Sometimes Its Nice to be Needed

I’m moving on from the last two posts. This one will actually be a positive post. No rants. Really.

First I want to plug this link to a website put together by one of the kids in the church I serve. It is about bullying in Rhode Island and sets a good example for others to consider in their own state. Unless you are pro-bullying (i.e. capitalist?) then you should support such an endeavor.

Second, I attended a Christian Unity service at the CopticOrthodox Church of St. Mary and St. Mena sponsored by the Rhode Island StateCouncil of Churches. Really neat form of worship. We were vividly reminded about the persecution of Christians in Egypt. It is not a good thing and we need to tell others about these atrocities; we need to spread awareness.

Finally, I read a good article from Alban, one that surprised. The article seemed to be about church growth and elicited a loud grown from me. Everyone in the coffee shop stopped what they were doing, stared at me in wonder, and I looked back and said:

Do you have a problem?

One more advancement for Christianity in the world.

Anyway, as I read more of the article I was pleasantly surprised. In this article the author talks about his efforts to prepare one particular church for a time with no pastor. He was looking at the dearth of youngish pastors and the abundance of pastors in their early 60s and saw that it there would be a time when there would not be enough pastors for churches. So he began to prepare his church. That is positive thinking at its best.

What he found was that the spirituality of the congregation grew through these efforts. Nice!

I think there is something to be said for a congregation that can provide spiritual guidance, minister to each other, be present for each other, and exist without a pastor. Now I would argue that there would always be a spiritual need for a pastor, for someone who believes he or she has been called by God to preach, pastor, and lead the congregation. I’m not just thinking of my own sense of job security, but thinking of ecclesiology – this may be something for another post.

Yet we want churches to be healthy and not dependent on one leader. We want churches that can walk aside the pastor, and even lead the pastor from time to time (we are human after all). Perhaps what people in my profession should be working towards is a day when his or her presence is not necessary on some levels and then is appreciated on a deeper level.

So I guess I should start to try to work myself out of a job. Don’t tell my wife or children.