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Associate Pharisees?

Were there Associate Pharisees?

I like to think I have some experience with being an Associate Pastor. Even though I've only worked at 2 churches, I have worked with 8 different Senior Pastors.

Yes..., I know that's a lot.
Yes..., I have wondered if it's me.

But being an Associate means different things to different people. It means different things to the people working with the Associate and it means various things to each Associate. What I have discovered is that it primarily means being willing to follow the leader. Leadership comes from the top and to become a good complement, one must be willing to follow the vision being given from the top.

So one day I wondered if there were Associate Pharisees. We read about these religious leaders all the time. Surely there were some junior members. There had to be someone to work with the kids, right? Someone had to lead those overnight trips with camel racing and Dodge Scroll. (The trick to Dodge Scroll is to avoid being hit by the jot and tittle.)

Joking aside, have you considered what or who you are an Associate to? What is the vision you are following? Who are you choosing to be seen with? Fairly or not, I have been seen as being of one mind with every senior pastor I have worked alongside of. The same truth will apply to you. Fairly or not, you will be judged as being most like those you like the most.

Perhaps we should be viewing ourselves more often as Associates of Jesus. If you read the gospels, you see that the people Jesus chose to associate with were not seen very fondly by the world. Or by the church, for that matter. But they flocked to Him. They saw their need of Jesus. They knew there was something special about Him.

They were quite ready to be Associates of Jesus. So am I. How about you?
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