Free book offer at bottom of this post!Pastors need to hear from fellow pastors. There's a place for pastors listening to biblical experts -- when they study the Bible. There's a place for pastors listening to theologians -- when they need to study theology. But there's a place where only a pastor can speak to another pastor. I've been there, and I have to sit back and listen and sometimes I can't even enter into the conversation because it's out of my (pastoral) depth. I know what the words mean, but they don't resonate with my experience.
Hence, I recommend two recent books on pastoral work. The first is by Mel Lawrenz, pastor at Elmbrook outside Milwaukee, and his new book addresses bringing the whole church into a whole ministry: Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement (J-B Leadership Network Series)
. His vision is for a "whole" church -- with God, God's people, the community, and the world. This book is for pastors and by a pastor who has been there: with fragmentation and the concrete steps involved in healing and bringing back to wholeness. I really liked part two:
. His vision is for a "whole" church -- with God, God's people, the community, and the world. This book is for pastors and by a pastor who has been there: with fragmentation and the concrete steps involved in healing and bringing back to wholeness. I really liked part two:It addressed closing the gap with God through worship and teaching;
closing the gap with people through real fellowship;
closing the gap with the community through more than a thousand points of light;
closing the gap for the whole world by engaging the world.
One of the illuminating features of this book for me was about the dynamics and how Mel emphasized fostering a culture of change and shifting. His last section was on choosing wise leaders, and I don't know that I've read anything quite like this.
Now here's the point: pastor, you can trust Mel; he's been there; he's experienced it after all these years at Elmbrook; he's been there and he's been through it and he's lived to guide others through that experience.
The second book is a full education in pastoral formation: The Power to Comprehend with All the Saints: The Formation and Practice of a Pastor-Theologian
. The books has short chapters by pastors about theological and pastoral topics -- all shaped by an institute at Princeton -- the Pastor-Theologian Program. Again, the studies are by pastors, astute pastors, and they cover topics pastors want to hear from pastors about.
. The books has short chapters by pastors about theological and pastoral topics -- all shaped by an institute at Princeton -- the Pastor-Theologian Program. Again, the studies are by pastors, astute pastors, and they cover topics pastors want to hear from pastors about.I mention a few: the Bible, children, college, seminary, doubt, reading, struggles, significant events, the call, preaching, teaching, psychology, administration, sacraments, evangelism, prayer, and death. All by pastors.
This book is a course in pastoral theology and the theology of pastoring in the dimension of formation. I will send this book -- free -- to the pastor who writes the best one paragraph essay on spiritual formation and the pastor.
And I will ask my pastor friends -- Jim Martin and John Frye -- to be the judges.
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
These are some wonderful comments. In fact, I read several of these comments twice.
Like John, I too think that Rob's comment is moving us in the right direction toward the important, even vital, ministry of spiritual direction. (Especially, as we reflect on pastoral ministry.) I look forward to reading more of these comments as they are posted.
Who teaches attorneys? Practicing Attorneys. Who teaches Medical Doctors? Practicing Doctors. Who teaches teachers? Practicing Teachers. Who teaches Pastors? A Greek Scholar that hasn't preached week after week since seminary. An Old Testament scholar that had a youth group of two while earning a degree. A Homiletics professor that hasn't preached since his divorce in 1982. Some pastors "collaborate" but those situations seem to be a little bit like complaining sessions. Some pastors know the secrets but choose not to share them because of their competitive nature. The system is broken. A semester or two of field study with a pastor that retired when he could no longer minister to this generation just doesn't cut it. Good pastors, pulling their Timothys alongside...that's what the body of Christ needs.
Thanks for this lovely article. I have read one book by Eugene Peterson - Christ Plays In Ten Thousand Places - which was somewhat refreshing. But I have heard he has some other good words like, The Contemplative Pastor.
Thanks again for the 2 book suggestion.
I've been a pastor for 2 years now. It is not like anything that I've ever done before, nor is like anything that I ever thought it would be. But most frightening of all I realized that I did not arrive at my calling without any spiritual formation, but with years of formation which had been forging my pastoral identity even before I first stood before my congregation. Some of the formation was positive, but sadly some of it was negetive and a reaction to looking at other pastors and thinking that I could do it better. These days I find my self standing in front of 150 people each week knowing that opinions of pastoral vocation are being formed and that each of them has their own understanding of me as their pastor... what I should be doing and what I should be saying. If I listen only to their voices my spiritual formation will become a reactionary and impulse. But if I discover the voices of those who have also held faithfully and truthfully to the pastoral vocation then I have an anchor that keeps me true to my pastoral identity and to developing it prayerfully and leisurely. This morning in church I preached from Mark 10, Jesus teaching on his death and James & John's request. My conclusion was that our formation is not to be found in imitating the prevailing culture, but within the cross of Jesus. It is the same with our pastoral formation Jesus cross becomes the symbol and the power that creates life transforming possiblities.
Your Name,
I’m glad to see you came to the right and liberating conclusion. I too had been paralyzed by the opinions of others. The only thing that was able to break this addiction was an even greater addiction – an "addiction" to the gracious opinions of God Himself!
“The fear [opinions] of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.” (Proverbs 29:25)
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.