The day that was

I started out today by meeting with a senior who told me why she's no longer attending Richview. (To her credit, she's leaving very gracefully.) I then attended a funeral, where I met someone who recognized me. "I came to Richview for a while, but we decided to go to another church - no offense." "Hey, no problem," I replied. "We're all on the same team." I then caught up on a lot of detail work in the office all afternoon. Not the best day, but a day that led to me to read a bit of Working the Angles by Eugene Peterson once again:

The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeeper's concerns - how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street, how to package the goods so that the customers will lay out more money... The biblical fact is that there are no successful churches. There are, instead, communities of sinners, gathered before God week after week in towns and villages all over the world. The Holy Spirit gathers them and does his work in them. In these communities of sinners, one of the sinners is called pastor and given a designated responsibility in the community. The pastor's responsibility is to keep the community attentive to God. It is this responsibility that is being abandoned in spades.

Memo to self: Read more Peterson. Stay attentive to God. Do more than mind the shop.

Comments

[doug]

That's one of th best I books I read in seminary -- and it was never assigned as part of any course. Which says a lot about HOW seminaries are training would be pastors: To be shop managers.

[Rev. Mike]

If it makes you feel any better, Doug, we read it in our D.Min. coursework. Too bad they send you out to screw it up first, then tell you the way it is ACTUALLY later.

[Brian Mullins]

I had a day like that too, but it got better when I got this e-mail just a few minutes ago. He's been in a bible study for a few months, and I spent 2 hours with him last night talking about the gospel. He wanted me to read the prayer he prayed today: Lord Jesus I believe that you died for my sins. Please come into my life and complete me. Give me the strength to carry these convictions throughout my life. And with your love and wisdom, I will become a better person Amen howard

[Dave]

Darryl I think you're right on target. Don't change no matter how many people leave your church. Gold, silver and precious stones will stand the evaluative fire of God's tribunal.

[Bene Diction]

If you don't mind me asking, why is it that clergy more than most professions tend to take criticism and fickleness personally and hard? It seems to be a profession of extremes, where care-givers are quite sensitive or some are so hard-headed they'd crack cement.:^)

[Darryl]

I don't know, Bene. Probably we all have down days. I'm usually pretty even-keeled. Some clergy are more caring by nature and get pretty down.

[mike]

bene is right - we are a weird breed we begin to move in the direction that we know is right (ala Eugene & others)& yet it doesn't take much to throw us off track.

[Trish]

I agree with Bene Pastors can be pretty defensive and sensitive.

[Darryl]

I can't win now. If I say anything I'll be labelled as defensive. I need to clarify: I wasn't really bummed out too badly that day. Actually, Ed and I laughed about it: must be my day to meet disgruntled people. I slept well that night. Life is good. That being said, I agree pastors (actually, people) are prone to getting discouraged and defensive when they shouldn't. But please don't read too much into this post. Maybe I'll do a follow-up on discouragement and pastors...

[Tony]

While I would agree that most people in most professions are subject to discouragement and such, it seems logical to me that pastors would be more prone to spiritual attacks in this area simply because of the role they have for so many other believers. It's not that pastors are more important, but as we all know, and like it or not, the 'sheep' tend to set their eyes on us. Eph. 6 reminds us that we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but principalities and spiritual wickedness. So why wouldn't it make sense for our enemy to target us more frequently? Just my thoughts (and experience).