What are you good at?
For the five of you who read this and never respond, sorry for the delay.
Anyway, I was thinking about this question, "what are you good at?" and was pondering it as I applied it to pastoral ministry.
Unfortunately, and fortunately pastors are human beings, therefore, imperfect and unable to be the master of all disciplines. As someone who seems to be headed to the ministry in a few years, it made me wonder what am I good at and what will people know that I am not good at?
Face it, some pastors aren't great preachers. They bore and lull you to that near state of sleep and at the moment you're off to the land of Nod, the sermon is over. After you're awake you remember that the good Reverend is coming to lunch at your house today. Later that day, you remember why you love your pastor. He's a pastor. He knows how to meet you where you are and knows how to counsel and shepherd you.
Or how about this, some pastors are great preachers, but they just don't have great one on one skills, or they forget your name. They're dynamic, love the gospel, but still they're not quite as personal, or extroverted as we'd like. We make complaints or comments about him on the way to worship, then when we leave, we remember why we love him. Our lives our changed.
These are just two contrasts that come to my mind. If I have the time this week, I may expound on this in a more "theological" or "academic" way.
Book of the day, The Doctrine of God by Gerald Bray.
Anyway, I was thinking about this question, "what are you good at?" and was pondering it as I applied it to pastoral ministry.
Unfortunately, and fortunately pastors are human beings, therefore, imperfect and unable to be the master of all disciplines. As someone who seems to be headed to the ministry in a few years, it made me wonder what am I good at and what will people know that I am not good at?
Face it, some pastors aren't great preachers. They bore and lull you to that near state of sleep and at the moment you're off to the land of Nod, the sermon is over. After you're awake you remember that the good Reverend is coming to lunch at your house today. Later that day, you remember why you love your pastor. He's a pastor. He knows how to meet you where you are and knows how to counsel and shepherd you.
Or how about this, some pastors are great preachers, but they just don't have great one on one skills, or they forget your name. They're dynamic, love the gospel, but still they're not quite as personal, or extroverted as we'd like. We make complaints or comments about him on the way to worship, then when we leave, we remember why we love him. Our lives our changed.
These are just two contrasts that come to my mind. If I have the time this week, I may expound on this in a more "theological" or "academic" way.
Book of the day, The Doctrine of God by Gerald Bray.
posted by Bobby's blog at 1:05 PM
2 Comments:
Bobby,
Your readership has just gone from 5 to 6. I came across your blog on League of Reformed Bloggers and think I will come back often. I enjoy your style and commentary. Keep it up!!!
My wife and I were discussing this the other day. As an employee at Ligonier Ministries, I tend to know quite a few pastors (including R.C.). I can truly identify with you here. R.C. and many of the other RTS students/grads I know are very intellectual in their approach to ministry with very little people skills. It is too bad it happens to be this way too often - either a pastor is very intellect and not very personable or the opposite. Where is the good balanced pastor we all need.
Maybe you are what we are looking for...
Keep up your studies. Look forward to reading your posts....
Bobby,
Where are you? I hope you didn't give up blogging. I thought you were good at it.
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