THE NEW PASTOR

He felt called of the Lord to teach others His Word,
And he sacrificed much to prepare.
He prayed and he studied the deep truths of God,
And readied himself with much care.

He longed to tell others the things he had learned,
And help them repent of their sin;
To find life eternal, and joy in their hearts,
By inviting the Lord to come in.

He was asked by a church to come pastor their flock,
And he eagerly gave them his love.
He poured out his heart and expounded the Word,
While seeking his power from above.

But though the church members had begged him to come,
And seemed anxious to hear from his heart,
It didn't take long for the gossip to flow,
And for the backbiting to start.

Some people complained that he spoke much too long,
And some said 'twas not long enough.
A lot of folks thought that his preaching was weak,
And other folks judged it too tough.

His wife and his kids were all objects of scorn.
What they did, and they said, were fair game.
If something went wrong anywhere in the church,
There was always the pastor to blame.

He was called homophobic, narrow-minded, and wrong,
When he tried to convict folks of sin.
Though he wept, and he prayed, and he gave all he had,
He knew that he never could win.

He finally felt he could take it no more,
So, broken and bruised, he resigned.
And just like the preachers they'd run off before,
The church members set out to find

Another new pastor to come lead their flock.
They wanted one they could control.
And Satan sat back and applauded with glee,
For he had accomplished his goal.

                                 Betty Jo Mings

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