WOW!  This was an amazing and difficult article.  (Thanks Bill, from the Provocative Church!)

It is by William Lobdell, formerly the religion beat writer for the Los Angeles Times.  In there he writes about the great excitement he starts his new beat, religion, with…

WHEN Times editors assigned me to the religion beat, I believed God had answered my prayers.

As a serious Christian, I had cringed at some of the coverage in the
mainstream media. Faith frequently was treated like a circus, even a
freak show.

I wanted to report objectively and respectfully about how belief shapes
people’s lives. Along the way, I believed, my own faith would grow
deeper and sturdier.

He saw it as a calling.  A chance to help shape the view of the public about Christians and their faith.  But…

…during the eight years I covered religion, something very different happened.

He then goes on the write about the the crap he had to cover…crimes, violence, abuse, odd behavior by believers, greed, heresy, frauds, and more.  Finally he writes that his faith has been shaken and perhaps lost.

I can resonate with feeling disappointment at the hands of God’s people and the struggle that causes.  Can you?  Do you ever feel as if you had great expectations going into the pastorate only to feel like it is not all you had hoped it would be? 

If that is you, I am praying for you as I write this.   I am not in a crisis, but please pray for me too.