I once visited a very successful business. The owner and I chatted for a while. He told me, “If you ever have an experience that’s out of the ordinary, please give us some grace. If you have the same experience again, please let me know. The first time could just someone having a bad day.”
I respected that honesty.
Nobody, no matter how genuine they are or how hard they try, always gets it right.
This is very true for us as Pastors. It’s very real for me, personally.
It’s been especially true throughout this year. Navigating a pandemic and massive cultural upheaval, each of which requires its own set of care, has not been easy. There is no playbook.
We haven’t always gotten it right.
I can promise you this: We won’t always get it right, either.
As one very wise Preacher once shared, “If you’re looking for the perfect church, you won’t find it. The moment you set foot inside, you bring your own imperfections with you.”
So… Here’s what I’m asking: Can you be patient with us?
This isn’t something that I’m asking just for this season. I’m asking for this from here on out.
This past Sunday, I was trying to explain a complicated truth during my message. I didn’t explain it correctly, and in fact, you could infer something that would be incorrect from how I said explained it. Even as I said it, I was going “oh noooooo” on the inside. I spent the next few sentences offering some explanation and clarification. This happens a lot because as much as I prepare and practice, I’m not perfect.
I’m not capable of getting it right, but Jesus got it right for me, just like He did for you. It’s HIS righteousness that I stand on, just like you.
Here’s what I can promise: though we’ll never be perfect, I promise to make progress.
Progress takes time. There are lessons to be learned, not repeated.
Learning is a lot like reading a book. I can download a book in under a minute to my iPad, but it will take me weeks to down the wisdom to my heart. Learning lessons works like that for all of us.
So… please be patient with us. We’re learning, but I promise we’re making progress.