Tag Archives: peace

The Privilege of Pastoral Ministry

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“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,
not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;
not for shameful gain, but eagerly…”
(1 Peter 5:2)

There have been a lot of articles circulating on the internet lately about the difficulties of pastoral ministry.  After having been a pastor for 12 years, I could probably write a list of my own.  Pastoral ministry can be isolating, discouraging, emotionally and spiritually exhausting call.  We encounter people in some of the hardest times of their lives: when they are hurt, lost, angry, alone, shamed, caught, desperate for an answer.  Sometimes as Pastors we shine, and we bring comfort and hope to those in need, other times we respond with the same brokenness we have encountered, and we only make matters worse.  This calling is tough, and not everyone is equipped for it, not everyone is called to it.  But those who are called know the unique privilege of pastoral care.

Several times this past week I’ve had people come to me and say something to the order of, “I don’t envy you your job.”  This week I’ve had two funerals for men in my congregation, men who were faithful members of the congregation I serve and men I counted as friends and brothers in Christ.  It has been a struggle for me to write the services for these men, but it was also a privilege that I do not take for granted.

Yes, it is difficult to speak from the heart on such an occasion.  But when you consider that it is also an opportunity to proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ, to share the hope we have in Him, to take part in His ministry of compassion in binding up the brokenhearted; it is an honor that I could never turn down.

Yes, it is painful to sit with a family as they watch their loved one die.  But when you consider that this is an opportunity to witness a saint passing from one glory to the next, to be there to recount the mercies of God and the promises afforded in God’s Word for such a time, to be an ambassador of God’s kingdom; it is an honor I could never turn down.

Yes, very few will willingly walk into a situation where a family is in crisis, where the consequences of a lifetime of bad decisions come crashing down, where years of bitterness and hostility have created a wall of division.  But to be able to speak a word of grace, of peace, in such a time, to take part in the ministry of reconciliation that was established on the cross of Christ; that is an honor I could never turn down.

No, shepherding has never been a highly valued form of employment.  In the days of scripture it wasn’t a position that attracted the best and the brightest.  But a good shepherd lovingly cared for his sheep, guided them to quiet waters and green pastures, protected them from harm, and delivered them healthy and strong to his master. 

This is the privilege of pastoral ministry: to guide a congregation through difficult times, to sing over them words of peace and promise, to feed them with the feast of the heavenly banquet, to refresh their hearts with streams of living water, to lead them in joy to before their Lord. 

Were it not a calling, I could never do it.  Had I to rely on my own strength, I would be a complete failure.  But since God is the one who calls us to serve, then equips those whom He calls, I will gladly, eagerly, faithfully shepherd the flock. 

SDG

Just what, but not how, I wanted it…

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“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights
with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
(James 1:17 (ESV))

Have you ever prayed for patience, then found yourself surrounded by the most insufferable and tiring people imaginable?

Have you ever prayed for peace in your life, only to be forced into a situation where there was fighting and bickering all around you, and you were the one who had to sort it out?

Or, have you ever asked that God would strengthen and deepen your faith and reliance upon Him, but then found yourself plagued by sickness, setback, disappointment, and loss?

When our prayers are answered this way, it makes us want to give up praying and asking.  It seems like a cruel joke: “I want to grow in my faith and be more Christlike, but the troubles of the world always get in the way.”  We think that God hasn’t heard our prayers, or worse, that He has ignored them.  It’s easy to get cynical and just give up.

But that isn’t the way God works.  Jesus tells us that when we seek first the Kingdom of heaven, all these things will be added unto us; that we must ask, seek, knock – that is, pray – and our Father in heaven will give good things to those who ask him (Matthew 7:11).  Lloyd-Jones, in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, writes, “Our Lord does not promise to change life for us; He does not promise to remove difficulties and trials and problems and tribulations; He does not say that He is going to cut out all the thorns and leave the roses with wonderful plumage.  No; he faces life realistically, and tells us that these are things to which the flesh is heir, and which are bound to come.  But He assures us that we can so know Him that, whatever happens, we need never be frightened, we need never be alarmed.”

There is a scene in the Fellowship of the Rings in which Lady Galadriel, Queen of the Elves, gives the remaining members of the Fellowship gifts for their journey.  Among the gifts given, everyone received a cloak that she had made which would help hide them from the eyes of their enemies, Sam received a box containing soil from Galadriel’s orchard and a seed from a mallorn tree, and Frodo was given a small crystal bottle of liquid, containing the light of Eärendil’s star which would shine great light when in deep darkness.  Each gift was a warning of the danger they faced, but each gift gave hope that they would not face their troubles alone.

Jesus said, if we who are evil (by comparison to God) know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father (who is holy and good) give His good gifts to us?

God gives us the gifts we need to endure the trials and tribulations of this world with a witness of faith and love.  In giving us His Holy Spirit, we have the assurance that He is always with us, equipping us with every good gift for building one another up, loving and serving one another, and bearing one another’s burdens.

God does answer prayers.  God gives us everything we need, just not the way we might expect.  God’s ways are higher and greater than ours, and He works through and in all things to bring about His good purpose in our lives.  “All things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).  God’s gifts are never given in isolation, His blessings are never meant to be hoarded.  If you ask of God, He will give, and you must be prepared to give as well.

If you ask for faith, be prepared to find yourself in situations that will test your faith – that is how He gives it.

If you ask for patience, be prepared to be surrounded by people who will test your patience – that is how He gives it.

If you ask for forgiveness, be prepared to forgive those who have offended you – that is how you know He has forgiven you.

If you ask for knowledge and understanding, be ready to have every belief questioned – that you may return to God’s word and find true wisdom.

If you ask to be more like Christ, be prepared to be ridiculed and rejected – that is how the world treated Him.

If you ask to be more loving, be prepared to encounter the most unlovely and unlovable people – that you may love them as our heavenly Father has loved you.

Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, that our heavenly Father may richly bless you, and so that you may also be a blessing to the world for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord.

SDG