SAY IT AIN'T SO RICK

Several centuries before even I was born, the great Methodist preacher George Whitfield wrote these words in his journal one Sunday -

Went to church this morning and was not too depressed.

I've been to that church too. I've also spent more time than I care to recount in the one where you go and are suicidal when you exit.

I'm not sure if Whitfield was part of the congregation on the day in question or was their visiting preacher, but truth is he knew what it was to be thoroughly downcast after a church service and this particular one wasn't as bad as he feared.

Thank God I don't deal with that any more - I love our church!

But talking about depression, I listened to Rick Warren a couple of days ago and found some of his comments a little deflating.

RW, for whom it is no secret I have a great respect, has probably done more to shape the church of Christ over the past ten years than any living leader. No wonder he is decribed as America's Pastor.

I was interested to hear him say that 15% of Americans move every year and disappointed that he followed that by saying if you take the church members who relocate, add in those who die and those who decide this church which was once the best thing since sliced bread is not where they want to be any more and in five years you can be preaching to a totally diferent crowd.

He compared pastoring in 2007 to walking down a guard of honor and saying, Hello how are you? to a constantly changing stream of faces.

There's no way that's how it's meant to be.

I refuse to accept that is the way things are.

I may be an ostrich or even a dinosaur, but I still look for commitment, loyalty and longevity.

Anything less is simply depressing!