5 Things Never to Say to a Young Pastor

5. So, who's the senior pastor?
Me. Contrary to popular belief, sometimes young adults can be trusted in a single pastor appointment. In fact, until recently, these appointments were quite common.

4. Oh, our kids/grandkids are your age!
The observation itself is not usually annoying, but you can see that the speakers are imagining their kids/grandkids as a pastor. This often leads to them realizing that their kids would not be a good pastor because they see them as: a)irresponsible, b)not into religion or its traditions, c)still kids even though they're adults, or d)all of the above. They then associate you with all of these things, and start doubting whether or not someone their kids or grandkids' age has any wisdom to share.

3. I'm sure you're great with the youth!
Age has less to do with being gifted in youth ministry than one might think. Some young adults, many of my friends included, are great at youth ministry. Others, myself included, are not. In fact, my father is more gifted in youth ministry than I am. I love the youth, I enjoy hanging out with them, teaching them, and learning from them, but I'm not gifted in youth ministry. Not all young adults are.

2. Oh, so you're going to do contemporary worship/get rid of our traditions/kick out the old people?!
Nope. Just because you think younger people hate everything you love and love everything you hate doesn't always mean they do.

1. You're too young to be a pastor.
Thanks. In one sentence, you have completely invalidated my choice of vocation. How is this any less offensive than telling a 60 year old, "You're too old to be an administrative assistant"?

Looking for a Savior

Finally, the day is here. Pedro Alvarez, the Pirates top prospect, will make his Pittsburgh Pirates debut tonight. Here's a taste of what he offers:



The entire city awaits with anticipation. He has long been touted as the "savior" of the franchise, and the expectations are such that one would hardly be surprised to see him riding into town on a white stallion, performing daring feats of rescue, or turning everyone's hot dogs into filet mignon.

Alas, it is just the most recent example of a group of people looking for a savior in all the wrong places. Americans saw Barack Obama as a savior of a nation less than 2 years ago. Businesses in decline seek saviors to bring things out of the red. Even churches are not immune to such misguided thoughts, often anticipating a change in pastor will turn things around more than Jesus Christ ever would.

I'm excited that Pedro is here, but the fact is he's going to have days where he's 0-4 with 3 K's - maybe starting with tonight. He's going to make errors at 3rd that cost us the game. He's going to hit into crippling double plays. And even if he blossoms into an All-Star slugger, that will probably take a few years to materialize. I'm as excited as anyone about seeing him play in the Bigs, but let's not expect him to be perfect. Let's remember that the savior of the world he is not. That job is already taken.