I just started Eugene Peterson's book Working the Angles. His Contemplative Pastor changed my life, and I think this will be more of the same.
In this book, Peterson uses his usual blunt style to describe the modern-day pastor. This person could be taught in four easy classes, says Peterson, which would be Creative Plagiarism, Voice Control for Prayer and Counseling, Efficient Office Management and Image Projection (p.7). He mentions preaching, teaching, and administration as the work pastors are typically known for, but adds that these must be held together with prayer, scripture and spiritual direction (p. 5). Not surprisingly, I agree with Peterson.
The problem: church seems to be about pleasing people. People are not as pleased with a praying pastor as they are with a program pastor. And honestly, I seldomly have the guts to really go against what people want. It is a scary and lonely road. I'm in a career in which I often hear church attenders referred to as customers, and the idea of bringing spirituality into any of it is intimidating.
The solution: the first part of solving this dilemma for me is to be reminded daily that I am not in business, but am doing ministry. This is where incarnational orthopraxy comes into the picture. It is a deliberate choice to follow and live like Christ. It is right-living, both in who I am and how I live into my vocation. Some may not understand, and for them I have to try continually to explain, but also continue on the path I God has laid out.
All I need is the guts. I guess that's why I need to continue "working the angles" as Peterson says it.
Peace,
Matt
Currently Reading: The Peterson book mentioned above, as well as Soul Gardening by Terry Hershey and How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler.
5 comments:
i guess that some of the problems of the "consumer-oriented" marketing of christianity as a religion/lifestyle grows out of the constant growth that certain mega-churches expect. it seems that most of this stems from the idea that churches must be run like businesses and therefore focus on the modern economic paradigm that believes that constant growth is the only evidence of progress. what about sustainable yields for jesus? i don't know, it seems like there is always a push to add to the church which places the focus on growth and might create lukewarm mediocrity as a natural by-product? we want our youth program to grow but we don't have the leaders to run an expanding youth group and at the same time we have regular attenders who don't understand the basics. but it is all about expanding the kingdom. sometimes spreading the gospel feels too much like selling amway or credit-card consolidation. maybe that is just our culture but yesterday i had the weirdest conversation with a non-believer (or is the pc term pre-christian?) about whether god was being sneaky and deceptive in tricking abraham into almost sacrificing issac and i couldn't find an easy or comforting answer. i don't know! God is weird and kind of scary sometimes. i'm not sure how christianity became an easy-to-swallow consumable. anyway, sorry for the rambling.
I despise that term, "pre-Christian". I don't know why, but it makes me angry.
Personally, I prefer "pagan" or "heathen". "Hell-bound" is pretty good, too.
yeah. i find the term offensive too because instead of conveying hope and faith that god can save anyone, it comes off as smug. i'm pretty fond of the term "godless infidel."
Glad to hear some good old fashioned sarcasm on the site! It's about time!
Kelly, you are right on. A larger ministry isn't a bad thing, but the scary thing is when our only goal is growing a larger ministry. The church is like a plant, and if it grows to large for its pot, it dies. Too often we sacrifice health for growth. That's not the organic ministry I see Jesus calling us towards.
Good point about the plant and pot. I might also add that pot is legal in Canada now. And more people up there eat organic. Hmmmm...
Is that Kelly, as in Kelly I (heart) MyLastName? Just curious.
Cheers, mates.
Anonymous P.T.P.
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