Pastor Wanted—Superheroes Need Not Apply

What is it about superheroes that everybody loves? Whether it’s Superman being able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, or Spider-Man slinging and swinging from building to building, or Neo entering the Matrix to alter destiny, people love a good superhero story. Not only do most people love superheroes, they want to be superheroes —including pastors.

Many churches have come to expect their leaders to function as superheroes, and many pastors have too easily put on the cape. Flawless, fantastic, and unflappable. Never making a mistake and handling every situation perfectly. Churches want a guarantee that the weak and innocentwill never have to experience pain and disappointment, and that Gotham City (the local church) will be protected from all harm.

When danger comes knocking, churches want to be able to shine a light from the bell tower and call Super Pastor to the rescue. They want pastors who can rescue lagging budgets, capture and detain every hurt, fly boldly where no man has gone before, save us from the flaming meteor that’s hurtling toward us, develop a state-of-the- art headquarters, build a team of other superheroes, and all the while gleam a pearly white smile and flex a confident pose.

Since I know the superhero expectation exists in our world and in the church, allow me to be the voice of biblical and practical reason: Pastor, while God will do awesome things in and through you as you live and minister in submission to him, you’re not, nor will you ever be, a superhero! I suspect that, for most of you, those words will be a giant relief rather than an insult.

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