Monday, Monday

Many people find Monday to be a difficult day.

The Mamas and the Papas said, "Whenever Monday comes, you can find me cryin' all the time." Most people seem to hate Monday because it means the weekend is over and they have to go back to work (or school).

Some people have specific reasons to dislike Monday. According to Survey.com, IT workers hate Monday because they are swamped with support issues from the weekend. But pastors find Monday difficult for different reasons.

So what can be done to salvage Monday? Australian scientists say we should stop sleeping in on weekends. Someone at iPetitions is trying to get Mondays banned. Pastor Bob Hyatt responded to the aftermath of Sunday by not taking Monday as his day off.

The editors at DM Review suggest that IT departments implement self-service support to avoid the big backlog on Monday. Big Cheese Coaching suggests some positive thinking strategies to change Monday attitudes. Daryl Gibson posts Monday Morning Motivation every week for salespeople.

But I'm more interested in the weekly dynamics for pastors.

It seems that there are two main factors that cause such angst on Monday.

• Enormous importance is invested in Sunday.
  
• Enormous importance is invested in the pastor.
  

While these values are deeply ingrained in North American evangelical culture, I maintain that they are both misguided and dangerous.

Christianity is not about what happens on Sunday morning in a special building. This is one of the emphases of the missional movement. The Church is a community, not a crowd that meets once a week. What happens during the week is even more important than what happens on Sunday. The gathering on Sunday is more like a backstage pep talk than a big theatrical production. The congregation doesn't gather to be the Church, it assembles as people who have been acting as the Church all week.

The pastor is not the Church. The pastor is not a CEO. The pastor cannot be a lone ranger. Too many pastors feel pressure to build the Church. They are expected to measure up to a business model of success. Pastors feel that they cannot afford to be transparent because they must be more advanced spiritually than their congregations.

And let's be honest. It's not just that high expectations are placed upon the pastors. Pastors place these expectations on themselves. They like being in control. They like being the star. They like feeling indispensible.

Here's a news flash: None of us is indispensible.

The only person indispensible in the Church is Jesus.

He's the only one who can build the Church. He's the one who is responsible for the future of the Church. He's the only reliable role model.

Jesus said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30). But you would never believe that by watching most pastors. There doesn't seem to be anything easy or light about being a pastor. Nor does there seem to be anything easy or light about being a member of one of their churches.

Seems to me that's it's time to change that.

Pastor Rod

"Helping you become the person God created you to be"