A Month of Sundays
Every day is Sunday in the life of a pastor. Folks laugh and say: "You only work one day each week." It is a weak joke.
For example, Sunday is two sermons for me. It has been said that one sermon is equal to 8 hours of work. Two sermons would be 40% of a work week. Sunday past Laila and I arrived at church about 6:30 AM. I left church about 7:30 PM, with the last meeting being with Elders' Board for three hours.
But it is not the work or long hours that make up the more serious part of the life of a pastor. It is the ever-present responsibility to spend time with God in intercession for the people. And then to spend time with the people in a loving manner that encourages them to pursue paths of righteousness, i.e., live and act like they are going to heaven.
Having given almost 33 years of my life serving as an under-shepherd (pastor) under the Great Shepherd (Jesus), I am humbled for the privilege of serving Covenant Church. Covenant Church is a body of people resolved to pursue holiness, work in unity, serve each other and the community, and give generously to touch the lives of others in mission fields. I cannot imagine it being possible that a pastor could be more fulfilled serving any congregation.
What makes the above statement even more significant is that Laila feels the same way. She happily gets up 5:30 AM on Sundays to ride to church with me. Most Mondays she stays at church all day. She serves on the Discipleship Committee and Missions Committee, is a pianist, leads a Sunday Night Live for ladies ministry, assists with writing and editing the bulletin, writing Bible Study lessons, teaching classes, etc., as a volunteer and because of her love for God and His people.
This brings me to why we wrote a book: "A Month of Sundays." There are about 325,000 pastors in the United States. About 50% of pastors are 55 years of age or older. Only about 20% are age 40 and younger.
When terrorism struck the United States on 9-11 and the stock market dropped, many pastors lost their retirement. Thousands of pastors are not retiring from pastoring because they cannot afford to retire. Many are discouraged. Weary. Worn-out. They have not served congregations that have been cooperative, visionary, and with a heart to be loving and generous. Too many pastors have bitter stories of having been fired by congregations, done wrong, and they face the end years with meager income and no health insurance.
I have a strong conviction that pastors need to be encouraged. I have a strong conviction that every pastor worth salt has stories of God's Providence and Humor. Too often the pain has hidden these stories. The human side has jaded and shaded the humor and even hidden the hand of God in tough situations.
I say: "You have to get a little distance away. Look in the rearview mirror. Release your ego. Bury your ego. Reflect. Then you can see God's hand. And you may just have a good laugh about something that you have cried about too long!"
Just released, "A Month of Sundays," is 30 short stories of God's Providence and Humor. These are true stories from our lives...simply told in a readable fashion. Told honestly. In some stories I do not win. In some stories the funny part is my own embarrassment. These are not hero stories, but stories about one family and God and how God works in one pastor's life.
These stories will encourage pastors to see the hand of God where they thought the devil had won. Pastors will read these stories and say: "Something like that happened to me." I am convinced that after reading "A Month of Sundays" many pastors will look back and claim lost stories from their own lives.
Laila and I also believe that people who are not pastors will read "A Month of Sundays" and be more appreciative and understanding of their pastor and the pastor's family. They will also be blessed by seeing stories from a different vantage point.
One hope is that pastors will be encouraged. One of our greatest hopes is that older pastors will be encouraged to finish well in a manner that will assist in recruiting young men and women to answer a call to ministry.
Order some to give away as encouragement to others! The retail is $12.95. However, the books are being made available for $10, which includes shipping and handling. Three copies with s/h for $25.00. Ten copies with s/h for $60.00. You may email Laila or call Covenant Church (434-973-5536) to order at these special prices. The books are also available at regular pricing through Amazon.com and other venues.
We hope that enough pastors who read "A Month of Sundays" will respond with stories of their own and we can publish a sequel of their stories. We will assist with editing and writing.
With a pastor's heart,
Pastor Bare