This quote from Hamlet (Act 3: Scene 1) is such a wonderful quote, for it transcends the literary context found in Hamlet and can have bearing on many facets of life or in the case of Hamlet death. This is what has lead to the posting of this blog this morning. Please understand that there is not an involvement of death in the context of this thought, however the statement is not only applicable it is the best way to describe the future of this Pastor.
When I surrendered to be a Pastor I had an ignorance of all the aspects of what that meant, but over the past several years I have been schooled in the knowledge of “Politics” in the IFB Church. One thing that has always troubled me and at the same time challenged me is the aspect of, “It is not what you know, it is about who you know.” How this has been revealed to me even the past several weeks and is now the dilemma that we once again face.
God’s calling for me to Pastor a Church has never been a question in my mind. Even through difficulties of personal attacks, financial hardships, vicious and brutal lies being spread about my family and me, God has never caused me to doubt the calling he has given, but even through all the difficulties mentioned and unmentioned the greatest of all is not those, it is simply about who you know. I find it so interesting that this is such a difficult facet of trying to find a Church to Pastor, but it is the dilemma that was faced by so many. It is to a point that if you don’t go around trying to get to know everyone and trying to be a good politician then you may not be able to find a ministry to serve in someday.Now that sounds like some good Bible teaching! (I hope the sarcasm was sensed)
And know I hope the title is now made clear, is it to be or is it not to be? Yes that is truly the question! In the context of the situation I face, it seems the” be or not to be” has no bearing or relationship to me but in truth and sincerity it is mostly about the “Who” that know me and how well the “Who” is known.How tragic, but nevertheless is the circumstances we are in. It screams to me of the Church in Corinth who had a problem with man identification instead of Christ identification.
As a Pastor my prayer is to never fall into this snare.One of my friends, who is a Pastor in a Church, has challenged himself to also not be in the conformity of culture when it debunks scriptural authority. I am so glad for men like this who know that the Church is not about “Politics” it is about Christ and in that the “Be or not to be” should be in the hands of the perfect one who won’t get it wrong...Jesus Christ.
