Over the past couple of weeks, as more and more cards and notes appeared on my desk, in my mail, and in my inbox, all thanking me for serving as their minister, I began to wonder if someone had announced my retirement without my knowledge, or if I looked a little discouraged and folks were just trying to lift my spirits. I had forgotten that October is Pastor Appreciation Month.
For the most part, I have been blessed to “feel” appreciated by the core membership of the congregations I have served. But I’m pretty sure that is not the universal experience of pastors. I am told by my counselor friends that pastors are highly discouraged and usually teeter on the brink of depression. Pastors feel a deep sense of responsibility for their flock, and yet in our current mobile culture, though we are called to “shepherd the sheep,” due to the multiple loyalties of our church members, ministry can feel a lot like “herding cats.”
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