I’m absolutely drained this morning.

Every once in a while, I get an invitation to teach for a local pastor during Sunday morning services. I’ll be filling in this Sunday at Martindale Christian Fellowship Church in Canton, OH.

I finished the rough draft of the message yesterday afternoon. I’ve probably spent around 25 hours reading, studying, and preparing for Sunday’s teaching. From the guys I know who serve as teaching pastors, I guess that’s pretty typical. I wanted to make sure I got the bulk of the preparation done well in advance of Sunday, because emergencies tend to happen (especially this time of year) in my specialty and I wanted to be prepared. But my pastor friends deal with emergencies at least as much, if not more than I do.

I probably did more public lectures and presentations last decade than any other doc in my specialty. But I’d often give the same (or a very similar presentation) multiple times, and in a year in which I’d give 200 talks, I’d probably cover 10-15 topics. Pastors have to generate original content every week, and may get the opportunity to publicly rehearse their material two or three times tops before they’re on to the next topic. As an experienced speaker, getting up in church to teach on Sunday morning is harder than anything I’ve had to do in the medical field.

That’s why every mature Christian should have to preach at least once. We’d all have a far greater appreciation for the dedication and commitment required of the folks who put their heads and hearts into sharing with us from God’s Word every week. Make a point of telling your pastor how much you appreciate their dedication and commitment. Take them out to breakfast or lunch or get them a gift card to download more books or resources. Commit to praying for them on a regular basis. And don’t forget to acknowledge the children’s pastor or youth pastor who takes the time to teach your kids with less notice or recognition.