Pastoral Dignitity - Standing In The Gap
Mark Tidsworth, Team Leader
Today I watched a segment on ABC news where black police officers were interviewed about their vocational experience; sharing their stories. Their collective commitment to their vocation; their passion for keeping people safe and pursuing justice was very impressive. At the same time, they expressed much heartache over the injustice African-Americans were suffering due to systemic racism. Listening to their stories, one could hear the exceptional complexity of their daily lives, working within and through a flawed system while trying to be a force for healing and reconciliation. They are standing in the gap between systems and communities, reaching out to both, working to build bridges. I can only imagine the kind of internal fortitude it takes to give so much to a vocation.
Though black police officers face difficulties I hope no pastor has to endure, their stories reminded me of the complexity inherent in the calling to lead a people forward in transformation. Perhaps this Facebook post from last week recognizing the challenges of preaching in our churning culture gives voice to the complexity pastors face.
Thinking about all the pastors and priests readying their sermons about now:
Some have received a word from God but suspect they may need to pack their bags before delivering it.
Some know that if they pray for police, their people will think they sold out to the system and will write them off.
Some know that if they mention racial injustice, their people will think they are being political and will come after them.
Some know their people are weary and worn, needing a drink form the well of living water.
Some are afraid they are opting for job security over gospel preaching, concerned about their children's security.
Some know their people need to know God hurts with them over the excessive brokenness of our world.
Some know their people are in denial, pretending this will blow over and everything will return to normal.
Some are speechless, needing God to reach into their inner turmoil, giving them the strength of soul to avoid either sobbing or screaming while in the pulpit.
Some have, are, will....
Come Lord Jesus this day, equipping your messengers with everything they need to deliver your word to your Church this weekend. Amen.
So, from where I sit, there’s a dignity in the pastoral role. No, it’s not a dignity which comes through one’s appearance or posture. This dignity has nothing to do with social status or the way one speaks. Pastoral dignity rises out the interaction between a people (church), a pastor, and God.
Perhaps a contrasting role in God’s Church will communicate my meaning. We love to hear from prophets; those who assess what’s happening in the world and the church followed by calling us up to action. Prophets confront our stuff as churches and then show us a better way to be collective groups of disciples. We go to conferences to hear them, listen to their podcasts and read their books; even inviting them into our churches from time to time. But most of us don’t want too much prophet in our pastors. Prophets make us uncomfortable, drawing our attention to places polite people don’t often go in conversation. We generally don’t want to hear from them every week in sermons or in small group studies. Their messages are too confrontational; abrasive at times. Can you imagine one of the Old Testament prophets serving as your church’s pastor?
Certainly every pastor has some prophet in her. Every pastor who’s effective also knows how to walk WITH people after delivering a challenging word. Pastoral leaders are people who
Stand in the gap between our church’s aspirations and our church’s reality, calling us forward
Love us enough to accept us as we are, while still believing we can grow and mature
Resist the urge to fuse with the church’s emotional system, becoming so much a part of the group they lose their ability to call us up toward something better
Resist the urge to run so far ahead of us that we can’t relate, writing him off as eccentric or radical
Pace along with us, practicing patience and high frustration tolerance, believing there’s hope for us regardless of our slowness to move or catch on
Recognize we are at various places regarding any issue, working to hold us together as the body of Christ
Are people of perseverance and endurance, pressing on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
If our coaching clients and webinar participants are representative, plenty of pastors are questioning their effectiveness in these strange days. But as someone who serves in a para-church role, my respect for those serving as pastors is rising every day. From here it’s apparent there’s a certain dignity in the pastoral role; committing to a group of people, loving them day in and day out, sticking with them through the successes and failures. Not everyone could do that and everyone has their calling to fulfill which is equally as valuable in God’s kingdom. Yet these days, when we see pastors standing in the gap, one arm outstretched to the church and the other stretching toward God’s calling for the Body of Christ on the other….well, there’s a dignitity there; a beautiful thing to behold. Thanks be to God for such rich provision for God’s Church through pastoral dignity.