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Perfect Illusion /////// Isabelle Ferguson

"Many such persons desire to be the favorites of their confessors and to become intimate with them, as a result of which there beset them continual occasions of envy and disquiet. They are too much embarrassed to confess their sins nakedly, lest their confessors should think less of them…"

On the topic of this issue, I have seen something similar to this within the modern churches I have attended. The pastors are the leaders of the church. For some reason, the congregation (myself, unfortunately, included) expects them be perfect. As the priests in the past, modern preachers are held to a higher standard as being a closer link to God. Thus, they are held to a higher standard. To heighten this issue, pastors have been known to put on the facade of being higher. With an image like this, people within a church are less likely to show their faults and even be afraid of doing so. Members hide their sins and weaknesses instead of boasting in them. Church becomes a place of resentment, instead of a hospital for faith. It pulls away from the purpose of Christianity. 

This thought made me remember a point from one of my favorite Tyler Perry plays. Everyone that goes to a hospital is sick. They do not go to a hospital seeking the opinion of Greasy Larry in the waiting room of the ER. They go to see the doctor. Thus, when we go to church for spiritual healing, we go seeking God. 

Thoughts?

P.S. I commented on Emmett Bryant's and Haylee Lynd's posts.

Comments

  1. Logan TurnerApril 13, 2021 at 9:19 AM

    I agree. We expect pastors to be perfect models of character, but we often forget that they are human like all of us. As such, expecting them to be perfect is an inherently toxic attitude; one that has led to resentment both inside and outside the church. Like you said, no-one cares about what Greasy Larry has to say

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  2. Haley RiddleApril 14, 2021 at 10:19 PM

    This is so true. The church should be a place where the broken come to find open arms, not judging spirits. It is interesting how we expect pastors to be better and closer to perfect when we teach that none of us can be perfect other than Jesus.

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