If There Is A Mistake In The Pulpit

By Marty Norman 

Webster’s dictionary defines a pastor as “a herdsman or a spiritual overseer, fr pascere to feed” – an apt description for a man called to watch over God’s flock.

It is a well known fact that a pastor has responsibilities, accountable for what he preaches and teaches from the pulpit.  If he’s grounded in scripture, he is more than likely not to lead his flock astray, to feed in fields that are not made for safe grazing, or to drink from polluted streams. The scripture tells us that if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.

Clearly a major mistake in the pulpit can lead to destruction. Confusion, a thick fog, and/or distorted thinking will follow. We have seen this with pastors like Tammy Faye and Jim Baker. Taken to the extreme, men like Jim Jones and David Koresh, have pastured their flock unto death.

The consequences that result from pastors not accountable to a church authority are devastating. Those in their pews fall into the category of cloudy thinkers at the least, or muddled minds or distorted views, at best. Why else would they have followed these men to such untimely and dramatic deaths?  

But what about the flock?  When they reach the age of accountability, don’t they bear some responsibility, too? You bet they do. The same dictionary that defines pastor defines fog is “a state of confusion or bewilderment”, an apt description for a congregation lead astray.

But did you ever stop to think that if you are a parent, a mom or dad, that you, too, are a pastor, called to watch over God’s flock, those little ones placed in your care while you are here on earth. The responsibilities are enormous, the possible consequences, life-threatening.

Being grounded in scripture and having a mentor are important components of a Christian walk. You have heard it said, so go the parents, so also go the kids; a twig does not fall far from the branch. Children learn from the feet of the master – and that master to them is you.  To have a healthy family, parents need to be grounded in the word. Only when we sit at the feet of our master, can we truly be useful vessels for his glory.

The truth is that we all make mistakes and get off track. Any pastor who is truly walking with the Lord is quickly chastened when he gets off track by a vestry or elder board.  Spiritual directors, mentors or accountability groups are a good source of accountability for lay people. Mentoring on a weekly or monthly basis helps steer a steady course. Many a pastor has lost his job because he failed to heed the warnings of the elders; many a layperson fell because he did not listen to his accountability partner. Even pew sitters have been known to be challenged by covenant groups or discipleship partners.

A run through of the news illustrates this spiritual principle clearly. Alternate lifestyles are on the rise. Polygamists, transvestites, communal cults, pornography, wife-swapping, the list goes on.  How will our children learn to make wise choices if we don’t guide them when they are young?  How will they learn to see through the fog if we don’t equip them with fog lights?

Recently I heard about a child who was recently removed from the home. Named Adolph Hitler at birth he was clearly a victim of emotional abuse. Not a one time mistake with siblings named Aryan Nation and  Heinrich Himmler, protective services rightly stepped in.  The parents defense was that they had read these names in a book and liked them. But I submit that they were in a fog, either deceived by the evil one himself or they had never been taught right from wrong.  Either way, mistakes were made in the pulpit of their homes by their parents, for the fog in their pew was palatable.

As believers, we have many checks and balances. Checking actions with scripture, seeking wise counsel, and brainstorming consequences are exercises worth noting.  Asking questions such as:  

What am I modeling when I drink and drive?  

Do I take the Lord’s name in vain and what message is this sending my children?  

What movies and books do I read and what values do my kids glean from this?  

How am I on patience and listening?

Am I modeling a Christian lifestyle or is my behavior no different from the world’s?  

Keeping in mind that a mistake made in the pulpit goes a long way in creating a fog in the pew, let’s help our children and grandchildren come out of the smog of the world and bring them into the light of the word of God.  Let’s clear up the fog so that God’s way and his commands are clear.

Shining our headlights on God’s word allows the path to become clear and straight for our families.  No more fog on this road – and that’s a green light from this end.

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, an encyclopedia Britannica Company. @ 2005.

Marty Norman is a wife, mother, and grandmother, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas .  She is the author of “Generation G – Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray.” Email her at martynorman@gmail.com and check out her website at www.martynorman.com. Her blogs can be found at http://martynorman.blogspot.com, and http://savvygrandmothers.blogspot.com.

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