In Puerto Rico, a colloquial saying is used to express pity towards someone or something: ¡Ay bendito! Translated, the phrase is a variation of “aw-man,” a long “oh” of surprise, and the “bendito” part means holy. Essentially, “Holy Pity.”

But when you are fighting against the imperial structures of life, church, family, ministry and self-expectations, and God sends someone to say, “I get it,” that is holy. 

Being the church and doing ministry in these interesting times requires Christians to ask questions, look for answers, strive towards innovation, wrestle with decline, work for justice, and rethink calling and vocation.

The struggles of daily routines, staff meetings, administrative expectations, and conversations about church lead to a haunting question, “How is your church doing?” When we respond truthfully, we are usually met with either, “I get it” or, “¡Ay bendito!”

When I started in ministry, nobody talked to me about the continuous fear of failure. The clinical term is “