Da Vinci Code and Pastoral Reviews
Thursday night, the church board conducted my annual review. They sent me out of the room, and then took a loooooong time discussing. (I think maybe they all snuck out to Dairy Queen behind my back.)
It was a good evaluation, and I gained some very helpful insights about myself and the way I do ministry.
This morning, I saw reviews of another kind.
It's fascinating to me that the film critics are all over the map in their evaluation of the Da Vinci Code blockbuster.
Here's how they rated it:
The New York Post: A
The Seattle Post Intelligencer: B+
The Chicago Sun Times: B
The San Fransisco Chronicle:B-
Entertainment Weekly: C+
New York Times: C
Hollywood Reporter: C-
Rolling Stone: D
These guys all saw the same film -- but they walked away with vastly different opinions.
It reminds me that not everybody sees things the same way. One person might think I'm a C- pastor, and another will say I'm an "A."
We can't please everybody. Quality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and, when all is said and done, there's only ONE Beholder who counts.
It was a good evaluation, and I gained some very helpful insights about myself and the way I do ministry.
This morning, I saw reviews of another kind.
It's fascinating to me that the film critics are all over the map in their evaluation of the Da Vinci Code blockbuster.
Here's how they rated it:
The New York Post: A
The Seattle Post Intelligencer: B+
The Chicago Sun Times: B
The San Fransisco Chronicle:B-
Entertainment Weekly: C+
New York Times: C
Hollywood Reporter: C-
Rolling Stone: D
These guys all saw the same film -- but they walked away with vastly different opinions.
It reminds me that not everybody sees things the same way. One person might think I'm a C- pastor, and another will say I'm an "A."
We can't please everybody. Quality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and, when all is said and done, there's only ONE Beholder who counts.
Pastoral reviews can be tough and the reality is that people have different ways of looking at things. I trust that leaders do so with an honest intention to do better for the kingdom of God. I need to pray for understanding and humility so I’ll see what I have to.
ReplyDeleteThe grinds of daily ministry can even be worse. A pastor gets misunderstood and criticized by the very people they’ve loved. Being under public scrutiny with unreasonable expectations is disheartening. If one has to be cool, calm and collected, I have to learn from my Lord who did not live to please everyone but “Him who sent me.” I can let criticisms or negative reviews weigh me down. Or I can move on to please the One who called me.
Pastor Mark, thanks for sharing. It was so timely when I read it and gave me needed encouragement.