i work in a restaurant. after 21 years of pastoring i'm your waiter. deal with it.
last week someone came into the restaurant from my last church. we talked casually, we reminisced, we laughed. as they rose to leave they commented, "wow, look how far you've fallen, you used to be somebody." i was shocked, then i laughed. and laughed. they left probably wondering if i had been drinking. how sad and pathetic the ex-pastor had become.
there was a time in my recent past when i would have understood, even agreed with what they were hinting. like many christians i once had an elevated opinion of ordained ministry. as i have mentioned in other posts, pastors generally regard themselves as the first among equals. there is a certain unspoken understanding that what we do for a living is slightly, or greatly, more significant than what you do. after all, we are making a difference for eternity, you are only making a living. as pope boniface VIII said in the 13th century, we are in charge of souls, which is far more important than bodies.
if i have learned anything in the past 4 years it has been to appreciate the work a day struggle of the proletariat, the common folk who dedicate our lives to nothing more noble than caring for our families and helping our friends. it seems, at first glance, to not be as noble a calling, but perhaps a calling nonetheless.
from time to time i want to explain to people that i still do the "ministry" thing on a subversive level, that i still am a "pastor" though in point of fact i really don't want to be most days. there is something still within me that wants to cry out that i am still significant, even though i'm just a business man. i want to add a huge 'but' after that title. a part of my ego still buys into the pastoral supremacy myth. being a minister made me a somebody, a person who stood out from the crowd.
not just your waiter.
on an interesting side note, an assoicate from my last church is getting married in the restaurant in a few weeks. my old associate pastor is performing the wedding. the room, my restaurant, will be swarming with people who i used to pastor (some of whom think very little of me). i am certain that on that day i will feel a little awkward - i am after all still serving them; only this time as their waiter, their chef, even their bartender.
i guess that's good enough for me.
last week someone came into the restaurant from my last church. we talked casually, we reminisced, we laughed. as they rose to leave they commented, "wow, look how far you've fallen, you used to be somebody." i was shocked, then i laughed. and laughed. they left probably wondering if i had been drinking. how sad and pathetic the ex-pastor had become.
there was a time in my recent past when i would have understood, even agreed with what they were hinting. like many christians i once had an elevated opinion of ordained ministry. as i have mentioned in other posts, pastors generally regard themselves as the first among equals. there is a certain unspoken understanding that what we do for a living is slightly, or greatly, more significant than what you do. after all, we are making a difference for eternity, you are only making a living. as pope boniface VIII said in the 13th century, we are in charge of souls, which is far more important than bodies.
if i have learned anything in the past 4 years it has been to appreciate the work a day struggle of the proletariat, the common folk who dedicate our lives to nothing more noble than caring for our families and helping our friends. it seems, at first glance, to not be as noble a calling, but perhaps a calling nonetheless.
from time to time i want to explain to people that i still do the "ministry" thing on a subversive level, that i still am a "pastor" though in point of fact i really don't want to be most days. there is something still within me that wants to cry out that i am still significant, even though i'm just a business man. i want to add a huge 'but' after that title. a part of my ego still buys into the pastoral supremacy myth. being a minister made me a somebody, a person who stood out from the crowd.
not just your waiter.
on an interesting side note, an assoicate from my last church is getting married in the restaurant in a few weeks. my old associate pastor is performing the wedding. the room, my restaurant, will be swarming with people who i used to pastor (some of whom think very little of me). i am certain that on that day i will feel a little awkward - i am after all still serving them; only this time as their waiter, their chef, even their bartender.
i guess that's good enough for me.
Labels: pastors, significance
posted by Scott at 1/04/2009
7 Comments:
Scott, I just read this last night from an article at Harvest Now - an orginazation lead by Steve Hill. He says this quoting Brian J. Dodd, PhD. "
“And he gave some to be apostles...”
When Jesus is the King of His Kingdom, we need a New Testament understanding of “apostle”. The picture of spiritual CEO at the top of the religious food chain is simply wrong. We know the word means “sent one” but may not realize that Paul’s use of the term is in the Greco/Roman business context regarding slaves. There was a fixed hierarchy among slaves from business directors down to those who did manual chores. The most expendable slave and thus, least honored, was the “sent one”. Why? Travel was often dangerous so those sent on errands near or far were those whose loss would be missed the least. They were the most expendable with the least status. Putting “apostle” on your business card then would be like putting “dishwasher” on your card now. \1
http://www.harvest-now.org/en/harvest-news/n/archive/2008/december/03/article/apostles-authority-and-the-kingdom-of-god-1/
So let me be the first to call you Scott, an apostle of Jesus Christ. Sir, it is an honor to read what you have to say. I have heard many self proclaimed 'apostles' and you have more to say in this post that they all do together in their books and conference tapes.
Great thoughts Scott as an ex "pastor" myself these thoughts strike a chord - I'm in community of about 20,000 and most know from the great heights I have fallen.
I like being Joe Blow - though. Should be an interesting night you've got comming mate!!!
I think you already know how I feel on the subject. But can I just say 1) you know some unbelievably rude people, and 2) you're clearly more gracious than I.
Peace to you, Scott. I hope and pray that there is no awkwardness for you. Just the deep confidence that you're pastoring very well thankyouverymuch.
thanks. i still deal with the demons of my past. and some of them walk and breath.
i deal with the same issues. i run into people and they say "where are you now?" (implying that I am pastoring somewhere). I love the astonishment when I tell them "nowhere" - American "country club" church has become totally irrelevant. keep your head up, significance lies with you, not them...
I personally love the bread you serve .........fresh from the warmth of the oven of your intimacy with your Father
VERBATIM yesterday, from my NH chairman of the church board husband:
'...if you believe God's word, of course the 'saving of souls' as a pastor is the highest calling in life. It can be compared to that of a heart surgeon in terms of responsibility. Only greater, since the surgeon deals with the body, the pastor deals with the soul.
...not of course that a custodial job in the church or hospital isn't also worthy - but it's a different level of responsibility in God's kingdom.'
(Just in case anyone thought the myth was not still alive & well & being perpetuated among the church itself.)
It's no wonder people are running from the church in droves.
Your link to that vid clip about 'the pastor that refuses to lead and the analyst that refuses to analyze' is where I think the church needs to be to even stay alive.
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