Jonathan LeMaster-Smith

When we moved into our house in 2019, this shrub had been cut pretty far back and was unrecognizable. It didn’t have the blooms or the dried out flower/pods that follow. We considered digging it up. Then I said no, let’s give it year.

Well, it came back. And each year, with some pruning, and not much else, it continues to thrive. I think this is the case for rural ministry (and ministry in general). As pastors, with the pressure to perform well, we think that if the ministry isn’t performing well immediately, we need to dig it up and throw it away, and put something new in it’s place.

Instead, we need to trust that some things take pruning, nurturing, and time. Now, don’t get me wrong, we need to know what will grow in our climate. I’m not about to plant a tropical plant from Brazil in my foothills yard and expect magic. We need to assess what will grow, give it what it needs to grow, and give it time. We also need to know that seasonal abnormalities, such as very dry summers or exceptionally cold winters matter. This will student their growth and cause damage.

The same is true for ministry. Life happens. We can’t base success on one Sunday, one study, one event. Yet, pastors feel pressured by conferences, churches feel pressured by money, and we all feel pressured by the weight of the world, the state of the church, and the now very short turnaround for “success.” It has been four years, and this hydrangea is nowhere near it’s maximum size.

Life and ministry take time. Give them time. Give people time.