I Was Just Thinking About - PASTORAL PREOCCUPATIONS
Christianity Today makes a sweeping statement that the Clergy are working less and getting paid more. Before any harsh judgments are forthcoming, there are factors that should be included in the study such as location, cost of living, healthcare, work load, etc. However, these should have a lower point of interest when compared to one’s internal and external call to do ministry for Christ and His kingdom.
The assessment regarding “working less” is worth considering.
What did Paul have in mind when he wrote to a younger Pastor about neglect, diligence and paying close attention to your life? In I Timothy 4:14-16, he stated emphatically: “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders. Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
Similarly, Peter shared what was in his heart and mind when he wrote, I Peter 5:2-3, “Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God's will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”
Overall, what are one’s priorities in Pastoral ministry? How much “spare time” should one allocate in his schedule for personal and recreational activities? If one has a recreational activity planned and he receives a call about a need within his congregation – an illness, death, or some other emergency – what should be his first priority? How much time should elapse between the notification and the Pastoral response? Is it possible that some Pastors have become preoccupied with lesser things, personal matters, slippage into laziness and a degree of indifference toward God’s flock over which one should be watching? In other words, has one become an absentee shepherd?
Prayerfully - Consider these things with me!
To see the Christianity Today focus, go to:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2016/august/clergy-working-few-hours-getting-paid-more.html
2 comments:
Oh, well what do you expect from a watered down Americanized Christianity reaching out to happy Christian consumers? I believe. The article relates to mega churches, which are a nrw global phenomenon in the evangelical circles. I would ignire such rubbish.
Oh, well what do you expect from a watered down Americanized Christianity reaching out to happy Christian consumers? I believe. The article relates to mega churches, which are a nrw global phenomenon in the evangelical circles. I would ignire such rubbish.
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