In the midst of a reflection about pastoral commitment (and not making decisions on Mondays), Tom Ascol makes a point about pastoral calling that is helpful; one that makes more and more sense as the years go by. When considering a call to ministry, along with consideration about whether to go, the thought needs to …
Pastors must have compassion and empathy for those they serve, but it is not pastoral compassion and empathy that brings change and healing. That comes from God working through his gracious means. This by no means excuses pastors from compassion and empathy, for these adorn the reception of those gracious means. From The Care Of …
Will Willimon relates a lesson about Scripture that he attributes to learning from Karl Barth in his memoir, Accidental Preacher. Sometimes preachers are tempted to figure out how to make texts relevant to the lives of hearers. Scripture calls us to realise that our lives need transformation, not fine-tuning. (You might think I’m cherry-picking all …
Peter Adam points out that being in pastoral ministry is not being in an environment that automatically promotes growth in Godliness and firewalls the pastor from sin. The opposite is true. Pastoral ministry provides a rich environment of stumbling blocks through which temptation yield the fruit of besetting sin. Pastors can learn and those who …
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