Cowardice

"A pastor has no right to turn the pulpit into a coward's castle,
and from there attack those in the congregation,
whom he is afraid to meet face to face privately.
It is cruelly unfair to attack an individual who cannot defend himself—
to hold him up, as if on the horns of the pulpit,
before the congregation, (who generally know pretty well who is meant),
and to condemn him without hearing his side,
with the pastor being the only judge and jury."
~J. C. Philpot, "Inquiries and Answers"

Pastors have a tough job.
Everyone relies on them.
Everyone needs them.
Everyone pulls from them.
They're never really "off" work.
Having said that, let me add that there are definite differences between the "good" and "bad" of pastors.

My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear.
Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you.
Not everyone who talks about God comes from God.
There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world.
1 John 4:1 The Message

Let me get some traits of the "bad" out of the way.
These would be traits of those that I've personally come in contact with:

1. Confidentiality - or lack thereof ... Sometimes, the pastor tells all under the guise of having the elders pray. Sometimes, they simply talk to their spouse who then tells all to others. Either way, you can be confident that your confidences are not confidential. These folks consider themselves to be too *spiritual* to gossip... but that's exactly what it is. With them, take it all to the Lord and never to them. The tough times will pass but you can be sure the discussion of your past tough times will be referred to in the future.

2. Preaching "Opinion" - as opposed to God's Word .... The pastor is entitled to his opinion just as anyone else is. But when a pastor preaches his opinion as *fact* and tries to twist Scripture to prove it, then it's really bad. There are 66 books in the Bible and I seriously doubt that any one pastor could cover the preaching of the whole Bible in one lifetime. But sticking to God's Word is the best and only way to preach. God doesn't need anyone to add to it.

3. Judging Unrighteously - Oh how many times I've heard folks "gossiping" and the hearer accepts it as fact. Before long, it's mentioned in a sermon as a specific example and disguised as "truth". Now, the pastor has not only been perpetuating gossip by listening to it but has known gone into the domain of spreading it! Verify it first before you use it! And if you just aren't comfortable if asking someone if what you heard is true about them, then that could be a good indicator that you need to let it go. And if you do have the courage to verify it, then have the courage to ask if it's ok to repeat it from the pulpit to the whole congregation. Chances are that you won't get to the first step! Chances are even better that you won't make it to the second! If all that seems like too much trouble and you can't be bothered with common courtesy, then maybe - just maybe- you could tell the gossiper that you won't listen to gossip? Then all of the above is a moot point.

Why take up time with this?
Because we have so many "walking wounded" in the pews today.
And even more that won't set foot in a building that has pews.
All because of the damage done in the name of God.
And it's not of God, for God, or even through God that the damage is being done!
And people need to know that!