A shout out to Kevin for a great sermon today. As he reflected on 10 years of preparation that lead up to his ordination last Saturday, Kev made it clear that we are all called to ministry, whether ordained or not. Kevin quoted Bishop Greg Palmer, of the Iowa Conference of the UMC, as saying "Your pastor was not ordained to be a Christian for you." That's a fairly strong indictment. He's saying that some people let the ordained clergy take from them the responsibility they have to live the Christian faith. They live out their Christianity vicariously through their pastor.
Don't let me do that to you. If you find that I am taking away your right to serve Christ, don't let me do it. If you catch me doing a task of ministry that you ought to be doing, don't let me do it. If you see that I am spending hours caring for others that you should be caring for, don't let me do it. If anything I do prevents you from the privilege of serving in the way God has laid it on your heart to serve, don't let me do it.
4 comments:
This reminds me of a presentation I heard at our church from a minister and a communications person from a church in Lee Summitt, MO---said that people should not expect the minister to be available just to chat with them all the time and also to always visit them in hospitals---people of the church can visit people in hospitals.
Helen, I truly believe that the most effective ministry is done by the people who don't get paid to do it. Go to the hospital and visit, go to the hungry and feed them, go to the naked and clothe them, go to the mentally ill and sit with them, go to the homeless and live bring them in your homes. (A Gospel According to Dave Paraphrase.) He never said, go to the church and pay for others to do that ministry.
Isn't this what the Bishop from Iowa was telling all of us at the Ordination service at Conference.
He sure did it in an animated way---maybe all should hear him preach.
Have you seen Rev. Andy Bryan's blog entry this morning???
He must be a ROYALS fan
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