the deal with pastoring is....

we are constantly interfacing with people on such a wide variety of spiritual states. We have new believers, full of zeal, hope, joy, etc...  We have wrecks that are just barely hanging in. We have  Christians (believers that were saved in the 70s) that can't seem to get out of the nursery. and we have flexible believers that realize that the church has to change in order to survive. We have innovative but intollerent believers that don't have the patience to stick it out even when things aren't quite right. AND we have people who know what's right but don't know how to do it. We have pharisees, publicans, lepers, and drunkards. We have worshippers, lovers, saints and heroes.  It's gumbo, with lots of spice.