The Burden Of Expectations

I’m happy to say my new book, Without a Vision My People Prosper, will be available on Amazon in a few days! It is a collection of my sustained rant against visionary thinking in the church, along with about 50 related cartoons.

Even though I am not presently a pastor of a local congregation, I am still seriously interested in how it’s done. I still consider myself in the game, even though many think I’ve disqualified myself. I’m passionate about the church and care for its health. I’m hoping pastors and leaders will read this book, either by their own choice or because someone asked them to. For the sake of the church.

Although the following post is not in the book, it reflects the spirit of it:

In Luke 11:46, Jesus is said to have said:

… you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them!

I will tell you what the burdens were: expectations. The burdens that were placed on the people were expectations to:

be better Jews;
live better lives;
be holier and cleaner;
follow and fulfill all the laws;
support the temple;
attend the synagogue;
pay their tithes;
respect and obey the authorities;
separate themselves from the unclean;
anticipate and participate in the Jewish hope.

Jesus taught that they were to let these burdens of corporate expectation go and take up their cross that is a personal project. It is the difference between achieving a collective vision and goal and instead mastering your own personal spiritual life.

That message was so disruptive to the visionary thinkers of Jesus’ day that they conspired to have him killed.

You can order it my first book of cartoons “nakedpastor101“, in two formats: