Much pious stuff is talked about the process among Evangelicals whereby they "call" a new pastor. In this process potential new pastors are identified, approved and appointed to posts. One piece of imagery is that of a "courtship" leading to a "marriage".
But the Bible says that "the labourer is worthy of his wages" (1 Timothy 5:18). I suppose a jaded spouse in a marriage might moan in a low moment that marriage is hard labour, and that the other party isn't giving them enough spending money, but all told it sounds a funny motto for a marriage to me. Of course it isn't a marriage. If it was one, I would have got through five of them by now, since I have had five pastorates. Future brides, look out!
No, a church takes on and supports a man to concentrate on the work, if possible full time. He will exercise his God-given calling and gifts to further the church's spiritual life. Notice that he will not have a monopoly on the gifts. Otherwise the church would not be a body, with every member being part of the body and contributing to its life. Actually, I have made a discovery that has radically reshaped my thinking on this issue. I look in vain in the New Testament for an instance of one pastor per church. Instead I see a plurality of elders in the churches, working under God as a team. It never ceases to amaze me that the Lord Jesus, who was supremely able to do everything Himself, chose teams to work alongside Him!
In practice effective, godly eldership teams of one mind and heart are not always easy to achieve. God grant that in my next church it will be a glorious possibility.
I count it a sign of the calling God has given me that I haven't reached a point where I want to call it a day. Morale and adrenalin rise whenever I hear of a possible new pastorate on the horizon. Such was the case a few days ago when I was offered an introduction to two churches seeking a minister. The trail is warm again, and my appetite for the work is as strong as ever!
Thursday 30 September 2010
Saturday 18 September 2010
Laid aside
Called - but laid aside from fulfilling my calling.
Sometimes the tension between waiting quietly for the Lord and following the maxim "God helps those who help themselves" comes into sharp focus. Looking for a pastorate is one of those times.
The instinct to follow my calling is very strong because the call was overwhelming in the first place. It came when I was a student of modern languages, 20 or 21 years old. I was in Le Havre in France as an English Assistant. This was not a very demanding job. You were expected to spend most of your time mixing with French people and improving your language skills. One day a French teacher colleague, a practising Catholic, invited me to his home for a meal. We talked in the way the French do - deep conversation rather than small talk. The topic must have turned to religion at some point, though I can remember nothing about that. All I can remember was the teacher suddenly asking, "Why don't you become a pastor in your church?" It was like a revelation; like scales falling off my eyes. Where before I had seen pastors as weaklings, now I could see the challenge of the work and that it would take up my life's energies. I have never looked back.
Without a pastorate I feel like a fish out of water. But how hard should I try to jump back in? The churches scream, "You will wait for us; our timing is the Lord's timing." My instinct whispers insistently, "Leave no stone unturned; it's no good expecting pastorates to drop into your lap." How to reconcile the two voices is beyond me. All I can say is that invitations to preach are coming in from various local churches. I welcome them, and offer myself to the Lord as a resource for the churches during this time of waiting. Look for what's to come, but don't turn away what's already here.
Sometimes the tension between waiting quietly for the Lord and following the maxim "God helps those who help themselves" comes into sharp focus. Looking for a pastorate is one of those times.
The instinct to follow my calling is very strong because the call was overwhelming in the first place. It came when I was a student of modern languages, 20 or 21 years old. I was in Le Havre in France as an English Assistant. This was not a very demanding job. You were expected to spend most of your time mixing with French people and improving your language skills. One day a French teacher colleague, a practising Catholic, invited me to his home for a meal. We talked in the way the French do - deep conversation rather than small talk. The topic must have turned to religion at some point, though I can remember nothing about that. All I can remember was the teacher suddenly asking, "Why don't you become a pastor in your church?" It was like a revelation; like scales falling off my eyes. Where before I had seen pastors as weaklings, now I could see the challenge of the work and that it would take up my life's energies. I have never looked back.
Without a pastorate I feel like a fish out of water. But how hard should I try to jump back in? The churches scream, "You will wait for us; our timing is the Lord's timing." My instinct whispers insistently, "Leave no stone unturned; it's no good expecting pastorates to drop into your lap." How to reconcile the two voices is beyond me. All I can say is that invitations to preach are coming in from various local churches. I welcome them, and offer myself to the Lord as a resource for the churches during this time of waiting. Look for what's to come, but don't turn away what's already here.
Wednesday 8 September 2010
Clutter and basics
"Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul"
- Harry E. Fosdick, 1930
There's nothing like a house move to remind you - forcefully - of how much clutter you gather over the years. Kind friends helped me move last Tuesday. Most of my belongings went into storage with a farmer friend who generously allotted space in a barn. The rest - still too much - came with me into lodgings.
It was in sharp contrast with what Gandhi left behind when he died: a pair of spectacles, his loincloth and ... was there a third thing? Precious little else, anyway. How easy it is to be rich in things, and to be poor in soul at the same time!
One suspects that Christians and churches are very self-indulgent in the West, fretting about issues which are vanishingly small if you are at the rock face of persecution or deprivation. It is highly likely that I shall come out of this period of transition with a different perspective than the one I had when I started.
Meanwhile I just appreciate the kindness I have been receiving, kindness well above and beyond my basic needs. It is as though God is saying, "You may be in a position to live off reserves for a while, but I shall still keep giving you reminders that I am with you and equipping you for new service".
Last Sunday was a busy and positive one, spent at a church in Malvern where I preached twice and also took a rest home service. John Wesley begged the Lord that he would never live to be useless. He was contending for the faith up to a few days before his death and so, I hope, shall I be.
Rich in things and poor in soul"
- Harry E. Fosdick, 1930
There's nothing like a house move to remind you - forcefully - of how much clutter you gather over the years. Kind friends helped me move last Tuesday. Most of my belongings went into storage with a farmer friend who generously allotted space in a barn. The rest - still too much - came with me into lodgings.
It was in sharp contrast with what Gandhi left behind when he died: a pair of spectacles, his loincloth and ... was there a third thing? Precious little else, anyway. How easy it is to be rich in things, and to be poor in soul at the same time!
One suspects that Christians and churches are very self-indulgent in the West, fretting about issues which are vanishingly small if you are at the rock face of persecution or deprivation. It is highly likely that I shall come out of this period of transition with a different perspective than the one I had when I started.
Meanwhile I just appreciate the kindness I have been receiving, kindness well above and beyond my basic needs. It is as though God is saying, "You may be in a position to live off reserves for a while, but I shall still keep giving you reminders that I am with you and equipping you for new service".
Last Sunday was a busy and positive one, spent at a church in Malvern where I preached twice and also took a rest home service. John Wesley begged the Lord that he would never live to be useless. He was contending for the faith up to a few days before his death and so, I hope, shall I be.
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