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Reflecting further on the pastoral applications of Solomon\u2019s phrase \u201cshepherding wind\u201d: Every believer is born of the Spirit, and blows where he wills, and a pastor is in the business of shepherding wind. In this context, \u201cquenching the Spirit\u201d might refer to poor shepherding that tries to suppress the wind. <\/p>\n
1 Thess 5:19 lends some exegetical support, since the exhortation \u201cDo not quench the Spirit\u201d is immediately followed by \u201cdo not despise prophetic utterances.\u201d Quenching the Spirit would thus involve a refusal to hear the prophetic words of a Spirit-inspired member of the church. (\u201cGrieving the Spirit\u201d in Eph 4:30 has a somewhat different force: Grieving the Spirit happens when we speak in unedifying ways, when bitterness, wrath, and anger characterize our lives and our churches.) <\/p>\n
One major goal of pastoral ministry should be to keep out of the Spirit\u2019s way; more concretely, to organize church life ensure that those gifted by the Spirit (everyone!) have opportunities to employ those gifts. Trying to control the Spirit will only lead to frustration (for pastor and people) or will quench the Spirit who is the Life of the church. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Reflecting further on the pastoral applications of Solomon\u2019s phrase \u201cshepherding wind\u201d: Every believer is born of the Spirit, and blows where he wills, and a pastor is in the business of shepherding wind. In this context, \u201cquenching the Spirit\u201d might refer to poor shepherding that tries to suppress the wind. 1 Thess 5:19 lends some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3021,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-theology-ecclesiology"],"yoast_head":"\n