If you’re going into the role of preaching expecting unending gift baskets and ticker-tape parades from grateful congregants telling you how much better you are than their last pastor—well, I’m not sure what to say except that maybe a career in metallurgy or something else far away from pastoring might be a better bet for you. I imagine few preachers really expect perpetual praise. Nonetheless, when criticism comes—especially from unexpected people and at
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