It has been said that...
Illustration
It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt. When we think we know someone we
have trouble hearing what he or she is saying to us especially if they call into question
something that we are doing. That is what Jesus encountered that day -- his message
wasn't being heard because the people thought they knew him.
In his retirement, Allen continued to peach wherever he was needed to fill in due to illness or some other unforeseen circumstance. Sometimes he would preach a Sunday or two while other assignments required a couple of months.
During his active ministry, Allen was always careful not to offend anyone; his goal was to keep everyone happy. However, his perspective changed once he retired. He realized that he had not helped the church deal with some issues by ignoring them. Now Allen was not afraid to tell people what he thought even if it meant stepping on people's toes.
One church had a reputation of being hard on pastors. The church had gone through three pastors in just five years, having run the last one off several months before conference. Allen could say what the previous pastors could not. He told the church that they needed to treat their pastors better and not place too many unrealistic expectations upon them. There was more -- during that three-month period, Allen taught on the basics of the faith. He guided them through a visioning process. He wanted them to understand that their recurrent conflict was taking a toll on the entire church. One Sunday he told them that no one will be drawn to a church that is known in the community for in-fighting and running off its pastors. What was needed was to put behind them their bad experience and start reaching out to people in the community. After three months, the church was ready to welcome its new pastor -- thanks to Allen's work.
In his retirement, Allen continued to peach wherever he was needed to fill in due to illness or some other unforeseen circumstance. Sometimes he would preach a Sunday or two while other assignments required a couple of months.
During his active ministry, Allen was always careful not to offend anyone; his goal was to keep everyone happy. However, his perspective changed once he retired. He realized that he had not helped the church deal with some issues by ignoring them. Now Allen was not afraid to tell people what he thought even if it meant stepping on people's toes.
One church had a reputation of being hard on pastors. The church had gone through three pastors in just five years, having run the last one off several months before conference. Allen could say what the previous pastors could not. He told the church that they needed to treat their pastors better and not place too many unrealistic expectations upon them. There was more -- during that three-month period, Allen taught on the basics of the faith. He guided them through a visioning process. He wanted them to understand that their recurrent conflict was taking a toll on the entire church. One Sunday he told them that no one will be drawn to a church that is known in the community for in-fighting and running off its pastors. What was needed was to put behind them their bad experience and start reaching out to people in the community. After three months, the church was ready to welcome its new pastor -- thanks to Allen's work.
