Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor's Page
Dear Friends in Christ,
Years ago, a disgruntled church member gave me the nickname “The God-Cop.” I’m confident that it was meant to be a derogatory slur. The funny thing is that the longer I thought about it, the more I saw it as a compliment. That being the case, let’s do a side-by-side comparison and I think you’ll see why I heartily embraced this label. Since I was an Omaha Police Officer for 7½ years I can tell you that the similarities are uncanny. However, there are some differences and advantages to being a Pastor which I’ll point out along the way also.
First, both Cops and Pastors take an oath of office as they begin the duties of their profession. They promise to faithfully protect and serve the people who are under their care. Since I served as a cop in a bigger city, I can tell you it was impossible to get to know the people you serve very well. Cops are not robots, but for the most part they are not emotionally involved in people’s lives. In fact, they are strongly discouraged from doing so. As a Pastor, the exact opposite is true. I do sincerely care about each and every member of Zion. When you hurt, I hurt. When you celebrate, I celebrate. When you mourn, I mourn. And that’s how it should be.
Next, if a Cop or a Pastor is not fulfilling his duties or perhaps engaging in misconduct, there is a process whereby his superiors are asked to investigate. If the complaint is substantiated, correction and discipline are sure to follow. If it’s serious enough, he may even be relieved of his duties. As a Police Officer I was complained on a time or two (or three or four). Even though I didn’t like it, I knew I had nothing to fear. I’m not bragging, but I was a hard-working Cop. And if a Cop is doing his job, he’s sure to make some people happy. It comes
with the territory. It’s no different in the Pastoral Ministry. Here too, I know I have nothing to fear as long as I faithfully fulfill my Call. Although I’m not perfect, I do believe I’ve done that.
Cops swear to uphold the laws of the community they’ve been hired to serve. Pastors swear to uphold God’s Law. The key thing to remember is that in neither case do the workers create or pass the laws. They simply are called upon to enforce them. And yet, when they do their job and enforce them, they are often perceived as the bad guy. Thus, the complaints. It just goes with the territory.
It’s kind of funny (in a sad way) how the circumstances can determine a person’s attitude towards a Cop. You look in your rearview mirror and see a patrol car. If you’re speeding, you don’t want that officer anywhere near you. If he stops you, one of the favorite lines I used to hear was, “There are real criminals out there you could be chasing. Why are you bothering me?” On the other hand, if a burglar breaks into your home or if your child is missing there is no more welcome sight than an officer showing up. Then, you want the cop to treat your needs as the most important thing he has to deal with. This is very similar to the vacillating attitude towards a Pastor. If you’re violating God’s Law the presence of the Pastor is sometimes perceived like that Cop in your rearview mirror. You don’t want him anywhere near you nor do you want him to point out your sin. Why, there are real sinners out there that he could be chasing down! Why bother me? And yet, when there is a crisis, a serious illness or injury, or a death, then we want the Pastor there (as he should be!) The thing to realize is that although the perception of the Cop or the Pastor may have changed due to the circumstances, the Cop/Pastor didn’t. He was fulfilling the duties he had sworn to perform.
Having worked in both of these professions I can tell you that there are often days where you work long hours and sometimes you head home feeling weary and unappreciated. I’ve come to realize that these feelings are simply the result of my sinful human nature which occasionally likes to throw a pity party. As a Pastor, I can tell you what shakes me out of my funk. Unexpectedly someone will say a kind word, send me a note of encouragement, or simply give me a warm smile and I see just how wrong my feelings were.
Since I mentioned earlier that Cops and Pastors “enforce” laws which were originated and enacted by someone else, it begs the question: “What about the Gospel?” In police work, it may be hard to identify, but if you remember that the word Gospel means “good news” then I suppose it is there. Returning a lost child or stolen property and generally being there to help people pick up the pieces when life has broken their world apart, could all be considered “good news.” For a Pastor, though, it’s much easier to identify the Gospel since delivering God’s precious grace is the ultimate goal of everything we do as a church. I find no pleasure in having to identify and confront sin in your lives. But if I didn’t speak God’s Law then true confession and repentance would never follow. Without confession and repentance then the Gospel cannot be preached. When repentance occurs it is my indescribable joy to proclaim the good news that your sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. It’s a joy that was never a component of my police work.
Somewhat in line with that, there is a huge advantage to being a Pastor which I didn’t have as a Cop. When I was called to domestic disturbance in Omaha, I would try to help them sort out the problem and come up with a solution. As a human being, I truly wanted to see people, especially spouses and families, get along well together. As a Cop though, my main objective was to make sure that the conflict didn’t escalate nor did I want to have to return to the scene due to the fight starting up again. The frustration for me in performing this duty was that there was never enough time to really help them get to the root of the problem and follow-up was impossible. So, I never knew if we had successfully helped them solve their problem. As a Pastor it’s different. We have God’s Word as our reliable guide and counsel. And we can work on an issue for as long as it takes. Now, that doesn’t always mean that things turn out good. But at least I get to see the fruition of my work with the people involved.
Over the years I have known good Cops and bad Cops. Likewise, I’ve known good Pastors and bad Pastors. In both cases, the bad ones are a very small minority. I guess that in some regards you are the judge of which category I fit into. But as a Pastor, ultimately God is the one I have to answer to. If you judge me to be a good or a bad Pastor based on God’s criteria, then that’s something for me to consider.
There are several other similarities that I could write about but I think you get the point. I was very proud to serve as a Cop and I’m humbled that God chose me for the important duty of serving as a Pastor. Looking at the bigger picture and the comparison of these two vocations I’m happy to take on the moniker of “The God-Cop.” I simply pray that God would give me the strength and guidance to fulfill this extremely important duty for however much longer He chooses to use me as His servant.
In Christ,
Pastor Meyer
