pastoral ministry

The whole tenor of the pastoral ministry we seek to exercise here has been very much before me through today.

A good bit of the morning was spent in meeting those facing difficult, vexing issues at this time and working through with them how best to move on forward in their lives.

The lunch-time service again, in its own unique way, affords a measure of pastoral help for those who come. And at lunch thereafter there was a chance as well to be working through pastoral issues with someone there.

I had a good and lengthy meeting in the afternoon with a couple of fellow pastors, addressing some pressing issues of crucial pastoral concern.

And at night I was meeting with some of the elders here, as I do on a regular basis. We touched on these issues of pastoral ministry once again.

There's a huge amount of confusion as to what our pastoral ministry's all about: and a consequent lack of clarity, too, as to how and why we exercise that ministry.

I indicated, for instance, at one point through the evening, that, though it might be next best thing to anathema to some, I didn't go round routinely visiting every home in the parish or even the home of every member of the congregation.

It plainly was anathema to one at least.

But that's what ministers do. That's what all of our ministers here have always done.

Why? I gently asked.

Because that's traditionally what they do.

But why? I pressed.

Why?

What is our pastoral ministry all about? And how is it really best done?

Pastoral ministry is not about keeping everyone happy ("the minister was round at my door"). Pastoral ministry is about God making people holy. That's a rather different thing.

The stated aim of one of the great early pastors (the apostle Paul) was this - "that we may present everyone perfect (mature) in Christ."

That was the end to which he said he laboured, "struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works within me." That's to say, he was conscious of his need of, and God's provision of his Holy Spirit deep within his soul, driving him on to this end which is so much on the heart of God himself.

That we should become like Christ.

What that meant for Paul, he declares, involved 'proclaiming Christ', "admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom."

Pastoral ministry is geared towards cultivating under God that likeness to Christ in the lives of his people. That's what it's all about. Lose sight of that and you've lost the plot.

So how does it all work out? Well, here in a set of propositions, are thr principles on which we seek to operate.

1. The Lord is your pastor. We sing as much in Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd (pastor). Don't forget it.

It's not just a nice little song that we sing. It's the basic truth of a Christian's life which has massive pastoral implications. Every Christian person has a pastor straight off. The Lord.

He's committed to pastoring his people. And he does so with a gracious, gentle firmness which at times is quite alarming. He leads his people - and he does so in paths of righteousness. Be clear about that. He's intent on keeping his people on the straight and narrow.

He wants to see the likeness of Christ in you. He's committed to being your pastor.

Now that's not all there is to be said, of course. It doesn't remove the need for other sorts of pastors in your life. But it's the starting point. And we forget it at our peril.

2. You are your own pastor. That's an important and basic biblical truth as well.

You take responsibility for that transforming work of God in your life whereby you'll be conformed to the image and likeness of Christ. It's not going to happen magically. You have to work it out yourself.

You own that responsibility. You're to learn to pastor yourself. You learn to read and study the Scriptures in such a way that you're preaching its truth to yourself, applying its truths to your life.

You learn how to start to challenge yourself, you learn when you need to admonish yourself, you learn how best to 'examine' yourself.

You do the work yourself, with the help of the Spirit of God. You are a pastor. Your own pastor.

3. We are pastors to one another. We're called to belong to a people. To live our lives as part of a people accountable to, and responsibile for, each other.

We can't know everyone, unless that fellowship's relatively small.

But we can and will know some. We'll make it our business to get to know some. We'll take what steps we can to get to know some. And we'll enjoy a number of friendships as part of the people of God.

But if we genuinely love these friends we'll be seeking their truest good. We'll be seeking their growth in Christ. We'll be praying for that growth, and fostering that growth, engaging with them in a way that is pastorally wise.

Perhaps there'll be times that we challenge each other. Perhaps there'll be times that growth is secured by our taking the time to bring them a word from the Lord. A word of real encouragement. A word of re-assurance.

Perhaps there'll be times when we question each other as well. How are you actually doing? What are the things you're struggling with?

We're to learn, in other words, to recognise the gracious pastoral ministry we're called by God to exercise within the range of friendships that he gives.

Most of the time, these first three provisions of pastoral ministry are adequate for our sure and gradual growth towards 'maturity', that deepening knowledge of Christ, that developing likeness to Christ, that blossoming fruitfulness for Christ.

Most of the time. But not always. There are times when a further dimension of pastoral ministry is needed. And that's what those ordained into pastoral ministry are there to bring.

4. Your leaders are called to pastor you. In ordination, the authority of Christ himself is bestowed on an individual. And that's what such leaders are called humbly to exercise in the ministry they bring.

It is no small task they have. And no small responsibility either.

That's why the demanding qualities required in such leaders are set forth as they are.

They must know the Scriptures well, and be able to teach them clearly, applicably, pastorally. They seek to bring the Word of God, with all the authority of Christ, to bear upon the lives and situations of the people they are pastoring.

They must be above reproach. Their lives must themselves be a living demonstration of the impact and the efficacy of that Word of God. Living proof, as it were, that this indeed is the path of life. It works.

Such leaders come into their own in the context of the crises and the major sorts of issues in our lives.

When we're not sure how to handle things, not sure how our following Christ translates into the present situation that we're in. When we need to hear a clear word from the Lord. When we need to know the presence of the risen Lord and need to be reminded he's in charge.

It's there - in that sort of context - it's there that the bulk of my time is being spent.

People sometimes say of me - "the minister doesn't visit."

If they mean by that that I don't go door to door through all the homes and spend a pleasant 20 minutes with the folk - well, yes, that's true. I don't really 'visit' like that.

And I don't feel bad about not so doing, whatever 'tradition' dictates. I'd be spreading myself too thinly. The business of fashioning the likeness of Christ in people's lives takes time. A lot of time.

But I visit, all right. Along with my fellow pastors here.

Our aim in pastoral ministry is, like Paul, to present everyone mature in Christ.

We're not here to keep folk happy: we're here to see God's people growing holy.