y Fr. John Nahal B eing a priest is no laughing matter. In fact, it is what I believe to be the highest and most important calling on the face <strong>of</strong> the earth. Pastoring and preaching are second to none, and as I elaborate a little bit on the priesthood, I want a better understanding <strong>of</strong> and a deeper appreciation for the men God has placed in your lives we call priests. In this article, I want to deal with one thing: I believe that as members <strong>of</strong> the Lord’s churches, there are certain responses we owe to priests in light <strong>of</strong> their calling. A Church’s Response God calls a man to do the work <strong>of</strong> the ministry. God has found that man faithful, <strong>of</strong>tentimes seeing in the man things that the man can’t even see himself. He leads some church out there to call that man to be their priest. He has equipped and enabled him to fulfill his calling, and has given him divine authority to carry out that calling. What then should be the church’s response to that man? What are your responsibilities to your priest? Recognize His First Loyalty Look with me at 1 Corinthians 4:1-4. 1 Paul said, “ So then, men ought to regard us as servants <strong>of</strong> Christ and as Being a Priest! those entrusted with the secret things <strong>of</strong> 2 God. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove 3 faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, 4 I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” Whether they mean to or not, many people are overly critical <strong>of</strong> priests. In my opinion, it is usually when they didn’t get their way or when the priest didn’t do something to suit them. He may not have visited them enough or called them at the right times or perhaps he preached something they disagreed with. Priests are ministers <strong>of</strong> Christ. Priests are stewards <strong>of</strong> the mysteries <strong>of</strong> God. A priest’s first loyalty is to God, and if our church is to be a healthy church, we must recognize that loyalty. Honor him A lot <strong>of</strong> folks have mistaken ideas about what it means to honor God’s man. When Paul mentioned honoring those who labored in word and deed, he specified the financial support <strong>of</strong> those who labored. That is certainly one way to honor God’s man, but there are other ways to do so. Respect the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> priesthood. There are some policemen that I do not respect, but I respect the <strong>of</strong>fice they hold and I know there is much more to it than what I see. The same is true <strong>of</strong> a priest. You can respect the <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> priesthood. Don’t treat priests with contempt, and don’t tolerate others who do. Allow Him to Fulfill His Calling I do want to point out that God has called men to join Him in His work, and too <strong>of</strong>ten there are churches or members <strong>of</strong> churches who really aren’t interested in being a part <strong>of</strong> that work. There are some who are content to hear a sermon and be left alone. There are some who are content with the status quo. There are some who are afraid to move, afraid to spend, afraid to work, afraid <strong>of</strong> change, and afraid <strong>of</strong> what God might do. There are those who don’t want to be bothered; those who are filled with self-interest. If God calls a man to lead, and you as a church call that man to lead, then he must be allowed to lead. Encourage Him Did you know that… • 90% <strong>of</strong> pastors work more than 46 hours a week • 80% believed that pastoral ministry affected their families negatively • 33% said that being in ministry was an outright hazard to their family • 75% reported a significant stressrelated crisis at least once in their ministry • 50% felt unable to meet the needs <strong>of</strong> the job • 90% felt they were inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands • 70% say they have a lower selfesteem now than when they started out • 40% reported a serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month • 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend. There is no doubt that being in the ministry is hazardous to one’s health and well-being, so how do you encourage the God-called man? You can pray for him. Tell him you’re praying for him. You can write a note; care for him; stand with him; work with him, feed him, buy him cars and send him on luxurious vacations (just kidding!) and did I mention pray for him? Hold Him Accountable to Fulfill His Calling Like anyone else, priests can allow many other things to distract them from their calling. Some are legitimate, others are not. Some get involved in other jobs, community affairs, they get distracted by money or marriage or school. Sometimes they get discouraged. Other times they are elated. (Continues on page 24) The <strong><strong>Maron</strong>ite</strong> <strong>Voice</strong> Volume V Issue No. VII Page 22 July - August 2009
The <strong><strong>Maron</strong>ite</strong> <strong>Voice</strong> Volume V Issue No. VII Page 23 July - August 2009
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