What we say to God when we worship our leaders

“Wow, what a great sermon... what an amazing preacher... he is sooo gifted... your church is sooo fortunate to have him... go to that church, you will NOT be disappointed!”

The accolades go on in deference to the man (or woman) who is the spoke’s person for God, but just who puts God in the shade, because it’s all about their gifts, what they’ve done, what they know, who they are.

We idolise gifts.  We idolise deeds.  We idolise what people have done, and ‘who they are’.  It’s crept into all our churches, because the church has adopted a societal norm.

As featured in the photograph, the recent tweet of Diane Langberg, PhD, is salient:

“The abilities and knowledge that bring ministry success can easily become ego food.  If integrity of character is not the measure of a leader, then we will be seduced by gifts.”

Let’s think a little more about this classic Langberg quote.

Pastor worship is the characterisation of a sick culture that puts the things of man ahead of the things of God.  Paul says in Colossians that we’re to set our minds above earthly things, and this is an example of what he’s talking about.

When we make it all about the spiritual gifts a person has, we show very clearly what it’s not about.  It’s not about God.  If we’re seduced by the gifts, it shows just how little integrity of character matters to us.  When it’s not about God, there’s no power in it, even if it seems incredible.

And yet, we may even idolise a pastor’s integrity of character.  “He’s just so humble... can’t you see it?”  See how subtle this is?  Any time we praise our pastors for being ‘more than’, we set them above where it’s good for them and us.  It’s just the same error when we abuse our pastors.  We set them below where it’s good for them and us.

Too often we make the error of idolising some pastors and incriminating others!

Paul told us clearly that “knowledge puffs up,” meaning we draw much pride from what we know.  It is distasteful to God that we idolise our biblical knowledge and show it off.  There’s no glory to God in impressing people with what and how much we know.

Humility wins the favour of God.  Sacrificial love, especially from a leader, wins the favour of God.

Show me a pastor who keeps his or her generosity a secret.  Or, one who refuses to cast someone off just because they’ve got the power to do it.  Or, one who embraces every person equally, who doesn’t have a purple circle, who doesn’t favour some over others.  Or, one who will carry out their promise even when it’s costly to them.  Or, one who is a daily model of repentance.  Or, one who is unafraid of being vulnerable, who is real, and doesn’t hide their weakness.  Or, one that doesn’t take advantage of the vulnerable, and who keeps his hands to himself.  Or, one especially who believes in the value of relationships no matter what.

But such pastors must be allowed to behave in these ways, because many churches are toxic, and pastors can find themselves sacked for their commitment to integrity. 

Let’s also not idolise pastors and leaders of integrity, either.