“You’re putting me on, right?”

“I’m telling you the truth. I want you to send out a letter to all the pastors telling them that from now on, I am their lord and I will give them instructions on how to do their job.”

“And how long have you had these delusions?”

“Ever since I got that letter from Pastor Sam Hickson over at Calvary-Industrial Church fussing at me because I was not at the community prayer walk he scheduled that Saturday a couple of weeks ago. He was really blistering.”

“Yeah. I thought it was a little over the top.”

“Over the top! He was banishing me to the nether regions because I didn’t buy into his agenda.”

“I don’t think it was that bad. And it wasn’t just you.”

“Well, I don’t mean I’m taking it personally, like he was attacking just me. I assume he sent the letter out to all the pastors.”

“You’re the third one this week who says he’s gotten the letter. The others feel about like you do.”

“So, what are you going to do about it? You’re the director of missions!”

“Let me make a note of that.”

“You know what I’m saying. You need to do something about Sam. He’s ruining the fellowship of the pastors and besides, think of the presumption of what he did–schedule an event and then make it a matter of loyalty whether we show up or not.”

“I don’t plan to do anything. I’m not his Lord. And, frankly, you’re not either. Let’s let the Lord take care of him.”

“Well. I guess so. It just ticked me off is all.”

“Bobby, do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure. What do you have in mind?”

“There’s another pastor in our association I’d like to get your input on.”

“Another loose cannon, huh? Shoot. What’s up with this one?”

“At our last monthly pastors meeting, he stood up and raked the others over the coals because they weren’t doing what he thought they ought to be doing.”

“Sam Hickson’s twin, huh.”

“Pretty much. In this case, the pastor was knocking on doors in his community, spreading the gospel. He would take a handful of New Testaments and go down the street, handing them out, looking for people who were interested in speaking with him about their spiritual needs. This was his method of evangelism and as far as he was concerned, every pastor in the association ought to be doing the same thing.”

“In fact,” I continued, “he lambasted the other pastors for not doing one-on-one evangelism in their communities the way he was doing it. He offended several of them.”

A long silence.

“You’re talking about me. I did that.”

“Yep. You’re the culprit.”

“Did you have complaints?”

“Actually, I didn’t. I think your remarks struck a sensitive nerve with most of those present. We all know we ought to be doing more witnessing and you just drove the point home. But you were highly insensitive and even a little judgmental.”

“So, I’m Sam Hickson’s twin. Who would have thought?”

“Bobby, think a moment. Have you ever had someone in your church who started doing something for the Lord, then turned around and fussed at others because they weren’t doing the same thing?”

“Have I! In fact, we had one last week. You know Mary Margaret Lawson? She just retired from the dry cleaners down the street from my church. Well, she started working at the mission center on the Southside, handing out used clothing to the needy and last Sunday, she stood up in Sunday School and lowered the boom on the other women in the church for not helping. She was absolutely brutal. I had never seen her that way before. It was embarrassing.”

I didn’t need to say anything. He was doing just fine.

“Is that what I was doing?” he asked.

“That’s how it seems to me. You and Sam Hickson. In fact, from time to time, we all do that.”

“Hey, I remember. It’s in the Bible, where Jesus was talking to Simon Peter about His plans for him in the future, and Peter is squirming under the pressure and says, ‘Lord, what about John over here? What’s he going to do?’ And Jesus said, ‘What is that to you? You follow me.'”

He laughed and continued, “I’ve always been critical of Peter for that. He was such a busybody, wanting to make sure that if God had work for him that John did his share also.”

“And Jesus assured Peter that what John did was none of his business, right?”

Bobby laughed again. “Boy, I sure fell into a trap of my own making!”

I said, “There’s another incident in the Bible along this line. The one where Jesus comes to the home of Mary and Martha in Bethany.”

He said, “Oh, I’ve preached that one a hundred times. Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, worshiping, listening to His stories. Meanwhile, Martha is cleaning house, preparing meals, and doing all the things a good hostess would do. And finally, she can’t take it any more and comes in and says, ‘Master, don’t you care that Mary has left me to do all the work around here! Would you speak to her and tell her to get up and come help me!'”

“It’s the same syndrome, Bobby. We’re doing the work the Lord has given us to do, so naturally, we think everyone else ought to be doing the same thing. We look around and see a brother or sister who is quietly sitting down, just listening to Jesus, and it really steams us. We don’t have time for this worship business–there’s work to be done.”

“Ha,” he said. “I don’t think we’d say it just that way.”

“But that’s the point. There’s something inside us that refuses to sit quietly at the feet of Jesus so long as we can find work to be done–a letter to be written, an article read, a phone call returned.”

“Well, I think I’ve had my plow cleaned enough for today. Let me head out of here and try to process what we’ve talked about.”

“May I make a suggestion? Run by and see Sam Hickson. He could use a friend right now.”

“I hope you’re not telling me to apologize to him for not attending his prayer walk. That’s the last thing I feel like doing.”

“My guess is that by now Sam regrets sending out that letter. I’d not even mention it, if I were you. But don’t be surprised if he does. But whether he apologizes or not, he could sure use a friend right now.”

“Thanks for being mine.”

“You’re welcome.”

(The scripture incidents referred to are found in John 21 and Luke 10.)