Bulletins and Job Descriptions

Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:18

That's all it said :)

In my search for a pastor job I come across a variety of interesting...how shall I sum it up...writings (not the best word but it will have to do). From job descriptions, to websites, to e-mails, and in this case bulletins.

Most job descriptions are simply lazy. It's obvious the search committee, if they even have one, copied and pasted their biblical support for a pastor from their constitution, by-laws...or whatever in their job description. The result is the repetitive sight of 1 Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter scripture references.

I don't really know what to think of this. After seeing it so many times, you start to think, "well, duh, every church wants a pastor who fits the standard of God's word. I mean, isn't that common knowledge?" I guess it probably is to the pastors looking for jobs and the churches searching for pastors, but it probably isn't to the congregation. I wonder if these scripture references help calm any congregation's worries by letting them know - "yes, we the elders are looking for a man like the Bible describes." Whew! For a second I thought you might hire someone ungodly and below reproach. IDK, maybe someone's thinkin' that.

But that's my guess why search committees continually add these scripture qualifications as apart of their job description. Because come on, are there really pastors out there who are thinking to themselves, "ahah! I finally found a church who hasn't listed the Timothy, Titus, and Peter references! I'm home free!! I guess they don't care that I'm a multiple wife, addicted to wine, pugnacious person who is way way below reproach! bwahaha....They'll never ask, and I'll never tell of my many dark secrets :|)"

Sadly there are probably a few sickos out there who are more or less like this. OK, there are probably a lot of sickos out there who have convinced themselves they are really OK to pastor a church...b/c hey! freedom in Christ baby, and God forgives...all their consistent and repetitive sin.

But anyways...I got way off topic. The quote from above was a quote I found in a bulletin of a church I was looking at.

It made me laugh out loud :) Why? B/c that's ALL they had written! Nothing else! What words? those words in the verse? hahaha, it still makes me laugh.

It came across like they had a random bible verse generator for the bulletin each week and...surprise!....this was the verse it picked this week :) haha. Oh it's too rich.

I'll talk about bulletins later in another post. I wonder where they started? I mean it's not like the schedule changes drastically each week or has those random surprises that startle the congregation..."George! Oh my! We're singing Be Thou My Vision twice today!!" "I know Myrtle! and look at that - our preacher is singing his whole sermon!! I'm glad we had those bulletins, otherwise it might have frightened our children...to death!"

Alright, love you all - take my comments with a smile on your face, OK? :)

David