Matthew 11:28 - 30 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.“

You who are weary and burdened…Weary and burdened…

I am weary.I am burdened.I am weary of reentering my call to youth

ministry.I am burdened by the pain of unwanted

homosexual passes by my first “pastoral” employer.

Weary and BurdenedOne word describes – no – combines these

words in my story.That word is “Broken.”

BrokenBroken trust…Broken respect…Broken belief…

Broken TrustYou pastor, by nature of your position, are a

person automatically given trust.You don’t need to earn it.It is given to you by virtue of being one who

represents God.When you violate this trust, you do so far more

than anyone else in any other professional roleBecause you represent God…

God’s message…God’s Love…God’s Mercy…

Broken RespectWhen you break respect for one of your sheep,

lay person or professional coworker, you break the bond that holds the fabric of Faith for that person.

Respect for the Faith is ripped…Not because the Reason for the Faith is faulted

but because the primary messenger of the Faith has violated their sacred responsibility.

Broken BeliefWhen you do what you do, you break the belief

in your victim that the church is a safe place in which to serve the Living God in ministry.

In these three verses…God bypasses the “proffesional” minister.God encourages the reader to take God’s

burden…To focus on God’s “burden” for us for it is easy

and light…

Easy and Light???How can this be?God, show us your yoke and your burden.Help us to learn from you.Amen…