people, to be sure — chosen vessels of the Lord, to be used of Him that others might come to know the Saviour — but human, never theless. As people, they have feelings, physical limita tions, human desires, weaknesses as well as strengths — even as you and I. Perhaps they would like us to remem ber this sometimes. Perhaps the greatest service we can render our pastors is to grant them the same understanding we would extend to any fellow Christian; and not expect more of them than we would have them expect of us.
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APRIL, 1959
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