Yesterday a well-known pastor resigned from a high-profile church. I don’t know enough about that situation to comment on it one way or another. But I find myself—as many of us will today—reflecting on my own life, and on the state of our little evangelical world.

I am struck by how quickly I am prone to judgmentalism. The problem isn’t the making of judgments or discerning truth; it would be no good going to a dentist who tells me my rotting teeth are fine just to spare my feelings.

“Love does not delight in evil,” Paul said. But I often do. In my love-challenged condition, seeing a difficulty for someone else can leave me feeling a little more smug or superior-by-comparison.

I talked once to a psychologist (who often works with church leaders) about the need to confront a pastor concerning some misbehavior. He said the confrontation would need to be done by a non-pastor, otherwise it would elicit a “You’re-fallen-and-I’m-not” ...

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