Topic : Pastoring

There is a growing shortage of trained clergy and ministers today. George Martin, in Today’s Parish, suggests a practical plan: “Perhaps pastors should imagine that they are going to have three more years in their parish as pastor—and that there will be no replacement for them when they leave. If they acted as if this were going to happen, they would put the highest priority on selecting, motivating, and training lay leaders that could carry on as much as possible of the mission of the parish after they left. The results of three sustained years of such an approach would be quite significant. Even revolutionary.”

David Watson, Called & Committed: World-Changing Discipleship, (Harold Shaw Publishers, Wheaton, IL; 1982), p. 53

Spiritual leadership is not won by promotion, but by prayers and tears. It is attained by much heart-searching and humbling before God; by self-surrender, a courageous sacrifice of every idol, a bold, uncompromising, and uncomplaining embracing of the cross, and by an eternal, unfaltering looking unto Jesus crucified.

This is a great price, but it must be unflinchingly paid by him who would be a real spiritual leader of men, a leader whose power is recognized and felt in heaven, on earth and in hell.”

Samuel Logan Brengle, quoted in Spirit of Revival, Life Action Ministries, Vol. 28, No. 1, March, 1998, p. 40

It is an obvious error for all to see in those ministers of the Church who make such a wide gulf between their preaching and their living. They will study hard, to preach exactly, and yet study little or not at all to live exactly. All the week long is little enough to study how to speak for two hours; and yet one hour seems too much time to study how to live all the week. They are loath to misplace a word in their sermons; yet they think nothing of misplacing affections, words, and actions in the course of their lives. Oh, how curiously I have heard some men preach, and how carelessly have I seen them live!

- Richard Baxter

Source unknown

Fourth-century church father Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, prayed:

I am spent, O my Christ, Breath of my life. Perpetual stress and surge, in league together, make long, oh long, this life, this business of living. Grappling with foes within and foes without, my soul hath lost its beauty, blurred your image.

Paul D. Robbins, Leadership, 1988, p. 146.

We must heed the memorable words written by Robert Murray McCheyne to the Rev. Dan Edwards on 2 October 1840 after his ordination as a missionary to the Jews: ‘I trust you will have a pleasant and profitable time in Germany. I know you will apply hard to German; but do not forget the culture of the inner man,—I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword—His instrument—I trust a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.’

John R. W. Stott, The Preacher’s Portrait, Some New Testament Word Studies (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1961), p. 120

1. A full-time effort (if your pastor is engaged full time). It seems unlikely to me that any pastor could do justice to the position in less than 50 hours a week. For me it took longer; for some, it might take less. But to cover the long list of a minister's duties takes time, and lots of it (1 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

2. Your pastor need not be the best preacher in the world, but he or she should never step before an audience unprepared. That takes reading, Bible study, prayer and practice (2 Timothy 4:2).

3. A shepherd should know the sheep and their needs. In other words, the pastor should care for you, be a good listener, full of compassion, and a seeker after wisdom (John 10:14).

4. Your pastor need not "know it all? but must be secure enough to search for answers, even if the answers lie with another pastor (Proverbs 4:10-12).

5. Your pastor needs to be a person of faith and prayer. A prayerless pastor is a powerless pastor (Matthew 17:20-22).

6. Your pastor should be a person of courage, willing to confront evil and injustice. A cowardly pastor is not in close fellowship with the Lord. Pastoring is not for the faint of heart (2 Timothy 1:7; Joshua 1:9).

7. Your pastor and family should be an example to the congregation. No, they do not need to be perfect! The kids need not be the best behaved in the church. The spouse need not head every committee. But they do need to be a family, totally committed to the principles of the Word of God regarding the family unit (Ephesians 5:22-6:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9).

8. Your pastor should spend time training and equipping others to assist in the ministry of pastoral care. We are not all called to be evangelists, but we all are expected to know how to share our faith. Your pastor must prepare you for the responsibilities of lay ministry by helping you find your gifts (2 Timothy 2:2).

9. Your pastor should teach the value of Christian stewardship. If you grasp the significance of tithing your time, talent and treasure, it will not only open up God's special resources for you and your family, but it will also ensure the blessing of God upon your congregation. He promised to pour His blessings upon you (Malachi 3:1-10; 1 Corinthians 9:6-8) in response to your stewardship.

10. Your pastor must be a person of integrity. There should be no hint of immorality (Ephesians 5:3-5).

11. You should expect your pastor to be vulnerable and transparent, willing to admit when mistakes have been made, and committed to continued growth in every aspect (Psalms 139:23, 24).

12. Most important of all, your pastor must be committed to personal holiness. So many clergy are successful by the world's standards but woefully lacking when it comes to a relationship with God (Psalms 51:10-12; Romans 3:22).

"Pastors at Risk,? by H. B. London Jr., with Dean Merrill, Focus on the Family, (Colorado Springs, CO, 1994), pp. 9-10.

Somewhere between the call of God and the heart ward of the local hospital, there exists a specialist variously called a Minister, a Preacher, a Pastor, a Clergyman. He is a hero to his wife, a stranger to his children, a fine boy to his mother, and easy touch to down-and-outers, a name on the mailing list of hundreds of agencies and organizations, and an example to his flock. To some people, he’s a guy who has nothing else to do but get ready for a twenty-minute sermon once a week. To some, he’s the person in whose presence you must not curse, drink, or smoke.

To others, he is a dear friend, a “Johnny-on-the-spot” when death’s angel hovers near; he’s the one whose ministry continues when the medics have done all they can do; he’s the man who can mend marriages, but who can’t find time to fix his wife’s toaster; he’s the nice man at church who pats the babies’ heads, even though he’s not running for a political office. He’s the one who marries young lovers, prays with the sick, and buries the dead. He’s a financial expert, a public orator, janitor, errand boy, typist, file clerk, writer, public relations expert, poor golfer, professional tea-sipper and punch-drinker, journalist, reformer, evangelist, pastor, business executive, counselor, prophet, bookworm, diplomat, human being, sinner, bass, tenor (whichever is needed), planner, and a tee-totaler.

Ministers are found everywhere: preaching in church on Sunday, listening in meetings, teaching a class, looking at a clock, giving invocations, giving benedictions, waiting in maternity wards, sympathizing beside caskets, standing behind pulpits, pleading causes, serving on committees, reading the Bible, playing football with the kids on the vacant lot near the church, watching someone take a final breath, driving expectant mothers to the hospital, sitting behind a desk, lying underneath a car, standing on the roof of buildings under construction, dreaming, meditating, at home at dinner time, not at home at dinner time, standing before women’s groups, delivering addresses, meeting in conventions, diagnosing the world’s sickness and prescribing the cure - God.

Source unknown

In 1722, Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf of Saxony founded a colony of pietist believers called “Herrnhut,” later known as Moravians.

He also traveled to America and set up communities that began to send out missionaries, first to Greenland, then to the West Indies, then beyond.

By the time Zinzendorf died in 1760 some 300 missionaries, all laypersons, had gone out from the various colonies.

In 1738 when some of the challenges of missionary life had become clear, Zinzendorf wrote his famous instructions, many of which sound strangely modern, despite their 18th-century language. Here is a selection, reprinted with permission from World Encounter, mission magazine of the Lutheran Church in America, copyright 1980.

It is better to send people into the wide world than to send no one. But you should be warned about the following temptations:

• To have even the slightest dealings with clergymen.
• To think about your purpose in the land only when you get there.
• To test your vocation on the heathen once you are among them.
• To give up because something doesn’t work immediately.
• To begin to make your home too comfortable, forgetting that you are really a traveler, a pilgrim among the nations.
• To be prejudiced against the heathen because they are neither efficient nor pious, and to be irritated by how badly they run things.
• To seek even the slightest advantage at the expense of your brothers.
• To fill up whole diaries with descriptions of difficulties but write little or nothing about the ways in which our Savior has helped you.
• To forget that one can do far more with a believing heart than with many word.
• To judge your colleagues and particularly your superiors according to their personalities and then allow your relationship to be influenced by whether or not you approve of them.
• To make a general rule of the experience you and two or three others have had.
• To make so many plans that in the end you can’t carry out any of them, but throw up the whole task.
• Out of boredom to make up new articles of faith.
• Vindictiveness.
• To lose sight of the Savior.
• Letting a quarrel last longer than a day.
• To reflect and think that if you were somewhere else you would not have to die, or that things would be different for you; to think that the present lot which God has given to you can be avoided.
• For any pretext or whatever reason to give the devil an opportunity to outwit us, to cast us down or to rob us of our peace.
• It is not always a bad sign to be troubled by something.
• To embellish the heathen with names of people, not even those of Luther, Herrnhut or Zinzendorf.

SIM-NOW

Rev. Saul Paul
Independent, Missionary
Corinth, Greece

Dear Mr. Paul:

We recently received an application from you for service under our Board.

It is our policy to be as frank and open-minded as possible with all our applicants. We have made an exhaustive survey of your case. To be plain, we are surprised that you have been able to pass as a bonafide missionary.

We are told that you are afflicted with a severe eye trouble. This is certain to be an insuperable handicap to an effective ministry. Our Board requires 20-20 vision.

At Antioch, we learn, you opposed Dr. Simon Peter, an esteemed denominational secretary and actually rebuked him openly and publicly. You stirred up so much trouble at Antioch that a special Board meeting had to be convened at Jerusalem. We cannot condone such actions.

Do you think it seemly for a missionary to do part-time secular work? We hear that you are making tents on the side. In a letter to the church at Philippi, you admitted that they are the only church supporting you. We wonder why.

Is it true that you have a jail record? Certain brethren reported that you did two years time at Caesarea and were imprisoned at Rome.

You made such trouble for the businessmen at Ephesus that they refer to you as “the man who turned the world upside down.” Sensationalism in missions is uncalled for. We also deplore the lurid “over-the-wall-in-a-basket” episode at Damascus.

We are appalled at your obvious lack of conciliatory behavior. Diplomatic men are not stoned and dragged out of the city gate, or assaulted by furious mobs. Have you ever suspected that gentler words might gain you more friends? I enclose a copy of the book by Dailus Carnagus, “How to Win Jews and Influence Greeks.”

In one of your letters you refer to yourself as “Paul the Aged.” Our new mission policies do not envisage a surplus of super-annuated recipients.

We understand that you are given to fancies and dreams. At Troas, you saw “a man of Macedonia” and at another time “were caught up into the third heaven” and even claimed the “Lord stood by you.” We reckon that more realistic and practical minds are needed in the task of world evangelism.

You have caused much trouble wherever you have gone. You opposed the honorable women at Berea and the leaders of your own nationality in Jerusalem. If a man cannot get along with his own people, how can he serve foreigners'

We learn that you are a snake handler? At Malta, you picked up a poisonous serpent which is said to have bitten you, but you did not suffer harm. Tsk, tsk.

You admit that while serving time at Rome that “all forsook you.” Good men are not left friendless. Three fine brothers by the names of Demas, and Alexander the coppersmith have notarized affidavits to the effect that it is impossible for them to cooperate with either you or your program.

We know that you had a bitter quarrel with a fellow missionary, Barnabas. Harsh words do not further God’s work.

You have written many letters to churches where you have formerly been pastor. In one of these letters, you accused a church member of living with his father’s wife, and you caused the whole church to feel badly; and the poor fellow was expelled.

You spend too much time talking about the “second coming of Christ.” Your letters to the people of Thessalonica are devoted almost entirely to this theme. Put first things first from now on.

Your ministry has been far too flighty to be successful. First Asia Minor, then Macedonia, then Greece, then Italy, and now you are talking about a wild goose chase to Spain. Concentration is more important than dissipation of one’s powers. You cannot win the whole by yourself. You are just one little Paul.

In a recent sermon you said, “God forbid that I should glory in anything save the cross of Christ.” It seems to us that you ought also to glory in our heritage, our denominationalism and program, the unified budget, and the World Federation of Churches.

Your sermons are much too long at times. At one place, you talked until after midnight and a young man was so asleep that he fell out of the window and broke his neck. Nobody is saved after the first twenty minutes. “Stand up, speak up, and then shut up” is our advice.

Dr. Luke reports that you are a thin, little man, bald, frequently sick, and always so agitated over your churches, that you sleep very poorly. He reports that you pad around the house praying half the night. A healthy mind in a robust body is our ideal for all applicants. A good night’s sleep will give you zest and zip, so that you wake up full of zing.

We find it best to send only married men into foreign service. We deplore your policy of persistent celibacy, Simon Magus has set up a matrimonial bureau at Samaria, where the names of some very fine widows are available.

It hurts me to tell you this, Brother Paul, but in all of my twenty-five years experience, I have never met a man so opposite to the requirements of our Foreign Mission Board. If we accepted you, we would break every rule of modern missionary practice.

Most sincerely yours,
J. Flavius Fluffyhead
Foreign Mission Board Secretary

J. Harold Smith, “Your Good Neighbor,” November 1952

Four men of the cloth, taking a short breather from their heavy schedules, were on a park bench, chatting and enjoying an early spring day. “You know, since all of us are such good friends,” said one, “this might be a good time to discuss the problems that are disturbing us.” They all nodded in agreement. “Well, I would like to share with you the fact that I drink to excess,” said one. There was a gasp from the other three. Then another spoke up. “Since you were so honest, I’d like to say that my big problem is gambling. It’s terrible, I know, but I can’t quit. I’ve even been tempted to take money from the collection plate.” Another gasp was heard, and the third clergyman spoke. “I’m really troubled, brothers, because I’m growing fond of a woman in my church—a married woman.” More gasps. But the fourth man remained silent.

After a few minutes the others coaxed him to open up. “The fact is,” he said, “I just don’t know how to tell you about my problem.”

“It’s all right, brother. Your secret is safe with us.”

“Well, it’s this way,” he said. “You see, I’m an incurable gossip.”

Arlene Quant, quoted by Alex Thien in Milwaukee Sentinel

1. After hundreds of years the perfect pastor’s been found. He is the church elder who’ll please everyone.

2. He preaches exactly 20 minutes and then sits down.

3. He condemns sin, but never steps on anybody’s toes.

4. He works from 8 in the morning to 10 at night, doing everything from preaching sermons to sweeping.

5. He makes $400 per week, gives $100 a week to the church, drives a late model car, buys lots of books, wears fine clothes, and has a nice family.

6. He always stands ready to contribute to every other good cause, too, and to help panhandlers who drop by the church on their way to somewhere.

7. He is 36 years old, and has been preaching 40 years.

8. He is tall on the short side, heavy-set in a thin sort of way, and handsome.

9. He has eyes of blue or brown, (to fit the occasion) and wears his hair parted in the middle - left side, dark and straight, right side, brown and wavy.

10. He has a burning desire to work with the youth, and spends all his time with the senior citizens.

11. He smiles all the time while keeping a straight face, because he has a keen sense of humor that finds him seriously dedicated.

12. He makes 15 calls a day on church members, spends all his time evangelizing non-members, and is always found in his study if he is needed.

Unfortunately he burnt himself out and died at the age of 32.

Source unknown

Three pastors got together for coffee one day and found all their churches had bat-infestation problems. “I got so mad,” said one, “I took a shotgun and fired at them. It made holes in the ceiling, but did nothing to the bats.” “I tried trapping them alive,” said the second. “Then I drove 50 miles before releasing them, but they beat me back to the church.” “I haven’t had any more problems,” said the third. “What did you do?” asked the others, amazed. “I simply baptized and confirmed them,” he replied. “I haven’t seen them since.”

Reader’s Digest, July, 1994, p. 64

Consider what pastors think about work, home, and lifestyles as reported in a recent survey conducted by Leadership magazine:

• 94 percent feel pressured to have an ideal family;
• The top four problems in clergy marriages are: 81 percent, insufficient time; 71 percent, use of money; 70 percent, income level; 64 percent, communication difficulties, 63 percent, congregational expectations; and 57 percent, differences over leisure;
• 24 percent have received or are receiving marital counseling;
• 33 percent of pastors are dissatisfied with the level of sexual intimacy in their marriages; and pastors report 16 percent of their spouses are dissatisfied, which 69 percent blame on their busy schedule, 54 percent on their spouse’s schedule, and 35 percent on frequent night church meetings;
• 22 percent seek supplemental income to make ends meet;
• 28 percent feel current compensation is inadequate;
• 69 percent of the spouses work outside the home to make ends meet;
• 67 percent of the pastors feel positive about their spouses working outside their home;
• 9 percent of clergy have had extramarital affairs;
• 19 percent have had inappropriate sexual contact with another person other than their spouse;
• 55 percent of clergy have no one with whom they can discuss their sexual temptation.

Pastors at Risk , H. B. London, Jr. & Neil B. Wiseman, Victor Books, 1993, pp. 34-35

This soul-weariness shines through a few lines of sarcasm one minister wrote in his journal:

If I wanted to drive a manager up the wall, I would make him responsible for the success of an organization and give him no authority. I would provide him with unclear goals, not commonly agreed upon by the organization. I would ask him to provide a service of an ill-defined nature, apply a body of knowledge having few absolutes, and staff his organization with only volunteers. I would expect him to work ten to twelve hours per day and have his work evaluated by a committee of 300 to 500 amateurs. I would call him a minister and make him accountable to God.

Pastors at Risk, H. B. London, Jr. & Neil B. Wiseman, Victor Books, 1993, p. 54

Consider the following sobering survey results of the personal and professional lives of the clergy:

• 90% of pastors work more than 46 hours a week
• 80% believed that pastoral ministry affected their families negatively
• 33% said that being in ministry was an outright hazard to their family
• 75% reported a significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry
• 50% felt unable to meet the needs of the job
• 90% felt they were inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands
• 70% say they have a lower self-esteem now than when they started out
• 40% reported a serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month
• 37% confessed having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the church
• 70% do not have someone they consider a close friend

1991 Survey of Pastors, Fuller Institute of Church Growth, Pastors at Risk , H. B. London, Jr. & Neil B. Wiseman, Victor Books, 1993, p. 22

Some pastors preach “longhorn sermons,” a point here, a point there, and a lot of bull in between.

Source unknown

One pastor never prepared during the week, and on Sunday morning he’d sit on the platform while the church was singing the hymns desperately praying, “Lord, give your message, Lord give me your message.” One Sunday, while desperately praying for God’s message, he heard the Lord say, “Ralph, here’s my message. You’re lazy!”

Source unknown

Have you ever heard of the spiritual disease which people in medieval times called accidie" It is something that threatens all Christian workers after the first flush of enthusiasm has worn off. It’s a form of sloth but not at the physical level. It is apathy of the soul. It shows in a certain toughness of mind and wariness of spirit which often results from hurt and disillusionment.

People with accidie in this sense have grown cynical about ideals, enthusiasms, and strong hopes. They look pityingly at young people and say, “They’ll learn,” taking it for granted that when they’ve learned, they’ll become tough inside too. Once upon a time these leather-souled people were keen, hopeful, and expectant. But nothing happened, or they got hurt, and now they protect themselves against pain by adopting cynical, world-weary attitudes.

If these people are ministers of churches, they work mechanically, merely going through the motions because their light has really gone out and they’re no longer expecting anything exciting to happen. They feel that they know from experience that exciting things don’t happen, and that’s an end of it. So they merely plod on, expecting nothing and receiving nothing.

But the Lord does not send us out on his work in order that nothing may happen. His word is intended to have impact; it’s sent out to accomplish something. We ought never to settle for a non-expectant, defeated attitude. Rather we should be asking and expecting great things from God.

Your Father Loves You by James Packer, Harold Shaw Publishers, 1986, page for October 10

The public’s image of the clergy has hit an all-time low, with just a bare majority now rating them “very high” (15 percent) or “high” (39 percent) in honesty and ethical standards. One person in three (33 percent) considers clergy ethics to be just average, while 7 percent say they are “low,” and 2 percent consider them “very low.”

In spite of this, members of the clergy are charted second only to pharmacists for honesty and ethics. Physicians, college teachers, dentists, and engineers are next in rank, while journalists, bankers, lawyers, members of Congress, and car salesmen are rated near the bottom.

Emerging Trends, Signs of the Times, August, 1993, p. 6

1. The foundation of ministry is character.

2. The nature of ministry is service.

3. The motive for ministry is love.

4. The measure of ministry is sacrifice.

5. The authority of ministry is submission.

6. The purpose of ministry is the glory of God.

7. The tools of ministry are the Word and prayer.

8. The privilege of ministry is growth.

9. The power of ministry is the Holy Spirit.

10. The model for ministry is Jesus Christ

Warren and David Wiersbe, in Making Sense of the Ministry

Robert Murray McCheyne wrote to Dan Edwards after the latter’s ordination as a missionary, “In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God” (emphasis mine).

Leading the Way by Paul Borthwick, Navpress, 1989, p. 65

1. Congregational endorsement (they asked me to lead)

2. Biblical—placed by God in a position of leadership (Heb. 13, Acts 20:28)

3. Force of example on others—I follow Christ, you follow me. Dependent on closeness of relationship.

4. Expertise—knowledge and training

Source unknown

In his book Be Free, Warren W. Wiersby mentioned the fact that young ministers often visited the great British preacher G. Campbell Morgan to ask him the secret of his success. When someone inquired of him what he told these aspiring pastors, Morgan replied, “I always say to them the same thing—work; hard work; and again, work!”

And Morgan lived up to his own advice. He would be in his study every morning at 6 o’clock, finding rich treasures out of his Bible to pass on to God’s people.

Our Daily Bread

Parishioners hard pressed for something to say to the clergy after the service have, according to one minister’s friend said to him,

• “You always manage to find something to fill up the time.”
• “I don’t care what they say, I like your sermons.”
• “If I’d known you were going to be good today I’d have brought a neighbor.”
• “Did you know there are 243 panes of glass in the windows?”
• “We shouldn’t make you preach so often.”

Arthur Myers in Berkshire Sampler

A Lutheran newsletter has some tongue-in-cheek suggestions for church members unhappy with their pastor:

“Simply send a copy of this letter to six other churches who are tired of their ministers. Then bundle up your pastor and send him to the church at the top of the list. Add your name to the bottom of the list. In one week you will receive 16,436 ministers, and one of them should be a dandy. Have faith in this letter. One man broke the chain and got his old minister back.”

Source unknown

God give us men…ribbed with the steel of Your Holy Spirit…men who will not flinch when the battle’s fiercest…men who won’t acquiesce, or compromise, or fade when the enemy rages. God give us men who can’t be bought, bartered, or badgered by the enemy, men who will pay the price, make the sacrifice, stand the ground, and hold the torch high. God give us men obsessed with the principles true to your word, men stripped of self-seeking and a yen for security…men who will pay any price for freedom and go any lengths for truth. God give us men delivered from mediocrity, men with vision high, pride low, faith wide, love deep, and patience long…men who will dare to march to the drumbeat of a distant drummer, men who will not surrender principles of truth in order to accommodate their peers. God give us men more interested in scars than medals. More committed to conviction than convenience, men who will give their life for the eternal, instead of indulging their lives for a moment in time. Give us men who are fearless in the face of danger, calm in the midst of pressure, bold in the midst of opposition. God give us men who will pray earnestly, work long, preach clearly, and wait patiently. Give us men whose walk is by faith, behaviour is by principle, whose dreams are in heaven, and whose book is the Bible. God give us men who are equal to the task. Those are the men the church needs today.

The Growth Factor, Bob Moorehead

A shepherd…

1. feeds

2. guides (sheep go astray)

3. guards (against wolves)

4. heals (the wounds of injured)

J. R. Stott, Between Two Worlds, p. 120.

There is a pastor, himself he cherished,
Who loved his position not his parish
So the more he preached
The less he reached
And this is why his parish perished.

Source unknown

(Adapted as a Prayer of a Mother for Her Children)

Jesus, good Shepherd, they are not mine but Yours, for I am not mine but Yours.
I am Yours, Lord, and they are Yours,
because by Your wisdom You have created both them and me,
and by Your death You have redeemed us.
So we are Yours, good Lord, we are Yours,
whom You have made with such wisdom and bought so dearly.

Then if You commend them to me, Lord, You do not therefore desert me or them.
You commend them to me: I commend myself and them to you.
Yours is the flock, Lord, and Yours is the shepherd.
Be Shepherd of both Your flock and shepherd.

You have made an ignorant mother, a blind leader, an erring ruler:
teach the mother You have established
guide the leader You have appointed,
govern the ruler You have approved.

I beg you, teach me what I am to teach,
lead me in the way that I am to lead,
rule me so that I may rule others.
Or rather, teach them, and me through them,
lead them, and me with them,
rule them, and me among them.

Anselm (1033-1109) Archbishop of Canterbury

Translated by Sister Benedicta Ward, S.L.G. Adapted for mothers by RBG, quoted in Prodigals and Those Who Love Them, Ruth Bell Graham, 1991, Focus on the Family Publishing, pp. 112-113

The fame and popularity of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen rested largely on his children’s fairy tales, written over a period of some 37 years and translated into scores of languages. Andersen was well aware of this fact—so much so that late in life, he told the musician who was to compose a march for his funeral, “Most of the people who will walk after me will be children, so make the beat keep time with little steps.”

Today in the Word, January 15, 1993

A stranger entered the church in the middle of the sermon and seated himself in the back pew. After a while he began to fidget. Leaning over to a white-haired man at his side, evidently an old member of the congregation, he whispered:

“How long has he been preaching?”

“Thirty or forty years, I think,” the old man answered.

“I’ll stay then,” decided the stranger, “He must be nearly done.”

The World’s Best Jokes, Christian Clippings, p. 26

A minister pleasantly surprised his congregation by delivering a 10-minute sermon instead of the usual 30-minute message. In concluding he explained, “I regret to inform you, brethren, that my dog, who appears to be inordinately fond of paper, this morning ate that portion of my sermon which I have not delivered. Let us pray.”

After the service a stranger from another church approached the pastor and said, “Preacher, please let me know if that dog of yours has any pups. If it does, I want to buy one for my minister.”

Christian Clippings, p. 27

By many estimates, the 1990s will be a time of continued confusion for clergy. Ministers are “the most frustrated profession in the nation,” according to management consultant Peter Drucker.… A study prepared by the Episcopal Foundation concluded that “many old and established patterns for ordained leaders in the church are no longer working.” Among clergy comments in the study:

• The status of clergy is lower.
• Clergy are no longer considered to be special people.
• I feel pulled apart. Am I a pastor or a businessman'

Many clergy, the report said, “are conceiving a role for themselves like chief executive officers of a multi-level organization, where skilled laity are middle managers.”

Russell Chadler, Racing Toward 2000: The Forces Shaping America’s Religious Future, Harper Collins, Zondervan, pp. 216, 217, Discoveries, Summer, 1992

The Lord has given to every man his work. It is his business to do it, and the devil’s business to hinder him—if he can. So, sure as God gives a man a work to do, Satan will try to hinder him. He may present other things more promising; he may allure you by worldly prospect; he may assault you with slander, torment you with false accusations, set you to work defending your character, employ pious persons to lie about you, editors to assail you, and excellent men to slander you. You may have Pilate and Herod, Ananias and Caiaphas all combined against you, and Judas standing by to sell you for 30 pieces of silver. And you may wonder why all these things have come to pass. Can you not see that the whole thing is brought about through the craft of the devil, to draw you off from your work and hinder your obedience to Christ? Keep about your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars. Do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs. Do not fool around your time chasing the devil’s rabbits. Do your work; let liars lie; let sectarians quarrel; let editors publish; let the devil do his worst. But see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work God has given you. He had not sent you to make money; He has not commanded you to get rich. He has never bidden you to defend your character nor has He bidden you to contradict falsehoods about yourself which Satan and his servants may start to peddle. If you do these things you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord. Keep about your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. Let the world brawl and bubble. You may be assaulted, wrangled, insulted, slandered, wounded, and rejected. You may be chased by foes, abused by them, forsaken by friend, despised and rejected of men, but see to it that with steadfast determination and with unfaltering zeal you pursue that great purpose of your life and the object of your being until at last you can say; “I have finished the work which you, dear God, have given me to do?”

Pulpit Helps, August, 1992, p. 8

“I’m convinced that a man’s commitment to his message is measured by the significance of his words when he has to speak to only a handful of people.”

Howard Hendricks, Say It With Love, p. 73

Good morning, madam. May I help you'

Yes, please, I’d like to buy a minister.

For yourself or your church'

Oh, for my church, of course. I’m already married.

Uh, yes. Did you have a particular model in mind'

I’ve got a description from the Candidate Committee right here. We want a man about 30, well educated, with some experience. Good preacher and teacher. Balanced personality. Serious, but with a sense of humor. Efficient, but not rigid. Good health. Able to identify with all age groups. And, if possible, sings tenor.

Sings tenor'

We’re short of tenors in the choir.

I see. Well, that’s quite a list. How much money did you want to spend'

The committee says $9,000. $9,500 tops.

Hmmm. Well, perhaps we’d better start in the bargain basement.

Tell me, how much is that model in the window'

You mean the one in the Pendleton plaid suit and the gray suede dune boots'

Yes, that one. He’s a real dream.

That’s our Princeton #467. Has a Ph.D. and AKC papers.

AKC'

American Koinonia Council. He sells for $16,000 plus house.

Wow! That’s too rich for our blood. What about that model over there'

Ah, yes. An exceptional buy. Faith #502. He’s a little older than 30, but has excellent experience. Aggressive. Good heart. Has a backing of sermons, two of which have been printed in Christian Leaders.

He’s not too bad. Can you do something about his bald head? Mrs. Penner especially insists that our minister have some hair.

Madam, all our ministers come in a variety of hair styles.

I’ll keep him in mind.

Now let me show you Olympia #222. Four years of varsity sports at Brass Ring College. Plays football, basketball, volleyball, and Ping-Pong. Comes complete with sports equipment.

What a physique! He must weigh 200 pounds!

Yes, indeed. You get a lot for your money with this one. And think what he can do for your young people.

Great. But how is he at preaching'

I must admit he’s not St. Peter. But you can’t expect good sermons and a church-wide athletic program too!

I suppose not. Still…

Let me show you our Fresno #801. Now here’s a preacher. All his sermons are superb—well- researched, copious anecdotes, and they always have three points. And—he comes with a full set of the Religious Encyclopedia at no extra charge! You get the whole package for $8,300.

He’s wearing awfully thick glasses.

For $220 more we put in contact lenses.

I don’t know. He might study too much. We don’t want a man who’s in his office all the time.

Of course.

How about this minister over here?

Comes from a management background. Trained in business operations at Beatitude College. Adept with committees. Gets his work done by 11:30 every morning.

His tag says he’s an IBM 400.

Madam, you have a discerning eye. Innovative Biblical Methods. This man will positively revitalize your church.

I’m not sure our church wants to be revitalized. Haven’t you got something less revolutionary'

Well, would you like someone of the social worker type? We have this Ghetto #130.

The man with the beard? Good gracious, no. Mrs. Penner would never go for that.

How about our Empathy #41C? His forte is counseling. Very sympathetic. Patient. Good with people who have problems.

Everyone in our church has problems. But he might not get out and visit new people. We really need a man who does a lot of visitation. You see, all our people are very busy and…

Yes, yes, I understand. You want a minister who can do everything well.

That’s it! Haven’t you got somebody like that'

I’m thinking. In our back room we have a minister who was traded in last week. Excellent man, but he broke down after three years. If you don’t mind a used model, we can sell him at a reduced price.

Well, we had hoped for someone brand-new. We just redecorated the sanctuary, and we wanted a new minister to go with it.

Of course. But with a little exterior work, and a fresh suit, this man will look like he just came out of the box. No one will ever know. Let me bring him out and you can look him over.

All right. Honestly, this minister shopping is exhausting. It’s so hard to get your money’s worth. Tell me, do you also give Green Stamps with the contract'

Uh—no. But if there’s any dissatisfaction after six months we send a new congregation for the balance of the years. That usually takes care of most problems.

From the book Don’t Stand Up in the Canoe: A Fantasy from Life, Jean Shaw, Zondervan, Grand Rapids

A minister must be learned, on pain of being utterly incompetent for his work. But before and above being learned, a minister must be godly. Nothing could be more fatal, however, than to set these two things over against one another. Recruiting officers do not dispute whether it is better for soldiers to have a right leg or a left leg: soldiers should have both legs.

B. B. Warfield, quoted in Credenda Agenda, Volume 4/Number 5, p. 16

I know that preaching the gospel publicly is the best means, because we speak to so many at once. But it is usually far more effective to speak it privately to a particular person.

Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor

Not long ago a well-meaning group of laymen came from a neighboring church to se me. They wanted me to advise them on some convenient and painless method of getting rid of their pastor. I’m afraid, however, that I wasn’t much help to them. At the time I had not had the occasion to give the matter serious thought. But since then I have pondered the matter a great deal, and the next time anyone comes for advice on how to get rid of a pastor, here’s what I’ll tell him:

1. Look the pastor straight in the eye while he’s preaching and say “Amen” once in a while and he’ll preach himself to death.

2. Pat him on the back and brag on is good points and he’ll probably work himself to death.

3. Rededicate your life to Christ and ask the preacher for some job to do, preferably some lost person you could win to Christ, and he’ll die of heart failure.

4. Get the church to unite in prayer for the preacher and he’ll soon become so effective that some larger church will take him off your hands.

Quoted in You and Your Pastor, Radio Bible Class

• The Pastor as a Theologian, J. Reed, in Walvoord: A Tribute, Donald Campbell, ed., Moody, 1982, p. 273.

A group of ministers and a salesman’s organization were holding conventions in the same hotel, and the catering department had to work at top speed serving dinners to both. The salesmen were having spiked watermelon for dessert. But the chef discovered that it was being served to the ministers by mistake. “Quick!” he commanded a waiter. “Bring it back!” The waiter returned, reporting that it was too late. The ministers were already eating the liquor-spiced treat. “Do they like it?” asked the chef. “Don’t know,” replied the waiter, “but they’re putting the seeds in their pockets.”

Quote Magazine

Most of senior pastor Jonathan Boucher’s parishioners favored independence. George and Martha Washington were frequent visitors, as Martha’s son John was a student at the church school. Nevertheless, Boucher not only held the Tory position, but openly preached loyalty to King George. This prompted frequent threats, so for six months he preached with a brace of loaded pistols on the seat cushion beside him. One Sunday, matters reached a climax when 200 armed militiamen showed up under the command of Osborne Sprigg, threatening to shoot if he dared mount the pulpit. In the ensuing scuffle, Boucher grabbed Sprigg by the collar and—holding a loaded pistol to his head—eased his way through the hostile mob. He reached his horse and escaped, sailing to England on the last ship before hostilities broke out.

July/August, 1990, Moody Monthly, p. 13

• If you knew you could not fail, what would you attempt to do for the glory of God and the growth of his kingdom? - Anon
• We cannot make up for failure in our devotional life by redoubling energy in service. We shall never take people beyond our own spiritual attainment. - W. H. Griffith Thomas
• Think yourself empty, read yourself full, write yourself clear, pray yourself keen. - W. H. Griffith Thomas
• I remember when in Chicago many were toiling in the work, when a minister began to cry out from the depths of his heart, “O God, put new ministers in every pulpit!” The next Monday, I heard two or three men say, “We had a new minister last Sunday—the same old minister, but he had gotten new power.” I firmly believe that is what we want to do all over the land. We want new ministers in the pulpit. We want people quickened by the Spirit of God. - D. L. Moody
• The minister’s shortcoming simply cannot be concealed. Even the most trivial soon get known…However trifling their offenses, these little things seem great to others, since everyone measures sin, not by the size of the offense, but by the standing of the sinner. - John Chrysostom (347-407)
• A church janitor was heard to say, “The blower still works, but the fire has gone out.” He was discussing a problem with the furnace, but the parishioner who overheard him thought he was speaking about the pastor. - E. Lutzer, Pastor to Pastor, p. 67.
• “True patience is waiting without worrying.” Growing Strong, C. Swindoll, p. 124.
• “Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.” - Leonardo da Vinci
• It was King James I, I believe, who became annoyed with the irrelevant ramblings of his court preacher and shouted up to the pulpit: “Either make sense or come down out of that pulpit!” The preacher replied, “I will do neither.” - Steve Brown, in Tabletalk, August, 1990.

1. He should be able to teach plainly and in order.

2. He should have a good head.

3. Good power of language.

4. A good voice.

5. A good memory.

6. He should know when to stop.

7. He should be sure of what he means to say.

8. Be ready to stake body and soul, goods and reputation on its truth.

9. He should study diligently.

10. And suffer himself to be vexed and criticized by everyone.

Resources, #2

A study of 301 clergy revealed: 66% feel lonely and isolated, 80% sometimes experience feelings of futility, and 90% suffer stress because of problems with parishioners. Many are tired after a 55-hour week, but most say they are 95% satisfied with their work.

Homemade, Vol. 13, No. 10, October, 1989

The wife of a close pastor friend of ours enjoys telling how she awoke one night to find her husband asleep on his elbows and knees at the foot of the bed. His arms were cupped before him as if he were embracing the base of a tree, and he was muttering. “George! What on earth are you doing?” she cried. “Shhh,” he answered, still asleep. “I’m holding a pyramid of marbles together, and if I move, it’s going to tumble down…” A classic pastor’s dream! First, because it was the subconscious revelation of a pressured parson. Second, because the pyramid of marbles is an apt metaphor for a pastor’s work.

Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome, K. Hughes, Tyndale, 1988, p. 177

From some 8000 laymen and ministers with whom we have conferred, five principal problems emerge: a loss of nerve, a loss of direction, erosion from culture, confusion of thought, exhaustion. They have become shaken reeds, smoking lamps, earthen vessels—spent arrows. They have lost heart. But they can be revived!”

Carlyle Marney, who conducts the “Interpreter’s House” for discouraged pastors at Lake Junaluska, quoted in K. Menninger, Whatever Became of Sin?, p. 224

The pastor teaches, though he must solicit his own classes. He heals, though without pills or knife. He is sometimes a lawyer, often a social worker, something of an editor, a bit of a philosopher and entertainer, a salesman, a decorative piece for public functions, and he is supposed to be a scholar. He visits the sick, marries people, buries the dead, labors to console those who sorrow and to admonish those who sin, and tries to stay sweet when chided for not doing his duty. He plans programs, appoints committees when he can get them, spends considerable time in keeping people out of each other’s hair. Between times he prepares a sermon and preaches it on Sunday to those who don’t happen to have any other engagement.

Then on Monday he smiles when some jovial chap roars, “What a job—one day a week!”

Source unknown

• For you, I am Bishop, but with you, I am a Christian. The first is an office accepted, the second a grace received; one a danger, the other safety. If then I am gladder by far to be redeemed with you than I am to be placed over you, I shall, as the Lord commanded, be more completely your servant. - Augustine (354-430)
• He who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exemplify the highest things. - Gregory the Great (540-604)
• Since you [O Lord] have appointed this blind guide to lead then [your people], for their sakes, Lord, if not for mine, teach him whom you have made to be their teacher; lead him whom you have bidden to lead them; rule him who is their ruler. - Aelred (1109- 1167)
• Prayer, meditation, and temptation make a minister. - Martin Luther (1483-1546)
• Those whom the Lord has destined for this great office he previously provides with the armor which is requisite for the discharge of it, that they may not come empty and unprepared. - John Calvin (1509-1564)
• I go out to preach with two propositions in mind. First, every person ought to give his life to Christ. Second, whether or not anyone else gives him his life I will give him mine. - Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
• F. B. Meyer once said the secret of the great ministry of Samuel Martin (for whom Westminster Chapel was built) was that every Friday he locked himself in the building and went round, kneeling in seat after seat, in prayer for those who sat there. - Resource, July/August, 1990
• A prayerless preacher is a misnomer. - E. M. Bounds (1835-1913)
• To be a pastor a man must set his heart on the life to come and regard the matters of eternal life above all the affairs of this present life. Above the trifles of this world, he must appreciate in some measure the inestimable riches of glory. - Richard Baxter
• No man who is full of himself can ever truly preach the Christ who emptied Himself. - J. Sidlow Baxter
• A man should only enter the Christian ministry if he cannot stay out of it. - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)

The Preacher as Persuader, D. Sunukjian, in Walvoord: A Tribute, Donald Campbell, ed., Moody, 1982, p. 289.

Let ministers daily pursue their studies with diligence and constantly busy themselves with them. Moreover, let them with care and diligence beware of the infectious poison of this imagined security and conceited overestimation; rather let them steadily keep on reading, teaching, studying, pondering, and meditating. My concern should be that others receive from me what God has taught me in Scripture, and that I strive to present this in the most attractive form, to teach the ignorant, to admonish and encourage those who have knowledge, to comfort troubled consciences, to awaken and strengthen negligent and sleepy hearts as Paul did, and as he commanded his pupils Timothy and Titus to do. This should be my concern; how others get the truth from me. Studying is my work—the work God wants me to do. And if it pleases Him, He will bless it. - Martin Luther

Source unknown