Nine Stereotypes for Pastors – My Latest Addition to The Pastors Workshop

November 5, 2011 By Mark D. Roberts Leave a Comment

My latest contribution to The Pastors Workshop is up. In this column, I consider different stereotypes for pastors. What I’m wondering about is this:

TV evangelist Benny Hinn preaching in San Antonio. Image from WikiCommons.

What roles and positions in our cultural setting might be projected onto pastors? If people learn that you’re a clergyperson, what assumptions might they have about you and your ministry? What might folks in your church and community expect of you as a pastor because they associate you with people who serve in roles like yours?

I’ve written this piece primarily for pastors, but it should stir up some thoughts among non-clergy as well. So, I’d urge you to check out “Nine Stereotypes for Pastors.”

 

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My Latest Column in The Pastor’s Workshop: Preaching Living Water When Your Well Has Run Dry, Part 2

June 4, 2011 By Guest Contributor 1 Comment

My most recent column in The Pastor’s Workshop, my domain in The Preachers Portal, is up. Here’s the beginning:

My grandfather's workshop

In my previous column in The Pastor’s Workshop, I began with the question: How can you as a preacher offer living water even when your own well is bone dry? I talked about how common it is for preachers to get to the place where they are “sucking the muck from the bottom of the well.” When we get to this familiar but uncomfortable place, perhaps it’s time (or past time) for us to take a break from preaching to be refreshed.

But, often this is just not possible. If you’re the primary preacher in a multi-staff church, you may be able to hand off the pulpit to an able substitute. But most preachers do not have this convenient option. Moreover, regular preaching is probably central to your job description. When I was pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I was blessed with a fine staff, but they already had more than enough on their plates. Besides, I was expected to preach most of the time when I was not on vacation or study leave. So I often found myself wanting to dispense living water when my inner water bottle was empty.

What should a preacher do in this all-too-common situation?

Here’s where you’ll find my answer.

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My Newest Preachers Portal Column: Preaching Living Water When Your Well Has Run Dry

May 23, 2011 By Guest Contributor 1 Comment

How can you preach when you’re exhausted? I respond to this question in the latest edition of my column in the Patheos Preachers Portal. Here’s how it begins:

How can you offer living water through your preaching when your well is bone dry?

Have you ever asked yourself this? I have, many times. During my years as Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, the question usually struck me during the middle of May. My professional calendar paralleled that of the public schools. During July and August, I took time off from preaching to enjoy family vacation and recharge my batteries. I started a new preaching series in September, bounding with enthusiasm. The Spirit-driven wind of the Christian year carried me along through Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. But I hit the doldrums, almost inevitably, every May.

I knew I was slowing down when I’d reach the weekend without a sermon prepared. It would be hard for me to focus on the main point of the biblical text. Appropriate illustrations eluded my imagination. I could easily become discouraged, wondering what was wrong with me. Maybe, I thought, I just wasn’t spiritually mature enough to be a preacher.

You can finish reading here.

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Essential Relationships for Pastors: The Loneliness of Pastoring, Part 4

May 7, 2011 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

My new column at the Patheos Preachers Portal is up. It is the fourth and final part of my thoughts about pastoral loneliness.  Here’s the beginning:

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Essential Relationships for Pastors: The Loneliness of Pastoring, Part 4

This is the fourth and final installment in a series on “The Loneliness of Pastoring.” Let me offer a short recap of what I’ve covered so far.

Part One reflected on the recent suicide of a pastor I knew and how it underscores the loneliness of pastoring. I suggested that the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane exemplifies the experience, as well as showing that Jesus understands how pastors feel. Although we seem to be alone, we are not, because Jesus is with us in our loneliness.

In Part Two, I put forth the thesis that the professionalization of ministry exacerbates aloneness among pastors. Recovering the biblical vision of ministry, in which each member of the body of Christ is a minister, might help pastors be less removed from their congregations.

Part Three explained that all pastors need safe places to tell their “secrets.” They need relationships in which they can share their struggles, temptations, and fears, as well as their victories, opportunities, and dreams. In particular, pastors need close friends with whom they can share their true selves. Married pastors can open up with their spouses, though wisdom might require certain kinds of limits in marital communication about the church.

Today, I want to explore two other types of relationships that are essential for every pastor. Pastors who have these relationships not only will feel less lonely, but also will have safety nets to keep them from falling into disaster and coaches to help them excel in their calling.

For the rest of this column, click here.

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