Luke 4:40–42 (NIV)
At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah. At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.
To my pastor friend who is crashing today,
Here are six factors that may be weighing on your soul after a busy Easter weekend.
Factor #1 – The Exhaustion. I understand. The crash is real. Today, you are exhausted. Not just normal Monday exhausted. You spent weeks, maybe months, preparing for this last weekend. You look forward to it every year. But when the weekend is done, the adrenaline crash is real. You wonder if it is you. It’s not, but it weighs on your soul.
Factor #2 – The Easter Bump. The Easter bump this year may have included a little disappointment. Attendance was higher than normal, but perhaps not as high as last year. You appreciate all the new faces and those you haven’t seen in some time. It isn’t just the numbers. Numbers represent people. And you love people. However, in the Pacific Northwest where I live, Easter weekend overlapped with Spring Break. We had many families traveling home over Easter weekend. This drop in attendance weighs on our souls. It’s not personal, but let’s be honest. When attendance doesn’t automatically grow, it feels like we are doing something wrong.
Factor #3 – The Experience of Years Past. One of the biggest days of the year is behind you. It went well, and yet today is difficult. The Easter bump is good. In fact, we love the Easter bump, but with it comes years of experience that tell us that we won’t see many of these people again until Christmas, if ever. Their souls weigh on our souls.
Factor #4 – The Exodus. Nearly every pastor I know is leading a church that is smaller than pre-Covid. We all started over as church planters in 2022. Not only is the church smaller, but the costs are also higher. Inflation is a double whammy for every church. The cost of doing ministry is up but the giving is often down because families feel the squeeze at home. It’s not only the financial pressure of a smaller church that weighs on our souls, but the financial pressure is real. Truthfully, we miss people. And we ache for those who have walked away.
Factor #5 – The Expectations You Have of Yourself. Pastors feel a tremendous amount of pressure. Pressure to do better than last year. Pressure to reach new people. Pressure to create an atmosphere that welcomes all. Pressure to keep the ministry moving forward. Pressure to follow up on yesterday’s guests. But let’s be honest. Of all the people we feel pressure from, the person we receive the most pressure from is the one in the mirror. I find that it’s universal. No matter the size of your church, your expectations were likely bigger than reality. Don’t hear me wrong. I’m all for reaching more people for Christ. But it’s hard to separate the exhortation to reach more from the human ego of preferring bigger crowds. The Bible exhorts us to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations. Somewhere along the way, we twisted that to mean … be successful by reaching more people this year than we did last year. While there’s nothing wrong with reaching more for the gospel, defining success in terms of crowds rather than faithfulness to share the gospel warps our souls. And the resulting weight is more than we were made to bear.
Factor #6 – The Excruciating Losses. Last year, I read a post that said that “most people lose 5 to 7 significant relationships over the course of their lifetime, but most pastors lose 5 to 7 significant relationships over the course of a year.” Easter was a reminder of who wasn’t there. Those that are now in Heaven. Those that moved away. Those that left because they disagreed. Those that God moved on for whatever reason. And those that walked away from church and never returned. That loss and our concern for those that walked away weigh heavily on our souls.
Please hear me out. Jesus knows and understands excruciating pain. In spite of all this, nothing changes how Jesus embraces you today. You are loved. You are not defined by the numbers at the gathering over Easter weekend. You are defined by what happened that first Easter weekend when Jesus laid down His life for you. There is grace for you. And His grace is enough. Breathe in His grace and breathe out your exhaustion. Rest in the goodness of Jesus who understands excruciating pain, loss, and the exhaustion of a busy day of ministering to people.
You are loved,
Pastor Brian
A Prayer – From my friend Joe Chambers from his Book – Walking Ancient Paths
Lord God, my Heavenly Father, thank you that, in Christ, I am your beloved. Thank you that your love for me does not depend on my accomplishments, my achievements, or my impressive actions. You love me simply because you made me. You love me because I am yours. I belong to you. Help that truth guide my steps and transform my heart this day. Amen.