Everybody wants me to be what they want me to be

The Commodores used to sing a song entitled, "Easy". Part of the lyrics goes like this:

"Everybody wants me to be what they want me to be
And I´m not happy when I try to fake it yeah"

I heard that this morning and the words just kind of hit me. Everybody wants me to be what they want me to be.

Do you ever feel that way? I do. Everyone has their own idea of what they think a pastor should be like.

I've always felt uneasy with that.

There's a line from the movie "Elephant Man" where the main character cries out, "I am not an animal!" There are times when I want to cry out, "I am not a pastor (in the way some think a pastor should be) - I am a person! I am a Christian! I am a father! I am a friend! I am a husband!" I am all of these things.

Don't try to pigeonhole me into what you think I should be.

Over the years the ideal of a pastor has changed -from generation to generation.

In today's culture, we are gravitating toward the pastor being a friend, a counselor, a fellow servant of Christ, a teammate in the kingdom. I like that.

I am pleased that we are beginning to put away this idea of a pastor being someone who is aloof, distant and authoritative.

I am learning that we are drawn to one another as we exchange our victories and defeats, our joys and our sorrows, our ups and our downs.

I'm not saying that a pastor should not operate in the spiritual authority that God gives him/her. I'm not saying there are times when the pastor is called upon to lead and leadership can be lonely.

I am saying that along with being a leader, a pastor is a brother in Christ, with the same kind of needs and wants as all of us in the kingdom.

I'm thankful that our church is filled with family members who feel the same way I do. I'm thankful that Debbie and I are already beginning to establish some great friends. I'm thankful that we are learning to relax and take off our masks and accept one another as we are. People filled with flaws and imperfections. People needing and wanting love, acceptance and forgiveness in the midst of an intolerant world.