Fainting Fits of Fame
The Minister’s Fainting Fits: that’s great. Not that misery necessarily enjoys company, but it is nice to know that other pastors, past and present, can struggle in the ministry. Or, more accurately, pastors past and present do struggle in ministry. One struggle near the top of the list concerns our reputation. Most pastors want to be liked; if not . . . well, we probably shouldn’t be in ministry. It goes with the turf of caring about our relationships. The problem is that we will not be universally liked. Some days it will even seem like the opposite. One of the questions that we can consider at the conference is how to interpret this inevitable event. Is it from the Devil? Is it our own pride? Is it directly of divine origin, and, if so, why? Our answers to these questions have important consequences.