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Expectation. It’s a big word for something we all do every day. The dictionary says it means “a strong belief that something will happen or that someone will act in a certain way.” Which means—whether we realize it or not—we are always expecting something.

We expect our Starbucks to taste just the way we like it every morning (well, okay, I expect this). We expect the grocery store to have milk. We expect the traffic light to turn green before we’ve aged a decade. And if I’m honest (and maybe you too), I expect a lot from myself—which often spills over into expecting a lot from others. We expect people—our friends, family, coworkers, and yes, our church family—to act in certain ways too.

Expectations aren’t bad! In fact, healthy ones are important. We should expect kindness, honesty, respect, and follow-through. But trouble comes when our expectations drift into thinking others should see things exactly the way we see them or understand situations exactly the way we do. When that happens, we can end up frustrated and disappointed—because people bring different experiences, perspectives, and personalities to the table.

In the church, those expectations can get pretty big—especially for pastors and those who work within the church. It’s easy to imagine they can answer every question, be at every event, solve every problem, and meet every need. But here’s the truth: no one can do it all. Not even Jesus.

When Jesus was here on earth, fully divine and fully human, Jesus could have chosen to do everything himself. But he didn’t. Instead, he chose to share the work. He sent the disciples ahead of him into towns and villages to preach, teach, heal, and proclaim the Kingdom of God. He told them to feed the hungry crowd, to cast out demons, to visit the sick. He trusted them with ministry—even knowing they would sometimes misunderstand, mess up, or fall short.

And even the disciples didn’t do everything alone. In the book of Acts, we see the early church stepping in—men and women using their gifts to serve, encourage, teach, and care for one another. Ministry has always been a shared effort!

That’s why healthy expectations look like this:

  • Clear communication (because no one’s a mind reader)

  • Grace when things don’t go as planned

  • Encouragement and prayer, not just requests

  • Remembering that ministry is the work of the whole church

Jesus expected his disciples to love, serve, and forgive, but he also knew they’d stumble—Peter would deny him, Thomas would doubt, the rest would scatter. And he didn’t throw them away. He restored them, encouraged them, and sent them back out.

Maybe the goal isn’t to lower our expectations—it’s to shape them so they’re healthy, realistic, and full of grace. Let’s expect the best from one another and from ourselves. And when things don’t go as planned, let’s extend forgiveness—to each other and to ourselves—remembering we’re all in this together.

And before setting an expectation for someone else, here’s a good test: Could I meet this same expectation myself? That one question can change everything.  See you Sunday!

Peace, Pastor Tracy