“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” Any person who has been in any leadership position knows the meaning of that statement. So does anyone who bears any sort of responsibility. A slightly modified version of the saying can be found all the way back to Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” and is often used to talk about the burden and difficulties of being a leader.
Pastors know the burden of their calling; that’s one of the reasons we wear stoles. It is a symbol of the yoke they bear as shepherds of the flock. Christian Teachers know the responsibility of their calling; not only to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic but to teach the Bible too. Parents likewise bear a burden to raise their children to know the Lord and to be useful to society. The burdens and responsibilities that each of us carries are different, but for each of us, it is heavy nonetheless. “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”
Jeremiah felt this way before he had even taken up the task. At the moment that God called him to be a prophet to the nations, Jeremiah responded by saying, “I can’t do it!”
We don’t get to choose the responsibility to which God calls us or the burdens that we will bear. So, the question before us this week is: What will do about the burden? What strengthens us for it? What truths bolster us? What resolve deepens in you? As we pick up Jeremiah 1:1-10, 17-19, I’ll seek to strengthen your resolve to live the adventure of the life that God has given (no matter how heavy the crown!).
We have a life to live for the Lord. He has given us for it. What will you do with the time that you have?
Martin Luther realized what stood before him. The truth of God’s Word and the beauty of the Gospel compelled him to stand up and stand firm so that it might be made known. It was hard. The responsibility was heavy. But God strengthened him for it and gave him a resolve to stand fast no matter the opposition. May God do the same for us as we gather to remember the reformation brought about by the Word of God through the teaching of Martin Luther.
This Sunday, after our worship service, we will have a call meeting so that we might extend a call for a Director of Student Services. We will begin our meeting with a brief Bible study about one of Jeremiah’s Kings.
For all other news and notes, see “The Mount Weekly.”
We’ll see you Sunday as we gather to celebrate the Reformation of the Church.
Pastor Nate