The Parable of the Pastor and the Hermit
By David Rafeedie
Note: On my website, www.davidthecoach.com are five different blog categories, LEADERSHIP, TEAM DEVELOPMENT, SUCCESS FACTORS, TRANSITIONS, and CHURCH. This article is in the CHURCH category. Everything I write is appropriate for any leader or organization. The CHURCH category will have some specific information for leaders and teams in faith-based organizations but may also apply to others as well.
Pastor James sat in his study doing a mental survey of how successful his church was. “We’ve got a beautiful building, we always meet our budget, and we’ve grown in numbers. Our staff is great, and with them, we’re able to offer a variety of programs to meet any families’ needs,” he reflected. “Then… why am I so dissatisfied?”
This dissatisfaction had been gnawing at him for some months. Over lunch one day he made the mistake of sharing that dissatisfaction with a fellow pastor, Sam Bellevue, a guy who always seemed, well, satisfied all the time. Every time James asked him how his church was doing, Sam would always answer, “Great!” James thought he was delusional; after all, this fellow’s church was small, maybe 40 people on a good Sunday. The parking lot needed paving, but they couldn’t seem to find the money to pave it. More than once James wanted to offer to have his church pave it for him, but Sam seemed so content with the way things were, there didn’t seem to be much point in offering. Sam didn’t seem to realize how important appearance was to visitors to the church. Not only that, but they didn’t have many programs to offer. All they had was a Sunday morning service and a few small groups.
At any rate, that’s where the mistake came in. When James mentioned his dissatisfaction to Sam, he expected to hear, “How can you be dissatisfied? You guys are so successful!” Instead, Sam offered some unexpected advice; “Go and see the Wise Man who lives on the big hill at the east end of town.”
“You mean that old hermit that everybody makes fun of?”
“Yeah, that’s the guy; he’ll give you the words that you need to hear.”
“Small church Sam giving me advice…and stupid advice at that!” James indignantly thought as he steered the conversation in an entirely different direction.
One month later, however, James was no closer to resolving his uneasiness and dissatisfaction. As a last-ditch attempt, he decided to go and see the hermit. He waited until dark so no one would see him drive there. He furtively skulked up the steep hill to where the hermit lived. He would have knocked on the door if there had been one, but the hermit lived in a tent. Besides, he was sitting cross-legged (of course) outside of his tent.
“Hello, my name is James Jennings; I’m the pastor of Big City Evangelical Tabernacle. Recently I was speaking with a friend of mine who knows you, Sam Bellevue, and he suggested I come to see you, that you would have some words for me.”
“Really?” responded the wise man. “Why?”
“Well, I’m looking for some perspective. You see, we’re a large successful church, but I’ve had this feeling of dissatisfaction for some time now, and I don’t know why.”
The hermit looked at him thoughtfully and asked, “If you are successful why are you dissatisfied?”
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be here on this hill talking to a hermit!” James thought to himself. “Well, I was hoping you could help me with that,” he said out loud.
“Perhaps I can, perhaps I can,” the wise man said more to himself than to James. “Tell me, Pastor James, why do you say you are successful?”
James said, “Just call me James. We’re successful because we have grown 30% over the last two years, we always meet our budget and then some, and we provide many programs to meet the needs of our people.”
“Hmm…I see your problem, Pastor James. I do have some words for you,” replied the wise man.
“Oh wow, the hermit has words for me. Please share those words of wisdom, your hermitness,” James thought sarcastically. “Just call me James. What are the words you have for me?” he asked.
“Live outside,” the wise man said.
James couldn’t believe his ears. “Live outside,” he repeated.
“Live outside! This guy is nuts. I came out here at night to be told to live outside by a guy who lives outside.”
“Do you mean I should sell my house and by a big tent for my family and me to live in?” asked James.
“I am not talking about your physical presence. I am talking about how you think. I mean to live outside of yourself. If you do that, you will redefine what success means and then you will change what you do, and you will find peace and satisfaction.”
James, struggling to hold it together, replied, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Put feet on God’s heart,” said the wise man.
“Huh?” James thought. “Would you mind explaining that?” he said out loud.
“How does God feel about the world?”
“He loves the world and wants a relationship with people through Jesus,” came his dutiful reply.
“Then go and love the world and teach your church to love the world. Live out God’s love and be His feet on this earth. Pick up the mission He has given the church. Think outside of the walls of the church and build relationships. Don’t measure your success by the normal things a church uses, but measure your success by how well you are carrying out the mission of Jesus. Think kingdom and live outside. Only then will you find peace and satisfaction.”
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This little parable raises uncomfortable questions for us who belong to the body of Christ: How do we measure ‘church success’? Do we tend to restrict our thinking and relationships within the church walls? How well are we carrying out the mission of Jesus to love the world? These are not new questions for the church, yet, it seems we must always keep asking them because the church in the west is struggling to reach people for Christ in a significant way.
Living out the ideas offered by the hermit would mean that the church would be missional in its worldview, realizing that God is at work in the world and that the church is created to join Him. I like how Reggie McNeal defines missional, “Missional is a way of living, not an affiliation or activity.”[1] Another way to say this is that a church must be externally focused; our mission is not what we do but how we live. A missional church doesn’t have an Outreach Team; it is the outreach team.
For a church to be missional, a radical shift is required in how the church views itself and the world that God has sovereignly placed it in. Where do you live? Together, where do we live? God help us to live outside.
The right coach can help you and your church move to a more missional stance. If you are reading this on social media, check out my website www.davidthecoach.com for more information on other leadership issues. Click on the “contact me” button if you want to have a conversation. I would love to talk with you.
[1] Reggie McNeal, Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church, Jossey-Bass, p xiv.