Today is Pastor Appreciation Day and — WAIT — before you exit out of this because you’re not a churchgoer…hang on. This might be something you can relate to.
First of all, if you’ve already been to church and back, the whole month is Pastor Appreciation Month or you could just text your church leader with a “Hey! I totally forgot! My bad!”
I know it doesn’t seem like as many people go to church as there used to be and there are apparently a number of reasons for that. You can find many articles online that cover this issue. I personally feel that many churches just never recovered from Covid. That was a time when we couldn’t go to church and by the time many of them reopened we got out of the habit. It is so easy to sleep in on a Sunday morning and grab another cup of coffee while you scroll through your phone.
I still like going to church. My mother used to take me every week. My wife and I (who actually met at church) took our children weekly. We taught Sunday School and sang in the choir. In fact we still sing every week when we’re in town.
And that leads me to Pastor Appreciation Day and the purpose of this week’s column.
Our Pastor at the First Congregational Church in Fairhaven is Rev. Bette McClure and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate her. She’s helped me in so many ways over the 20+ years I’ve known her. She confirmed all four of my children and has officiated at the wedding of three-out-of-the-four. (The last one is still single.) Rev. Bette- has celebrated with us, consoled us, been there with me through my surgeries and challenges. She also inspires and challenges me with her Sunday messages. And just a few years ago she encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and fill in for her and deliver a Sunday sermon. Once I got passed the nerves I think it went okay.
One thing that truly sets her apart, and hopefully you have someone in your life just like this, is her concern for others. (This is the part that I hope we can all relate to even if you don’t go to church.) There’s no doubt in my mind that she cares about me, my family, our church and community.
I have been fortunate to witness those characteristics in a few different people in my life. Some were clergy and others were not. They may have been teachers, leaders, coaches or, many times, just regular folk like you and me. There was just something about them. Yes, they were nice people but it was more than that. Just being around them made you feel good. You got the impression that they cared about what you were thinking or feeling. If you needed help they were there to lend a helping hand or to say to you just what you needed to hear. It may not always have been what you wanted to hear but it was what you needed.
Do you have someone like that in your life? I certainly hope so.
I try to be that person to others. I don’t always succeed but I do try. And one thing I’ve discovered over the years is that it’s not that difficult to accomplish. No really!
What’s the first thing we can do? Get outside of yourself. I’m sure we all have selfish moments, I know I do, but don’t dwell there. Look around. Care about others.
How about learning to listen. I mean… really listen. For years I would always listen but I was actually waiting for you to finish so that I could speak. I’m trying not to do that anymore and you know what? It’s not easy! Some habits are very hard to break, but I keep trying. Yes, listen to others and actually care about what they’re saying instead of pretending to be interested. You don’t have to have all the answers. I think just being there for someone can mean more than you’ll know.
There is so much division in this country nowadays but I really feel that one thing we need to come together on is the fact that we need each other. We need to help each other. I’m not talking about handouts or new federal programs. There are plenty of other blogs or TikTok’s for that. I’m talking about common decency and caring. Someone’s hurting? Help them out. Someone needs to talk? Take time to listen.
Back to Pastor Appreciation Day: When I started thinking about my Pastor, I remembered her concern for others. If you have someone in your life like that, let it inspire you look in the mirror and see if that’s something you could improve on. Can’t hurt!
Catch up on previous Sunday Columns by clicking here.
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