Clay Vessels
There have been a wave of mega church pastor failures in the past few years. In some ways it has become a pandemic in its own right. A pastor I had spent several years listening to when we first arrived in Ontario just joined their ranks, and he is last on a growing list.
It's hard to name just one emotion that it triggers in my heart when I read headline after headline. Usually I'm fit to be tied for a few days afterwards. As a pastor it triggers a powerful mixture of anger, frustration, sadness, and disappointment all at once. There is also this lingering sense of betrayal that ebbs and flows.
Much digital ink has been spilled discussing why this is taking place. Do we need to detox from this celebrity culture we've created in the church? Absolutely. Do we need more genuine accountability for those who lead churches or travel to teach? Without a doubt. Do we all need to surround ourselves with good friends who will tell us what we need to hear instead of what we want to hear no matter how much is at stake? More than we know.
But there is something else this should all remind us of: that we put our faith in Jesus not the men or women who speak on His behalf.
Idolatry is a dangerous thing, both for the one on the pedestal and the one underneath.
This quote from C.S. Lewis reminds me so much of this truth. I think, without realizing it, many of us have been building on the shore for quite some time. I feel like Jesus had something to say about that...
In my devotions this morning with Mel, this was the passage that we read:
7 Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)
Paul reminds us, that you and I are clay pots. It doesn't matter how well painted or glazed, even the fanciest pot will shatter with a bit of force. If you have been wounded by a story like this, remember, your faith is in Jesus—not the earthen vessel you met Him in. Just because the pot broke, doesn't mean there wasn't treasure inside.