mgpcpastor's blog

He sniffs at the back door, whimpers a bit, and wants to come in.
That old black dog just wants to make himself at home.

The mental, emotional and spiritual output on Sunday are accompanied by a sense of being drained on Monday.
Into this vacant space the so called black dog of depression wants to enter in.
This is actually a fairly normal response. Dr Arch Hart points out that normal depression is an emotion triggered by loss. (There are also depressions which are caused by abnormal physical conditions, and this does not pertain to them.)
Pastors lose a lot on Sunday. We spend a week engaged in preparation and on one day we give everything we have. (In addition to our other ministry activities through the week.)
Because our work follows a weekly pattern this emotional response can become pretty much ingrained into our lives.
In Melbourne I’d jump on a train and wander the city or motor on over to a book-shop or two. No such easy diversions here.
I’m not really a ‘hide in the countryside’ type of guy. I told my wife the other day that I like being out, but not outdoors.

I heard a sermon yesterday where the preacher was pointing out that pastoral ministry is never ‘done’. Sunday’s over? Sunday’s coming. Yesterday’s sermon was your best ever? Well now the bar of expectation has been raised for your next one.
He mentioned Rowland Croucher’s well known estimation that there are over 12000 former pastors no longer in the pastorate (which I’ve been hearing for years, that figure must have risen by now). Apparently one in four pastors is clinically depressed and two more of those four are borderline, which seems to be based on whether they’ve considered quitting in the week before. Only one in four pastors gets out of bed Sunday genuinely looking forward to going to church.

Now there are those who blame the way we do church for this.
But simply because something is hard and demanding does not in itself make it wrong.
I don’t think the church have been getting it wrong for twenty centuries, and I think we can see something of this demoanding situation reflected in the Bible.
I appreciate the collegial and shared role of leadership with which I am blessed at mgpc, but to paraphrase a former colleague of mine it’s easier not to be the lead guy. In every situation responsibility ultimately rests on an individual, and in a local church that individual is the pastor.
When I was training we used to hear the phrase ‘a pastor’s heart’ a lot. I hear it less so these days, as if the secret of pastoral life is sound education, good skills and access to effective programs.
A pastor’s heart is essential. It means a desire for everyone in the church, wanting them to be in a saving relationship with Jesus and growing more like Him in knowledge and righteousness. It also means a pastor always wants more of that growth for everyone, not because everyone getting more means that pastor wins, but they genuinely want to see everyone in the church family blessed and increased. Even the peopel who hate the pastor’s guts.

What can we do?
Well, not over-reacting is helpful. Don’t come to judgements about situations when you’re tired and drained.
Know that pastoral ministry is long term work. We’re encouraging a community to grow, along with all the individuals in it. Because of the varying life situations of everyone involved process requires patience and constant affirming as you try and bring everyone along as one group. Splits and divisions arise when frustrations lead to short cuts being taken.
Remember that being close to something amplifies your emotional response to it. It is possible build elabourate worst case scenarios in our minds that never actually come to pass. Situations almost never turn out as badly as we fear they will.
Recognise that with every high there comes a low. It is an inescapable part of our present life. It’s not fun, but it is not necessarily a sign something’s wrong. It is a sign of your frailty and need for God’s power and good friends.
Dr Hart’s advice about the depression being an emotion triggered by loss is helpful because it means that on Monday you can figure out what is missing. Usually it will be people who are gone, opportunities that you weren’t able to take because you had to do something else which was just as necessary, even a sense of accomplishment because now you have to do it all over again.
The other thing you can do is consider the Kingdom.
When imprisoned John the baptist once sent messengers to queston the Lord Jesus about whether He was actually the promised one. It would seem that John was having some doubts. Given his life and ministry if anyone was entitled to a ‘Black Dog Monday’ it was John.
His circumstances and feelings, his perceptions of what was happening were not lining up with the message he had proclaimed. His was hardly the experience of a victorious life.
Jesus exhorts John not to focus on his own circumstances and feelings though.
He tells John to consider the unfolding revelation of the kingdom and all the signs of its presence and growth.
We should do the same.
Cultivate an awareness of the signs of spiritual life and growth of the kingdom where you are. They may be smaller than you want, but they are tokens of the Holy Spirit’s work and each one is a God given miracle.
Avail yourself of news and testimonies from afar. Take as much pleasure in the advancement of the kingdom in other churches as if they’d taken place in your own.
Don’t allow your emotions to master your perceptions.
Make them serve you.
You give it all out for God, so His people can be blessed.
Don’t take this weekly reminder of your frailty and limitations as a sign of defeat. Recieve it as a blessed reminder to turn to God so that you can be filled in order to give again.