Saturday, October 25, 2014

Alarming Facts About Pastors

Pastors of institutional churches face many challenges and difficulties. What is the solution to this? Traditional answers usually focus on being nicer to the pastor, supporting the pastor better, not expecting so much of the pastor, and paying the pastor more.

The folks at Fellowship of the Lamb have a different idea. Click here to read "Alarming Facts About Pastors." The authors offer a far different solution to problems within the institutional pastorate.

2 comments:

Aussie John said...

Eric,

Seems like they have the same Bible as you and I :)

Tim said...

Ray Ortlund posts these comments to convince Pastors not to be comedians. He must actually think this is an accurate discription of a preacher. This quote is mind boggling elietist arrogance. And then the stats come out about how isolated, stressed, overworked, and nobody-understands-what-I-do-but-pastors.

The pulpit, therefore, (and I name it filled
with solemn awe, that bids me well beware
with what intent I touch that holy thing;)
the pulpit (when the satirist has at last,
strutting and vaporing in an empty school,
spent all his force, and made no proselyte;)
I say the pulpit (in the sober use
of its legitimate, peculiar powers)
must stand acknowledged, while the world shall stand,
the most important and effectual guard,
support, and ornament of virtue’s cause.
There stands the messenger of truth. There stands
the legate of the skies; his theme divine,
his office sacred, his credentials clear.
By him, the violated law speaks out
its thunders, and by him, in strains as sweet
as angels use, the gospel whispers peace.
He ‘stablishes the strong, restores the weak,
reclaims the wanderer, binds the broken heart,
and, armed himself in panoply complete
of heavenly temper, furnishes with arms
bright as his own, and trains, by every rule
of holy discipline, to glorious war,
the sacramental host of God’s elect.

William Cowper, 1731-1800

"Sacramental host of God's elect"?