Joseph - Reflections (7) Postscript

 

Joseph – Reflections (7) Postscript

 

Perhaps I should clarify two things from my main posting this morning, the first has to do with seminary and the second with vocational ministry. I may expand upon them at some time, but let me make some brief comments right now.

 

Regarding vocational ministry, especially pastoring, this is a tough place to be right now for men and women who love Jesus and the flock of the Good Shepherd. It is tough because there is such confusion within movements and denominations, such pressure to conform, and such pressure to produce. “Christians” compare churches with one another, and we are such consumers that we’ll just go elsewhere if our needs are not met, we don’t actually care all that much about denying ourselves and taking up the Cross and following Jesus. Pastors are bombarded with “how to” material that will make their lives better, attract more people, retain more people, increase offerings, etc.

 

Pastors used to be charged with the care of souls – not too many congregations care all that much about this anymore. As I’ve said elsewhere, whatever the remedy might be, it always must begin with me, with you, with us, with our local congregation…if it isn’t beginning with us we don’t have hope.

 

This tyranny to produce can be especially difficult for pastors, for they and their families may be literally out in the cold if they displease a congregation, a board of elders, or a power family within a church. This is a scandal that we don’t talk about, but it is ugly. It is even worse for youth pastors. A few years ago the average tenure for a youth pastor was six months – hard to believe, but true. Not long ago the average tenure for a pastor within a large denomination was less than three years. How would you like to have a job with those numbers? How would you like it if you had a family?

 

We have built our own prisons and I don’t see how we can escape, we can’t do it without the Living Jesus Christ in our midst.

 

Regarding seminary, in my main post I wrote that, looking back, I wish we had talked about the tension between natural wisdom and spiritual wisdom, the wisdom of man and his ways and the Wisdom of God. I’ve written before that early on in my pastoral ministry that I realized that I had been so well trained in preaching that I didn’t need the Holy Spirit – this frightened me. This is the kind of thing that I wish we’d discussed.

 

I could have raised the question in class, but I didn’t. So in one respect this one is certainly on me, I could have brought the dilemma up for discussion. I don’t think I had one professor who would have taken offense at my concern, I think they all would have invited discussion. On the other hand, I do think that this is such a core issue that it needs to be part of a seminary curriculum – the scribes and Pharisees knew the Scriptures, but they couldn’t see Christ (John 5:39). We are foolish boys and girls if we think this is not a danger to us…to all of us.

 

I’m still not certain just what seminary is supposed to be. Is it to be an academic experience or a spiritual experience in Christ? Are the faculty and administration to focus on loving Christ or loving knowledge? Either way, do we recognize that “knowledge puffs up but love edifies”? I have seen instances in seminary where it appeared that Christ Jesus came first, and then I’ve seen times when academia and the institution came first. When we try to measure up to the world’s academic standards there are inherent challenges, I’m not sure we help ourselves by ignoring them. Again, I don’t have answers to the tension other than perhaps if we acknowledge it, talk about it, pray about it, admit it…then maybe in Christ we’d be better off.

 

Vickie and I loved our time at seminary, so don’t misunderstand me. Yes, I’ve had to unlearn some things and some habits that were meant to be helpful, but isn’t this the same wherever and however we travel through life? You can only cover so much in three years of study, and all seminaries have their limitations – some more than others, some not as obviously as others.

 

Every generation has its challenges, including ours.