by: Jim Schlottman
6/1/2006

Bill Crowder, RBC Ministries Director of Church Ministries tells of his excitement when he heard in 2004, that Disney company was releasing a new version of his favorite movie, the Alamo. Crowder says that in that movie, Billy Bob Thornton (who looked eerily similar to the old lithographs of the actual Crockett) had a particular scene as Davy Crockett that grabbed his attention and wouldn’t let go.

In the scene, Crockett was standing guard on a wall just after a messenger had slipped through the enemy lines and away from the mission-fort to seek help for the troops there. As he considered his options, Bowie came to Crockett’s post and, as if reading Davy’s mind, said, “Makes a man ponder the possibilities, don’t it?”

Crockett’s reply was priceless: “People expect things . . . If it was just me, simple ol’ David from Tennessee, I might drop over that wall some night and take my chances. But that Davy Crockett feller – they’re all watching him. He’s been on these walls every day of his life.”

I’ve just returned from attending a Jewish wedding in South Dakota. It was a beautiful ceremony, with many traditions. Having not attended a Jewish wedding before, these traditions were, to me, new and unique. Knowing that there were several of us Gentiles attending, the Rabbi did an excellent job of explaining each tradition.

At the reception, as I thanked the Rabbi for the beautiful ceremony and his thoughtfulness, I shared about Quiet Waters Ministries. The Rabbi was also a licenced therapist and shared that Rabbis shared many of the same difficulties experienced by pastors. He felt that one of the major causes of the difficulties was the expectations placed on Rabbis. Does that sound familiar?

A recent study conducted by the University of Toronto, Knox College, found a Christian ministry “in crisis,” with 77 percent of Canadian pastors saying they felt more like a CEO than a spiritual leader.

People are always going to “expect things,” and like Davy, many of us would like to drop over the wall and just keep running. If we strive to meet the expectations of people, we are doomed to failure. It is important to know the things people expect, however, it is much more important to respond to those things that only God expects. He loves us so much that He tells us that He will only expect things from us for which He has provided us the ability and tools to accomplish.

People expect things – God expects to love us.

HAVE A ENJOYABLE 4TH OF JULY!