"Pastoral work is the aspect of Christian living which specializes in the ordinary."
—Eugene Peterson

I thought we were done with the Televangelists.

I grew up as part of a generation that scoffed at their expensive suits, golden watches, flawless smiles, and poufy hair. The sermons I heard growing up had lines about their cheesiness and insincerity. These sermons proclaimed a gospel that could not be bought, one that didn't need vials of healing water or anointing oils that could be mailed to you after a small payment. I liked being part of that generation, one that stood for authenticity and rejected anything that smelled phony. And when it comes to being phony, Televangelists were Exhibit A. I believed our Christianity was moving away from the make-up encrusted, spiritual hucksterism that dominated the airways during our childhoods.

I was wrong. Sure, most members of my generation still have no time for Televangelists, but many of us have fallen prey to something ...