I grew up in rural Illinois. My godfather, a high school history teacher, was an ordained Methodist pastor and pastored 4 rural churches. First service at 7 AM in Elkhart, drive 25 miles to Ellsworth, etc. as a child I loved spending Sundays with them, going church to church. Often paid in eggs and chicken, and yes, fried chicken. The churches were thrilled to have someone for 2 hours a week who preached, led singing, and then sat with them for an hour, prayed with them over coffee, married their children, and buried their dead. Those churches went decades without a permanent pastor because they loved and cared for each other as a community and had a thriving tiny church without their “own” pastor.
He instilled in them and in me, that church is just one hour but Jesus speaks, guides, “ all the day long”.
We Presbyterians [PCUSA] seem to prefer entrenchment and bending the knee to a pastor's whims, sometimes far removed from the worship of God in Jesus Christ. Public communication comes to mind. Yes, the pastor is not the church but sometimes that gets lost in congregational life.
I love that you shared a sermon. I am preaching through 1 Corinthians this year with the congregation I serve, and preached that same passage a few weeks ago. A very important word for today. Thanks for sharing this pastoral perspective.
Several years ago, my wife and I pastored the two United Methodist churches in a small town. We United the children’s ministries which brought energy and growth to both congregations. When some of the younger laity suggested we share more ministries, not as a merger, but as two congregations of the same denomination, in the same town.
We all met nasty resistance. We preached on unity in Jesus and the goodness of the “shared” youth ministries continued to thrive and it was bringing goodness to the community and other small churches in the community, BUT, there was still plenty of anger about “ownership” of “my church” from every angle. One day in a nice conversation with an older lady, who was against the shared ministries, was trying to kindly convince me that this was not good for “their” church. Even though one of her daughters and her husband and three sons were very involved in the shared ministry!
At one point, I asked her why nobody ever mentions Jesus, and Jesus’ wishes in this. All she could say was that they prayed to Him all the time. When I asked why His name was never brought up in our discussions, there was silence.
Our pastor got session to adopt a communication covenant with no appeals process that enables him to play gotcha for any communications he does not like, not just in our private Facebook group but on any others well outside the confines of congregational discourse. Chilling!
I grew up in rural Illinois. My godfather, a high school history teacher, was an ordained Methodist pastor and pastored 4 rural churches. First service at 7 AM in Elkhart, drive 25 miles to Ellsworth, etc. as a child I loved spending Sundays with them, going church to church. Often paid in eggs and chicken, and yes, fried chicken. The churches were thrilled to have someone for 2 hours a week who preached, led singing, and then sat with them for an hour, prayed with them over coffee, married their children, and buried their dead. Those churches went decades without a permanent pastor because they loved and cared for each other as a community and had a thriving tiny church without their “own” pastor.
He instilled in them and in me, that church is just one hour but Jesus speaks, guides, “ all the day long”.
Beautiful. And hard work for your godfather!
Pastor Brian hit it out if the park with this sermon. I was in church the Sunday he delivered it.
I thought so too! ;)
We Presbyterians [PCUSA] seem to prefer entrenchment and bending the knee to a pastor's whims, sometimes far removed from the worship of God in Jesus Christ. Public communication comes to mind. Yes, the pastor is not the church but sometimes that gets lost in congregational life.
It can certainly get lost for us Methodists too!
I love that you shared a sermon. I am preaching through 1 Corinthians this year with the congregation I serve, and preached that same passage a few weeks ago. A very important word for today. Thanks for sharing this pastoral perspective.
Yes! Right on target!
Several years ago, my wife and I pastored the two United Methodist churches in a small town. We United the children’s ministries which brought energy and growth to both congregations. When some of the younger laity suggested we share more ministries, not as a merger, but as two congregations of the same denomination, in the same town.
We all met nasty resistance. We preached on unity in Jesus and the goodness of the “shared” youth ministries continued to thrive and it was bringing goodness to the community and other small churches in the community, BUT, there was still plenty of anger about “ownership” of “my church” from every angle. One day in a nice conversation with an older lady, who was against the shared ministries, was trying to kindly convince me that this was not good for “their” church. Even though one of her daughters and her husband and three sons were very involved in the shared ministry!
At one point, I asked her why nobody ever mentions Jesus, and Jesus’ wishes in this. All she could say was that they prayed to Him all the time. When I asked why His name was never brought up in our discussions, there was silence.
This is a hard thing in ministry!
Our pastor got session to adopt a communication covenant with no appeals process that enables him to play gotcha for any communications he does not like, not just in our private Facebook group but on any others well outside the confines of congregational discourse. Chilling!
not healthy!
Indeed not!