Some days are so discouraging

Some days are thrilling. I see God at work in marvelous ways and feel a new wind of the Holy Spirit blowing though the church.
And some days are too discouraging for words.
Today was one of those days when I just wanted to come home and cry.
In one situation after another, people were upset around the same issue: their personal feelings and preferences. They apparently believe that a pastor is a failure if he doesn't make people happy and do what they want. This blatant self-absorption is especially disheartening in the season of Lent. How could church-going people miss the reality that following Jesus is a way of self sacrifice?
Instead, people have it completely backwards.
The church and the pastor are supposed to do things their way -- even if their way is contrary to the United Methodist way or even good common sense. It's my way or they'll pay. So the letters come in. Ugly letters. Hateful letters. You just wouldn't believe what people will write. All kinds of personal attacks invariably signed at the end: "Love in Christ". That's what I call taking the Lord's name in vain.
People who say they "are not being fed". (If they go to worship with the critical mindset of the letter, there's no room for God's loving Spirit to move.) People who say their preacher is all over town but not in the office. (Which, of course, is a compliment to the preacher in my opinion. Preachers who spend all their time in the office are not out doing God's work in the world). Then, of course, there are complaints about the preacher preaching too long (although, God bless 'em, the people hang around and visit after church for another 30 minutes) and the preacher who told people they needed to change and hurt their feelings. (Did it ever occur to them that the preacher who DOESN'T call people to change is the failure?)
And people aren't only mad at the preacher. They are also mad at each other. Fighting about money. Arguing about expenses. Mad because decisions get made by a handful of people in the parking lot instead of at the official meetings. Constant carping.
Tonight, I heard the inspiring story of Bethanie Hamilton. Five years ago, she was attacked by a shark and lost her left arm. She nearly died. But now, she is surfing again. When asked how she could go back to surfing after surviving such a vicious attack, she said, "Well, it all comes down to this: my love for surfing overcame my fear of sharks."
That descibes perfectly an essential ministry skill -- being grounded and guided by love instead of ruled by fear. Some days, it's tough.