I recently read a convicting and humbling article on 8 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor which contained a brief story about Mister Rogers under the heading of “Cut the Criticism”. Sadly, I have to admit, I have been on both sides of this story.
Presbyterian minister Fred Rogers, creator and host of television’s “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” recently gave an address describing the time he was a student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and attended a different church each Sunday in order to hear a variety of preachers.
One Sunday he was treated to “the most poorly crafted sermon (he) had ever heard.” But when he turned to the friend who had accompanied him, he found her in tears.
“It was exactly what I needed to hear,” she told Rogers.
“That’s when I realized,” he told his audience, “that the space between someone doing the best he or she can and someone in need is holy ground. The Holy Spirit had transformed that feeble sermon for her—and as it turned out, for me too.”
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,and humility comes before honor.
What a lesson in humility. We are often tempted to listen with very “me” centered ears to a sermon, which can often turn into being overly critical. Notice there was nothing that was said in the sermon that Mister Rogers could say was in biblical error, but rather, to him, it seemed poorly crafted. There are times when we must point to truth if a teaching is in error, but this too must be done in grace. In this case, there was no error and God was at work in the life of the one seated right next to Mister Rogers. This lady was hearing the same sermon he thought was one of the worst he had heard and yet was dramatically impacted. What if the tears had not been there? What if he had started in on how poor of a sermon he thought he had just heard? What if he had criticized the preaching of the Word of God that was at work in this lady’s heart?
When we enter into such criticism we often become agents of disunity. We hinder the work of the Word of God in the lives of others in the body, undermining it’s authority and the authority of those called to preach. One individual or a small group in a church pick apart the preaching of the Word. Later they complain that the Spirit is no longer in attendance. Is there any wonder why? Let us be careful with our criticism and be humble in our hearts. If this pride in hearing has crept in, ask for forgiveness, for humble ears, and for a vision of the advancement of the gospel beyond oneself.
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