The emerging pastor
I was reading a blog at 21stcenturyreformation.blogspot.com this morning entitled "A Portrait of the Emerging Pastor." This guy says:
"...the key principle is that there is no difference between the emerging pastor's public and private persona. This principle is intended to teach taht we ought not to live in fear, but, instead, the church is to be a safe community where there are no hidden rules and hidden agendas. The church is to be first and foremost a "no condemnation zone". The church is the safest place on earth to be open and honest about your struggles with sin... Pastors are called to be safe to the most hurting people in our society. The addict and the deviant must know that this man (or woman) understands the self loathing and the powerlessness one feels when they carry with them a history of shameful deeds."
Hmmm. Do you think this is true of your church and/or pastor? Do you think it should be?
I wish it were in my case; but I know of a few people in my church who would have a serious problem with this. They think the church's job is to "confront sinners" rather than to be a "safe place." Unless, of course, they're the one's who need confronting -- then it should be a safe place.
I was especially intrigued by the sentence: 'Pastors are called to be safe to the most hurting people in our society.' Wow... I don't know how "safe" I am as a pastor. Are most pastors what you would consider "approachable"? Do people feel comfortable around us? Are we seen as people willing to help, rather than confront?
Again, as a pastor myself, I usually feel like I am one of the most lied to people around. People tell me "I'm fine"; or "Everything is just great"; and things like that. I'm wondering what I can do to be viewed as "safer."
"No condemnation zone". I would like to get a big sign with those words and post above our entryway door for all the world to see (and mean it!).
posted by dan at 7:31 AM
4 Comments:
"Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but to save it."
The argument that you will hear is that if you aren't condemning "name that sin" then you are condoning it.
That obviously wasn't Jesus' style. Jesus was in several situations (woman washing his feet with her hair) that would make me terribly uncomfortable.
From the quote: "the key principle is that there is no difference between the emerging pastor's public and private persona..."
At this point in my life I would have to disagree with the above point. My public persona (as pastor, teacher, etc.) is role driven. My private persona (husband, son, brother, etc.) is role driven as well. Who I am as a person does not change but I must adapt according to the public or private roles I am fulfilling. I think some well intentioned Christians have attempted to complicate this point.
In fact, I think there should be sharper division between the two arenas (public & private). Some have written about this topic and would view my position as a compromise and perhaps even anti-Christian. When the public & private spheres are blurred, an unhealthy "social" arena can develop that serves neither a public or private function.
Just a thought...
nice blog
Somehow I think the church has confused the meanings of the words "safe," "confrontational," and "truthful."
Jesus, in speaking to the woman at the well, was truthful. She engages and continues in conversation with him, even leading her village back to see him - can we not assume she felt safe as well? Was he confrontational? What do you call what he said about her husbands and her current live-in?
I completely agree that we should be agenda-less, but certainly not truth-less. When I've spoken confrontationally with people who are sinning, and had some internal agenda (they're hurting me, politically/morally I disagree, whatever), it backfires and blows up. When I'm consoling/counseling someone, loving them, I can confront with just about any truth, and out of their safety in that love, they respond.
Understanding is not the key - intellectual knowledge of self-loathing and powerlessness does nothing. Caring about that person does everything.
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