Gregg Lamm sent me a link to Lark News, which describes itself as “a good source of Christian news”. Here are a few of the fascinating news stories I found on there:
That smile thing really isn’t very funny. I think being a pastor’s wife is often one of the megasuckiest jobs in the world, with perhaps one of the very highest ever workload/expectation to rewards/kudos ratios (right up there with being a mom).
no, you’re right. It does so far better than I did. I guess I just wanted to point out that among the possible responses to the story was “chuckle and then forget”, and that perhaps this is not necessarily the ideal response, especially for people who regularly interact with a pastor’s wife or husband, or several of them.
I like your response better than ‘chuckle and forget’, Benjamin – i.e. we should be concerned about the burdens which the Christian subculture tends to place on pastors’ wives.
I will say that there has been a definite shift in Christian church culture over the past twenty years in how pastor’s spouses are viewed and treated.
Most flocks no longer feel that when a pastor is hired that they’re getting “two for the price of one.” This shift has taken much of the pressure off pastor’s spouses — for no longer are they “expected” to play the piano, teach Sunday School and loyally visit shut-ins alongside the pastor, all the while maintaining a household with a “June Cleaver” elegance and perfection.
Rather, now the expectation is that the pastor’s spouse should support the pastor and be involved in the life of the church in the same way other folks involved in the life of the flock — in accordance with their spiritual gifts, personality, experience, and callngs.
This shift is much appreciated, but it probably hasn’t happened in all church groups, or in all parts of the USA. There are probably numerous contributing factors to this shift … but chief among them that I’m aware of are …
More and more pastor’s spouses have part-time or full-time jobs of their own.
More and more elder boards, wanting their pastors to stay longer (sad the say, the average time a pastor stays at a church in the USA is around 3 years), have learned this new way of looking at the pastor’s spouse out of a desire to relieve pressure in the “fishbowl”, thus nourishing greater health in their pastor’s family and greater longevity of his/her commitment to staying at the church long-term.
I want to know about the pastor’s husband does he have a fixed grin as well :)
or how many other church goers turn up each week, grin rather than bare it and feel that somehow they’ve done their bit for God – a la the Joker, smiling on the outside but crying [dying?] on the inside…
i don’t think christianity is something that you can fake till you make… but maybe that’s jus me…
Most flocks no longer feel that when a pastor is hired that they’re getting “two for the price of one.” This shift has taken much of the pressure off pastor’s spouses — for no longer are they “expected” to play the piano, teach Sunday School and loyally visit shut-ins alongside the pastor, all the while maintaining a household with a “June Cleaver” elegance and perfection.
I suspect great strides are taken on this issue when a church hires a woman on staff who has a male spouse. All of sudden, there is cause for a major re-examination of the perception of the role of staff spouses.
I suspect great strides are taken on this issue when a church hires a woman on staff who has a male spouse. All of sudden, there is cause for a major re-examination of the perception of the role of staff spouses.
I expect a similar re-examination of the role of “First Lady” when we finally elect a woman president.
I suspect great strides are taken on this issue when a church hires a woman on staff who has a male spouse. All of sudden, there is cause for a major re-examination of the perception of the role of staff spouses.
As a pastor’s wife … er, I mean “spouse” myself, I don’t know how it used to work, but in our case, the issue is that people tend to treat my wife, a pastor, like a pastor’s wife and me as just a regular guy. Which is sad … becuase my wife is extremely competent but constantly feels underappreciated. In fact, every time the church prays for the pastors and their spouses, they forget me every time. That really bothers her.
For me, I don’t feel like I’m expected to be anything other than what I am … just a guy whose wife is on staff and who wants to do all he can to serve God. Maybe it’s a guy thing, but I’ve got nothing to prove so I don’t care.
Actually, I was *this* close to getting a boob job so I could fit the part, but thanks to this article, I now know that all I really need is a surgically implanted smile.
For me, I don’t feel like I’m expected to be anything other than what I am … just a guy whose wife is on staff and who wants to do all he can to serve God. Maybe it’s a guy thing, but I’ve got nothing to prove so I don’t care
Is it possible that you are uniquely positioned to teach your congregation something useful about “pastor’s wives”? Since you are one but, despite that, have a voice because you are male?
Actually, I was *this* close to getting a boob job so I could fit the part, but thanks to this article, I now know that all I really need is a surgically implanted smile.
Whew!!
Wow, I didn’t know you were considering surgery – last I heard all you were doing was taking knitting lessons ;-)
Seriously, one of the funniest things I’ve ever read was at http://www.theonion.com. It was a “news story” explaining a new marketing strategy that had been launched by Starbucks in one of their Cambridge, MA stores. And what was at the epi-center of this new promotional action plan? That Starbucks had just opened the first “Starbucks inside the bathroom of an existing Starbucks” — you know, just to make sure they were covering all their bases.
You can read the whole story at the following here …
Sometimes laughter is indeed the best medicine. Good night and Godspeed.
I just think it is a sad commentary on someones interpretation of a Christian Life when ANYONE feels they must be smiling in order to be a valid and worthy follower. Her smile
may be permanent and fake NOW but it was also fake BEFORE! So, whatever!!
I am also wondering what ‘hand signal’ she is actually giving her husband when he’s not really looking..
I’d flip him off for supporting such a ludicrous idea.
But with a little stretch of the imagination, it almost could be true – that is the essential essence of satire.
I agree with you, it is quite wrong for people to be led to feel they need to put on a happy face and cover up struggles and difficulties. We need to be real.
Comment by: Rachel
1My sainted Gramps believed that Hebrews was written by Priscilla. I’m stickin’ with that theory. :-)
Comment by: Doreen
2I really liked this one
“Gay NIV broadens Bible’s appeal”
Comment by: benjamin ady
3That smile thing really isn’t very funny. I think being a pastor’s wife is often one of the megasuckiest jobs in the world, with perhaps one of the very highest ever workload/expectation to rewards/kudos ratios (right up there with being a mom).
Comment by: Karen
4Here’s my favorite: “‘Growing Kids Satan’s Way’ popular with non-Christian parents” ;-)
Comment by: Helen
5Benjamin, I didn’t think of it as making fun of pastors’ wives but more as pointing out that they have a megasucky job.
Comment by: benjamin ady
6no, you’re right. It does so far better than I did. I guess I just wanted to point out that among the possible responses to the story was “chuckle and then forget”, and that perhaps this is not necessarily the ideal response, especially for people who regularly interact with a pastor’s wife or husband, or several of them.
Comment by: Helen
7I like your response better than ‘chuckle and forget’, Benjamin – i.e. we should be concerned about the burdens which the Christian subculture tends to place on pastors’ wives.
Comment by: Paul
8lol :)
Comment by: Gregg Lamm
9Friends,
I will say that there has been a definite shift in Christian church culture over the past twenty years in how pastor’s spouses are viewed and treated.
Most flocks no longer feel that when a pastor is hired that they’re getting “two for the price of one.” This shift has taken much of the pressure off pastor’s spouses — for no longer are they “expected” to play the piano, teach Sunday School and loyally visit shut-ins alongside the pastor, all the while maintaining a household with a “June Cleaver” elegance and perfection.
Rather, now the expectation is that the pastor’s spouse should support the pastor and be involved in the life of the church in the same way other folks involved in the life of the flock — in accordance with their spiritual gifts, personality, experience, and callngs.
This shift is much appreciated, but it probably hasn’t happened in all church groups, or in all parts of the USA. There are probably numerous contributing factors to this shift … but chief among them that I’m aware of are …
More and more pastor’s spouses have part-time or full-time jobs of their own.
More and more elder boards, wanting their pastors to stay longer (sad the say, the average time a pastor stays at a church in the USA is around 3 years), have learned this new way of looking at the pastor’s spouse out of a desire to relieve pressure in the “fishbowl”, thus nourishing greater health in their pastor’s family and greater longevity of his/her commitment to staying at the church long-term.
Godspeed.
read.think.pray.live.
Gregg
http://www.stayingthecourse.blogspot.com
Comment by: Paul
10I want to know about the pastor’s husband does he have a fixed grin as well :)
or how many other church goers turn up each week, grin rather than bare it and feel that somehow they’ve done their bit for God – a la the Joker, smiling on the outside but crying [dying?] on the inside…
i don’t think christianity is something that you can fake till you make… but maybe that’s jus me…
Comment by: NCxian
11I suspect great strides are taken on this issue when a church hires a woman on staff who has a male spouse. All of sudden, there is cause for a major re-examination of the perception of the role of staff spouses.
Comment by: Rachel
12I expect a similar re-examination of the role of “First Lady” when we finally elect a woman president.
Comment by: Mike O
13As a pastor’s wife … er, I mean “spouse” myself, I don’t know how it used to work, but in our case, the issue is that people tend to treat my wife, a pastor, like a pastor’s wife and me as just a regular guy. Which is sad … becuase my wife is extremely competent but constantly feels underappreciated. In fact, every time the church prays for the pastors and their spouses, they forget me every time. That really bothers her.
For me, I don’t feel like I’m expected to be anything other than what I am … just a guy whose wife is on staff and who wants to do all he can to serve God. Maybe it’s a guy thing, but I’ve got nothing to prove so I don’t care.
Actually, I was *this* close to getting a boob job so I could fit the part, but thanks to this article, I now know that all I really need is a surgically implanted smile.
Whew!!
Comment by: NCxian
14Is it possible that you are uniquely positioned to teach your congregation something useful about “pastor’s wives”? Since you are one but, despite that, have a voice because you are male?
Comment by: Helen
15Mike O wrote:
Wow, I didn’t know you were considering surgery – last I heard all you were doing was taking knitting lessons ;-)
Comment by: Mike O
16Homey don’t knit!
Comment by: Mike O
17I’ve been out reading other articles in “the Lark.” It’s funny! It’s like a Christian version of “The Onion.”
Comment by: Gregg Lamm
18Friends,
Seriously, one of the funniest things I’ve ever read was at http://www.theonion.com. It was a “news story” explaining a new marketing strategy that had been launched by Starbucks in one of their Cambridge, MA stores. And what was at the epi-center of this new promotional action plan? That Starbucks had just opened the first “Starbucks inside the bathroom of an existing Starbucks” — you know, just to make sure they were covering all their bases.
You can read the whole story at the following here …
Sometimes laughter is indeed the best medicine. Good night and Godspeed.
read.think.pray.live.
Gregg Lamm
http://www.stayingthecourse.blogspot.com
Comment by: Seren
19Of course, the onion does religion too.
Here are my faves:
Jesus Christ Believed In
at
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/32744
and
Christ Converts To Islam
at
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29540
Comment by: Lisa W.
20I just think it is a sad commentary on someones interpretation of a Christian Life when ANYONE feels they must be smiling in order to be a valid and worthy follower. Her smile
may be permanent and fake NOW but it was also fake BEFORE! So, whatever!!
I am also wondering what ‘hand signal’ she is actually giving her husband when he’s not really looking..
I’d flip him off for supporting such a ludicrous idea.
Comment by: JG
21Lisa,
Are you aware this isn’t actually a true story?
See: http://www.larknews.com/january_2007/content.php?header=header&page=../disclaimer
But with a little stretch of the imagination, it almost could be true – that is the essential essence of satire.
I agree with you, it is quite wrong for people to be led to feel they need to put on a happy face and cover up struggles and difficulties. We need to be real.
Comment by: lisa W.
22JG,
No, actually, I was taken hook, line and sinker on that one.
I am clearly a dork.
Comment by: Helen
23Never mind, Lisa. I’d be agreeing with everything you said, had this really happened!
Comment by: Julie Marie
24Hey Lisa, I’m a dork too.