By Roosevelt Wright, Jr.
Pastors in small churches (under 500 active members) have an intimacy that megachurch pastors don’t: They know their members’ strengths and weaknesses. That presents a challenge when God inspires a message that may step on toes or seem like it is revealing confessed secrets or may be an attack.
That’s when the wise pastor learns the power of “we.” If the pastor puts himself in the arena of weakness to be preached about, the truth becomes a shared journey rather than a lecture from on high. It transforms the sermon from a critique into a communal pursuit of grace. It never says “You sin,” it says “we” sin and “we” need to ask for grace.
To avoid the appearance of “targeting” specific people or well-known problems, lean heavily on the integrity of the Scripture. By letting the Word be the authority, you move the focus away from your personal observations and back toward God’s standards.
Remember, “we” often fall into sin. “We try but sometimes fail.” “We try to be faithful, but temptation is everywhere.”
The “called” pastor cannot avoid the tough subjects, but wisdom makes it easier if he puts himself among the weak and then reminds the congregation that the same God who sees their flaws is the one providing the strength to change.
Learning to walk that tightrope is an essential expression of pastoral care. Those who remember that the scripture speaks to the pulpit as well as to the pew, find it easier to accept it when the sermon seems to “get in their business.”
No matter what the fault, whether it’s in the pulpit or the pew, once confessed and overcome, is covered by the forgiving grace of God.
