Pastor, Do You Know Your Losses?

I've been pleased at the reviews I've gotten already on Out of Exile. One person said:

God used Remy ... I forgave my offenders, forgave myself, and recalibrated. I'm back in ministry, due in large part to the writings you'll find in this book. Am I overstating? Not if you knew my story...I'm on the comeback trail. (read the full review here)

I think what strikes people in the book is when they realize the many losses that come with being a pastor. We are trained to absorb the hard things in ministry like notches on our belt or scars of service that each tell a story. We are encouraged to "suck it up" and move on, warriors for Jesus. [pullquote]We are trained to absorb the hard things in ministry like notches on our belt or scars of service that each tell a story. We are trained to "suck it up" and move on, warriors for Jesus.[/pullquote]There's nothing wrong with a pastor incurring loss for Jesus. It comes with the territory. But what IS wrong is brushing our losses under the rug and ignoring them. I think readers of Out of Exile are finding healing because I give them permission to admit and own their losses. This needs to take place in order to adequately grieve your losses and move on.But instead, we tend to stockpile hurts and offenses that lead us to grow cold and lose our passion for ministry.To hear a short interview between my publisher and me, click this link. We discuss ministry losses and I also read Days 2 and 3 from Out of Exile.After you listen to the podcast, let me know what your losses have been in ministry.