Kent Shaffer over at the excellent Church Relevance has created an updated list of his top 100 Christian blogs (by visitors, and other markers.) There's a bunch of familiar names, some new ones, and a bunch of shifting around the ranks, and all of them excellent blogs.
I know you're waiting with bated breath, but no, I did not make the list. Again. I have but a slice of the readers those guys have. Although I considered taking the badge Kent provided for top bloggers, but decided that would be more sad than funny. Then I made myself a baloney sandwich with a smiley face made out of mustard, and that didn't seem sad at all...I honestly don't know how those guys do it. How do they get millions of people to come to their blogs, even on the days they just post pictures of their cats? I have never posted pictures of my cats. Because I don't have any...
Note to self: purchase kittens, baby clothes, webcam...
There's some mystique in things that attract lots of people. We try not to care about how many people read our blogs, but if we didn't care about people reading, we'd just keep diaries like a bunch of angsty, hormonal teenagers with no friends. And obviously, we've come further than that...right? But a blog with a lot of readers is a seemingly impossible feat to many of us.
Kind of like that feat of a pastor landing a big church.
Speaking of which, did you know there's a pastor shortage...and a surplus?
There's tons of churches that can't find a preacher. In some denominations (or non-denominations), 20% of churches are looking for pastors. Their searches sometimes last monts, even years.
But guess what? There's tons of preachers. We've actually got twice the number of preachers as we have jobs for them to fill in America. And that's despite our country obviously going straight to hell. Seems a lot of guys find the ministry to be an attractive vocation.
Which is exactly the problem.
The ministry is not an attractive vocation. It's a calling, dat-gum it! And all you nitwits who think you're going to strike fame and wealth in the ministry can take a hike...because I want that job!
Yeah, the reason we've got a shortage and a surplus is because all the guys are trying to get the jobs in the big churches. They're trying to be Mr. Sexy-Action-Preacher with thousands of screaming fans. But big churches make up a tiny slice of American Christianity. Churches with over 300 people make up just 10% of American congregations! 300 sounds rather average, doesnt it? But it's actually a very elite threshold.
Where's all the empty pulpits? In the small, un-sexy, un-frosted-spiky-hair churches. The types of churches that have fewer than 75 people. The type of churches that make up over half of American churches.
So most of those unemployed preachers would rather be unemployed than pastor a church with, God-forbid, some old folks or an organ. Those rural churches are going without pastors because Big-shot-seminary-graduate might have to minister to a church that's not a gateway to book deals and coast to coast speaking engagements.
We've got this warped view that there's no room for the little kid on the block, because the big boys run the neighborhood...and the television, and the radio, and the bookstore. Most 'big' bloggers lead or attend big churches too. So they're always blogging or Twittering about all the exciting stuff they're doing with their churches, and we think there must be something wrong with us because our ministries don't look at all like that!
We'll all be a lot happier if we're able to change our perspective. And I've got to start with me, because I'm often not happy with where I am. I'm always looking up at who I'm not, what I haven't done, what I don't have, like it's not normal to be average. The more we lust after something bigger, the more we wreck our chance at happiness with what we have.
The guys who sell lots of books are called 'influential,' because they've achieved admirable things. But when some average person has a crisis in the middle of the night, are they trying to call a best-selling author, or their totally average friend or pastor? That's influence.
I am so glad to have each of you read this junk whenever you do. And I'm happy to read your blogs. And since I doubt you're anyone who made 'the list' of big blogs, thanks for being totally average with me! I hope you have an average week at your average job, and you go to your average church this weekend with your average family, and you feel that nothing could be better in the world. Because we have a completely un-average God.
What about you? Do you have the gift of contentedness, or do you wish God would give you more?
38 people say amen!:
Great post. At least you are the church of no people rather than blog of no people. You are top 100 in my book (even though I don't have one).
Matt- You have such a clever way of putting things...
And yes, I'm pretty average in every way- and I must admit, I like it!
I left a high paying job (for my area) which gave me much notoriety and a good size paycheck and fringe benefits- but I was miserable while "at the top" of my profession. I wrestled with leaving for over a year then finally made the break. It was the best decision I ever made. Now, I'm "average" (or below) and couldn't be happier.
Why do we feel the need to be in the top 100 of anything? Does it really make us more "special"? Validated? Jesus was not that popular- and his chosen bunch were mainly no-names.
Even watching the secular world, we all should have learned by now that fame and notoriety is meaningless- and will never fill the voids within.
But for some reason, we still like to hear and see our name "out there", especially when it is at the top of a list. Why that matters, I don't know.
But, for the record, your blog is on my list of favorites- and I'd love to visit your church if I'm ever in your area. I couldn't care less about how many people attend there or whether or not you are a sexy-action preacher.
But I would like to see more kitten in baby clothes photos here.
"........feel that nothing could be better in the world. Because we have a completely un-average God."
Amen.
~from just another average Jesus Freak.
Thanks... from an average guy at an average church.
Ok, I'll be the first to say that I'm not as godly as I should be. I look at the fact that I don't rock the world with my writing and I'm disappointed. I look at the fact that I only reach a handful of guys and I'm saddened. I want more.
This is pride. I'm not saying I don't know what it is, I'm just saying that I don't know how to fix it.
I wish I could accept the fact that I'm just an average sailor, reaching average sailors, and telling average bloggers via my blog...but that's not what I want to be. Who I am and who I wish I was keep arguing and I'm in the middle. It sucks.
Great post. It really helped me with my comlex, you know the one that makes a person want to be the best at everything. This can be really helpful at times, but it can really be a hinderence at other times.
Thanks for the reality check/commentary on the "top 100." I have about 1 cups worth of contentment and I could use about a gallon, thanks for adding a little more.
I guess the TG (Theology of Glory) is part of our human condition.
Bigger, better, newer, successful...that is where the natural man/woman gravitates.
I will take the little church with old people and some little kids and Joe and mary down the street.
The kind of church where Christ and what He has done for us is front and center and where we (because of Christ) have already arrived.
In so many churches these days, one just never quite seems able to get there. There is always something left for you to do, say, feel, or think. And that's the way they like it.
No thanks.
Excellent topic, Matt. Today, you are tops on my list.
I checked out the Top 100 list the other day, and was dispappointed not to find yours. I follow some of the others, but several, like Michael Hyatt of Thomas Nelson Publishing, isn't a pastor.
The Church of No People is consistently challenging enough that I believe you'll get there. And yes, I attend one of those "elite list" churches -- we have about a thousand members. But that doesn't mean it's any healthier, or preaches the gospel any better, than a church of 75, 50 or 10.
loved this....there is some good stuff here today tho...dang...some reallllllly good stuff! http://thenines.leadnet.org/
I'm your average person at your average job. I definitely don't have the gift of being content, but God is trying a whole lot to give it to me. I'm still wrestling with him on it. I guess we'll see who wins.
You are so right! Here in my little corner of the world, I work for a Baptist Association. We have a handful of churches who are pastorless, one of them for almost 5 years now! All of our pastorless churches are rural, small and mainly comprised of elderly members. But when one of our "cool churches" posts a pastor opening, it's filled before you can say "bless your heart!"
So sad...
Oh yeah, I was going to answer your "contentedness question".
Yes, yes I am. I am a recovering brat. Nothing was ever enough. But now, I'm so grateful for all God has trusted me with. And when it sucks to be me, I cling to the promise that this too shall pass.
yeah it's tough sometimes. I think we genuinely want to help/reach people, but we can end up being pretty ineffective. Very good way to look at things.
Also, something that's helped me is Paul's statement in Phil. 4:11, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." That "learned" is huge. Contentment is a process like everything else, but God is always faithful if we will follow Him, trust, and obey...
Blessing on you, as you seek to follow our Lord, and to do His bidding.
Man, some great comments on our inferiority complexes. As you can guess, I'm the worst. I always want more more more! And God stubbornly refuses to give it.
Matt, you crack me up! So glad I found your blog.
Talk about convicting! I guess this is where I cop to checking my blog stats several (hundred) times a day, huh?
It's sad to see these rural areas go without pastors. I guess you could say the same about rural doctors and teachers, too. Human nature all to often seeks maximum glory. Not only that, but most of us crave the validation that comes from being a part of something growing rather than something fading.
How glad I am that Jesus willingly came to give His life for this fading world....
Matt, I totally agree with you. And as a secretary for our state's denominational headquarters, I also have to say "ditto" to what Marni said.
I'm a preacher's daughter. And EVERY church we served was a small, rural church. My Dad never got paid a lot. We drove clunkers and wore hand-me-downs. And we never had more than three or four in our youth groups. Never even had a youth pastor. Shoot, Daddy didn't even have a secretary. Bulletin-folding was our family's Saturday-night bonding activity. BUT even though we didn't have all of the lights, smoke, and drum machines that the big-boy churches have now, we had the most precious, loving, generous people in the world. It breaks my heart that nowadays, they get pushed aside so often. In my eyes, the "average, mediocre, unremarkable people" are THE BEST!
Matt,
Loved this post! It really put things in perspective for me to be content with all the blessings God has already given me.
Your average blog keeps my average life more average than ever. Keep up the average work!
I just want you to know that I'm distracted at work and am up against a deadline. I saw your sticker on my cubicle wall and thought, "just one more blog, I'll visit one more blog for today. And if the first thing it says is that I need to get back to work, then that's what I'll do." And guess what...
Back I go. :P Thaaaaaanks
I suppose it's a matter of perspective. Just because you're not influencing thousands of people doesn't mean your influence isn't powerful. I don't think God thinks less of a small town preacher than a mega church pastor. Besides I think the grass is always greener analogy is fitting here. Big congregations mean big headaches and lots of pressure to please people instead of pleasing God.
And for the record, I think you're funny and sad.
What Katdish said. (Minus the last two words.)
That was the best post you've written today!
Seriously dude, that was incredible.
I'm actually in the top 100, just under my alter-ego. You'll never guess which one is me! :-)
I must admit I crave popularity but God has never given it to me and I figure he knows what he's doing so I find happiness pastoring our little house church.
One of my favorite posts from you, Matt! I'm going to go tell my pastor that he is unsexy now...I'm sure he'll appreciate that a lot.
I think there is a big struggle between having a desire to do God's work...and twisting that into what we want it to look like instead of what God wants it to look like. If I'm honest, most of the time I'm incredibly thankful to be leading worship for a handful of people each week, but sometimes the thought of being on a big stage with lights and lasers and thousands of people makes my heart beat a bit faster...and that jealousy is an ugly thing.
First, let me quote you - "Where's all the empty pulpits? In the small, un-sexy, un-frosted-spiky-hair churches" - I just cracked up in the coffee shop! That's why I read you. I don't care what the high fallutin big name blogs are writing. I love your hilarious writing!!!!!!
And thanks Matt for reading my lowly blog with the 1 commenter who comments regularly, and the few constituents who lurk regularly.
I love to do my blog. I don't care how it rates. I just need to do it.
Yes, I'm not satisfied with my job and disgusted that I'm still not at a job that I love. But at the same time I'm thankful, and I'm contented because I know I need to be thankful that I even have a job at all.
I think you have to be both, because you will never go higher and get more of the gusto out of life if you just settle. But at the same time I'm not talking about greed. Greed is what you were talking about - "I've got to work in the big church," and pride - "I've got to have the high position."
That's one thing I can say about my dad. He was a lowly preacher with a small salary and taught the importance of not being materialistic.
BTW, I just want to say that I always thought that rating blogs was a bogus idea anyway. It's like rating people, because your blog is just an expression of yourself and actually, I think it's a sinful activity, rating blogs, comparing people, putting down others while exalting others above them as if they aren't as valuable.
Our church just found a pastor after searching 2 years. So I totally get what you are saying and it is so true. Our small northern church just didn't have the numbers or the budget or the location - and of course, we wouldn't have wanted the pastors that were drawn by the numbers, rather than by a calling.
Reminds me of the book "Cat & Dog Theology" by Bob Sjogren. Everybody wants to be a David or a Moses - but 9 generations of Israelites died in Egypt while waiting for Moses to come along. What if we are meant to be a not-Moses? Can we be faithful in being average?
I learned this definition of contentment several years ago, and I always hang on to it when I'm having a "Sidney" day (Phil Vischer kids' book, "Sidney & Norman: A Tale of Two Pigs" -- favorite ever):
"Contentment is the ability to accept yourself as you are, where you, for who you are because of the reality that God is constantly working in you and through you for your good and His glory." -Todd Phillips
This post intrigues me. I know your pain because I am that young youth pastor guy that wants to work for that young senior pastor that has a 3,000 member church already. More flair more success right? God is crazy in the way that he shapes us and molds us the way that He sees fit. Great truth here. Thanks!
You look at the prophets in Scripture, who spoke the very words of God. They lacked in popularity but not in zeal and obedience. I think God calls us to bloom where HE plants us, not where we wish we were planted. He wants us to humbly be His hands and voice in a lost a dying world, a world that lacks sense, hope and love...three things you communicate beatifully in your writing.
Chuck Colson last night said that Bill Hybels has concluded his ministry at Willow Creek is not very effective. What??!!??? You want to pastor a church that lacks substance but is really big. Yuck. No thanks. Give me a small community that ministers to each other, where it is like Cheers (a place where everyone knows your name), where people bring food to you if you're sick, or come over just to talk or hang out. That sounds much more attractive to me than the huge, impersonal, ineffective, power point church.
I am content where God has me...I do not want more...I could not handle more...please God don't give me more than what I currently inadequately handle. I am satisfied with the mercy and grace God is giving me today.
Thanks for your comments on my blog and your prayers. That is you blooming where God has planted you...
Peace.
You could always give away a 50 LCD TV with a Playstation to people who comment...that might increase your popularity...just a thought. heh, heh
So well said... I love it!
In fact, I think that the most remarkable people/pastors are the ones who go the extra mile without all the fans and accolades...
I have also blogged on contentment recently if you want to check it out. www.debholmes1.blogspot.com
PS. I have only just started blogging recently so I am lucky if I have a couple of readers per entry, let alone hundreds of followers but I do have a couple of pictures of my dogs!
Great blog, very true.
Right on target.
"if we didn't care about people reading, we'd just keep diaries like a bunch of angsty, hormonal teenagers with no friends".
Got me pegged.
I'm a 70-year-old angsty, hormonal teenager. So,I've kept a daily (almost) diary for 35 years. At my kid's urging, now I post my entries as a blog.
About your pastor surplus: my youngest son entered seminary last week. His goal is to serve in a city rescue mission. Good career move. Hardly any competition for the jobs in that field.
Good post. I served a church of 16 in a rural farm area when I started pastoring. I had been a missionary for 2 years before seminary and preached at 3 campgrounds and taught youth. Then I accepted a call to a church of 40 people. No book deal. But now the church has baptized nearly 200 people and we are approaching that threshold. But, my kids are happy and love the church, my wife does too. And, though I may never get a book deal and could probably "land" a bigger church (already had a call), my ministry has increased because the members are involved in ministry too. Praise God. I just want more people baptized and discipled... then to be part of planting many new churches to do the things God has called them to do.
I'm one of those average folks who is helping to lead a small fellowship of about 25, and who writes a blog that isn't even in the same zip code as the top 100.
And that's okay.
Well, not even having a blog at the moment, I'm much more in the middle ordinary average considering the size of the population of the world than all the rest of ....
Sorry, thought this was a contest of humble averageness :)
Loved this post, Matt.
Thanks for the blog.
{John 1 verse 46 came to mind as reading it}
Blessings to all those living and caring in the 'unsexy places'.
It's taken me a lot longer than you to realize I'm mediocre. And as I age I get more and more so. It's humiliating. But having the right perspective of ourselves before God is the most necessary element in our walk with Him. It makes me long for heaven more, knowing I will be perfect there--oh! Average again! :)
A lot of churches just might be better off without a preacher. After all, show me in the Bible the model of a preacher discoursing on a weekly basis to the congregation.
You are so right-on that being a paster should be a calling of God. Those who are called should do it, and go where He leads. Those who are not called should not do it. And, IMHO, no paster should be getting paid these huge six-figure salaries. Oh they should get paid enough to have all their needs met without taking on a second job, but certainly not enough to make them rich men.
In today's church the preacher seems to have been set up as the oracle of all knowledge. As long as the preacher faithfully relates what the Bible says we are kind-of OK (kind-of because all those poor baby Christians looking to a man instead of to the source is not the right perspective).
Problem is the preacher is just a man -- a man under attack by Satan. He is nothing more, and nothing less than another Christian brother. A brother who needs to be ministered to by the congregation just as he ministers to them.
The preachers who manage to land those career-advancing pulpits? Well, watch out! We know that those who teach and lead are held to higher standards. God will not be mocked. He will hold that preacher accountable not only for the message but also for the heart motives.
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