Emphasis Preaching Journal

A district superintendent in the United Methodist church, along with a dozen other district superintendents and the bishop, is responsible for the appointment of pastors to churches in his district. A superintendent reported that the process becomes an excruciating exercise when appointing pastors to mid-size congregations. These congregations, which compose the vast percentage of churches in a conference, are average in size. And a pastor often will not accept an appointment to one of these average-size congregations because no pastor considers himself or herself to be average. But in fact, as the district superintendent reported, most pastors are average. That is what average means. Though, even in the profession in which humility is to be emblazoned, ambition is extolled.

Application: The sacrament of Holy Communion confesses that we are all equal and in equal service of the Lord.