In my youth, a haunting song by Gilbert O’Sullivan spoke of the despair in loneliness. One of the verses goes like this…
Leaving me to doubt
Talk about, God in His mercy
Oh, if he really does exist
Why did he desert me
In my hour of need
I truly am indeed
Alone again, naturally
Ministry in small places can be lonely for pastors. Serving small churches with limited resources can be challenging. Living at a distance from population centers and other churches can increase the sense of isolation. And a sense of competition to attract the relatively few people interested in spiritual things can cause us as pastors to hold other pastors at arm’s length. Besides, most pastors are so busy preparing sermons, counseling marriages on the rocks, visiting the shut-ins, attending meetings, and shoveling snow, that they don’t have much time or energy left over to give to pastoral relationships. Add to that the fact that some or many are bi-vocational or have young children to nurture, and spending time with other pastors can often seem like a luxury that small-town pastors can’t afford. Loneliness and ministry in small places go hand-in-hand for many pastors.
But I believe that the gospel unites pastors and churches. It draws us together to support one another and to root for, rejoice in and contribute to our mutual growth. The gospel tells us we must be kingdom focused, not merely focused on the local churches we shepherd. It drives us to affirm and live out the truth of Psalm 133:
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.
Here, the psalmist compares community to “precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!”
Aaron, the high priest of Israel, wore a special breast plate over his robe. On it were the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. As the oil flowed down from his head, to his beard and shoulders, onto his robe and breastplate, it symbolized the unity of the nation of Israel before God. Oil is symbolic of the anointing of the Spirit of God, signifying his presence and his blessing.
This oil of living in unity with brothers in Christ is precious because of its cost – Jesus Christ paid for it with his life. We are brothers in the Lord because we’ve been adopted into God’s family through faith in the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This oil is also precious because of its effect upon us. God’s presence soothes our souls and brings healing to our spiritual sibling rivalries. It reminds us that in the presence of Almighty God our differences and disagreements are petty and not worth holding onto.
The oil-like unity of Psalm 133 also reminds us that we are all anointed by God and called into His service.
Then the psalmist compares community to “the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion!”
Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in that part of the world. It rises to over 9,000 feet and is part of the Lebanon range, just north of Israel. In the summer months, from May – October, a heavy dew covers its slopes. It stands in stark contrast to the dry, barren landscape of the Judean desert which surrounded the pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. During the summer months, each night the temperatures would plummet 50 or more degrees from the daytime high and produce a life-giving refreshment of dew. Each morning, those living in the valleys surrounding Mt. Hermon would awake to heavy dew covering their blankets and supplies. This alpine dew gave them a sense of morning freshness and an anticipation of growth.
In the same way, it is pleasant and blessed of God for us as pastors to have a sense of expectation of what God is doing in our brothers’ lives. We eagerly pray for God to meet their needs. We share in their joys and weep over their disappointments. We listen to their counsel and speak words of encouragement. Dew – God’s refreshing, life-giving water in a dry and weary land – reminds us that God’s mercies are new each morning, just like the dew on Mt. Hermon.
I meet weekly with a group of 10-12 pastors. We pastor churches in three states, have varied theological positions, and range in age from 36 to 73. It is the gospel that brings and holds us together. We unite around prayer for each other, our churches, and our community. We challenge and enlighten each other through book discussions (we just finished A Big Gospel in Small Places by Stephen Witmer and are currently working through Churches Partnering Together by Chris Bruno & Matt Dirks). We plan periodic area-wide ministry together. We laugh often, cry sometimes, pray earnestly, and share pastoral life together.
For me, they are God’s provision to ease my loneliness as I pastor in my small town.
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Gary DeHaas
Gary is the pastor at Windham Community Chapel in Dummerston Vermont. Prior to this he has served churches in New York, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Michigan, New Jersey and Windsor Vermont. He has a passion for church revitalization and intentional disciplemaking. Gary and his wife Deby have four children and five grandchildren.