I went on vacation last week. It was fantastic and much needed in my life, and made me very happy. I didn't do anything particularly exciting, but there are definitely good stories from the trip...
However, one of things that is sitting with me is a conversation I got into one evening:
What is the moral role of the pastor?
This was not a discussion with someone in the ministry, or someone going into the ministry... just a regular person who attends church on occasion.
I learned a lesson about 5 years ago: Pastor's are people, too. They make mistakes, they live lives, they are not perfect. I *loved* learning this. It was freeing.
But the discussion I had was centered on the idea that the pastor should be an example (which I agree with), but to the point that they aren't people, too. I feel that the idea of the perfect person is one of the things that increases burn out rates in pastors. With such high expectations, how is the pastor supposed to LIVE? Does the pastor pretend to be perfect and not admit flaws in order to be a good example, or is being a good example living with it all and living in true community?
Where is the pastor in the church community? The ideal to live up to, but not to be included? In order to model community, isn't authenticity necessary? Does a moral pastor living authentically in community mean the pastor literally has to have all their crap together before stepping into the pulpit, with no flaws left?
How is that fair?
What do you think? What is the moral role of the pastor and how does that fit into the necessity of a pastor to have a life and be a person that struggles? What is too big for a pastor and what isn't? What is a sin, and what isn't?
For example:
Can a pastor drink? Is that a moral issue? Does it depend on the community?
Smoke? Is it a sin or just not a good idea for a pastor to do that?
Does being a spiritual leader mean they must also be healthy, because that is a good example?
Where does "being a good example" stop?
However, one of things that is sitting with me is a conversation I got into one evening:
What is the moral role of the pastor?
This was not a discussion with someone in the ministry, or someone going into the ministry... just a regular person who attends church on occasion.
I learned a lesson about 5 years ago: Pastor's are people, too. They make mistakes, they live lives, they are not perfect. I *loved* learning this. It was freeing.
But the discussion I had was centered on the idea that the pastor should be an example (which I agree with), but to the point that they aren't people, too. I feel that the idea of the perfect person is one of the things that increases burn out rates in pastors. With such high expectations, how is the pastor supposed to LIVE? Does the pastor pretend to be perfect and not admit flaws in order to be a good example, or is being a good example living with it all and living in true community?
Where is the pastor in the church community? The ideal to live up to, but not to be included? In order to model community, isn't authenticity necessary? Does a moral pastor living authentically in community mean the pastor literally has to have all their crap together before stepping into the pulpit, with no flaws left?
How is that fair?
What do you think? What is the moral role of the pastor and how does that fit into the necessity of a pastor to have a life and be a person that struggles? What is too big for a pastor and what isn't? What is a sin, and what isn't?
For example:
Can a pastor drink? Is that a moral issue? Does it depend on the community?
Smoke? Is it a sin or just not a good idea for a pastor to do that?
Does being a spiritual leader mean they must also be healthy, because that is a good example?
Where does "being a good example" stop?
