Church Workers and Their "Heart Troubles"

A Statement from The Office of the President
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
1333 South Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63122
United States of America

Repeatedly, as I visit with church workers across our Synod, in large and small gatherings, and sometimes just one-on-one, I detect that they are very much troubled at times by the many challenges they face. Sometimes, it is the challenge of totally unrealistic expectations of them, sometimes it is the challenge of a particular problem, or a particularly difficult situation. Often a brother or sister in a church vocation, is overwhelmed by the press of duties and responsibilities. Therefore, let me take a moment to speak a word of encouragement to our church workers.

I would ask that our lay leaders who are "listening in," understand how stressful and trying the work of the full-time church worker actually is. One of the greatest stresses might be that sometimes our congregations and lay leaders do not adequately realize how much work is involved in being a pastor, a teacher, a DCE, a lay minister, a deaconess, a director of Christian outreach and so on.

I was talking with one of our pastors recently who told me about a telephone call his wife received at home. The caller asked for the pastor and his wife replied, "He is not here; he is working at church." The caller said, "He is? I thought he only worked there on Sundays." Now even if this was only misguided humor on the part of the caller, it still reflects an attitude our church workers have experienced at times.

Fellow servants of our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ, we all at times have the same problem the apostles had, whom we hear about in John 14. We have heart troubles! Sometimes you may find yourself filled with sorrow, fear, worry, distress and so forth. It is at these times that you need to hear your Lord say to you, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither be afraid."

Who among us has not had these troubles? No doubt you can recall times of anxiety, restless nights worrying about your congregation and its problems, loneliness, moments when your own problems seem greater than God's solutions. When this occurs, sometimes your problems can seem more real to you than your loving Savior.

It is precisely in these moments that our Savior's remedy for your "heart troubles" is so powerful. He says, "Let not your heart be troubled." He told us why. He explained that in His father's house there are many mansions and that He is preparing one of them for you. All the sorrows, heartaches, disappointments and other troubles you face as church workers lose their bitterness in the sweet promise our Lord gives: "I will come again." There is also our Lord's comforting promise, "I will never leave you nor forsake you," to sustain us during such times of trouble.

Here is how one of my favorite devotional resources describes our Lord's comfort and peace:

"In the healing light of that heavenly assurance, our divine Physician has given us the cure for all our griefs and sorrows. He whose love brought Him to Calvary's Cross, there to open the doors of His Father's house to a world which had spurned His every pleading-He will come again to lead us, His children, across the threshold into the eternal mansions prepared for all who love Him. What a glorious promise!" (The Devotional Bible, CPH, 1948).

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, be of good cheer! Your sins are forgiven. You have the peace of God that passes all understanding. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, says to you, "Let not your hearts be troubled, neither be afraid!"