I was recently installed as the pastor of New Community Covenant Church in Bronzeville. As a church planter, I’ve functioned as the pastor, but the church decided this was an appropriate time to affirm their call to be their pastor. It was a special service, and I was reminded of God’s faithfulness and this church’s commitments to following Jesus.
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. –Ephesians 4:11-13
Thank you for calling me to by your pastor. I wouldn’t be a pastor had you not called me; not simply a pastor of this church but a pastor, period.
I never wanted to be a pastor. I grew up with a mild appreciation for the church but it wasn’t where the action was and it wasn’t what I wanted to give my life to. But during the fall of 2000 I began to realize God’s purpose for the church. (I say began because I doubt I’ll ever fully comprehend God’s purpose & love for his people.): The new temple, where heaven & earth are brought together; The reconciled people of God; The presence of Christ. This I could be excited about. But pastors? Not so much. Why?
At the same time I was being convinced of the purpose and importance of church, I was also coming to understand consumerism as one of the main forces at work in shaping the American landscape. To be American is to be a consumer. We are defined and valued by what we purchase & own. We are marketed to so constantly that we are usually unaware that it’s even happening. We are trained to be dissatisfied because content people don’t buy stuff they don’t need. One of the most devastating effects of consumerism is that we see come others as consumer goods, objects that can be used to satisfy a need.
Here’s the point: Within such a crassly consumerist culture, a culture where people’s insecurities & desires are exploited for profit, within this culture it is almost impossible for pastors to avoid conforming to consumer expectations.
And so, at the same time God was teaching me to love his church, I was observing pastors succumb to the needs & expectations of people who had been formed not by the sacrificial love of Christ but by the selfish & empty promises of the American Dream. These pastors experienced the incredible pressures of our consumer-driven society: pressures to entertain; pressures to market a relevant message; pressures to fine-tune the spiritual sales pitch and close the religious deal; pressures to command respect like a business leader, to heal dysfunctions like a therapist, and inspire happiness like a self-help guru. I have known these pressures and succumbed too many times to count. So while I learning to love the church, and was beginning to discern a call to serve the church, it was increasingly hard to imagine being a pastor.
So what happened? Well, I had some important examples of faithful pastors who helped me imagine a different way to sever the church. And through God’s grace, I came to some understandings that have allowed me to answer the call to pastor. Allow me to share three of them now — summarized in three different words, though you’ll notice that these have less to do with being a pastor and far more about living as disciple.
First: Gift. Paul writes, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.” Like the other spiritual gifts, the role of pastor is a gift. Paul makes it explicit that the role of pastor, just like every other gift, is for the building up of the community. And here’s the thing about gifts that can be hard to swallow: a gift has nothing to do with worthiness. Imagine giving a thoughtful, expensive gift only to have the recipient, upon unwrapping the present exclaim, “I totally deserve this!” No, gifts say far more about the generosity of the giver than the worthyness of the receiver.
We are given spiritual gifts simply by virtue of our identities as children of God. Some of you have the gift of prophecy; service; evangelism; faith; healing; generosity; hospitality. You have these gifts only because you are loved & accepted by the giver of all good gifts. And this undeserved gift is meant for us to then give away for the flourishing of our community. For the gift of pastor this looks like equipping the church for service & unity as we grow toward Christ.
The beautiful thing about God’s gifts is that they subvert our consumer culture. They are given freely and are free from the market forces that generally confine and define us. I am free to pursue my call as a pastor because the call itself is a gift.
Second: Pastor. The Greek word for pastor is used eighteen times in the New Testament, but only one of those is translated as pastor. The other seventeen refer to shepherds, often to Jesus Christ as our shepherd. The author of Hebrews calls Jesus “that great Shepherd of the sheep” and Peter refers to Jesus as “the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” In other words, every person who has been gifted and called to pastor must be incredibly clear that we serve the one perfect pastor.
But it’s not simply a matter of hierarchy, making sure Jesus is in charge. Listen to how Jesus talks about himself as our shepherd, our pastor: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” [John 10:11, 14-15]
There are different words for Jesus could have used for good; this one has the idea of beauty. This is Jesus the compelling; Jesus the beautiful; Jesus the attractive; Jesus the captivating. And why? Because this good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Here is the most good, the most beautiful, the most compelling, the most attractive, the most captivating idea in all of history: The all-powerful creator God laying down his life for his creatures. The strong, faithful shepherd leaving the flock behind to find the one lost sheep. The majestic King of the universe, stepping down from his throne, replacing royal robes with a servant’s towel, trading the crown of heaven for one of thorns. Is there a more beautiful thought than one whose love is so perfect, so complete that death itself is overwhelmed? Evil itself is overcome by the wild beauty of this Good Shepherd.
As a pastor I am called to point to this Good Shepherd. I am not a therapist, an entertainer, a marketer, or a salesperson. No- the purpose of my ministry is to simply point to the only one powerful enough to gather up all of our needs — not the insatiable needs fed to our fickle hearts by a culture of consumption; no, this Good Shepherd gathers up our deep and secret needs — the sin, rebellion, and selfishness that shadows & splits every one of our relationships, including the friendship we are meant to know with the God who made us, with the Shepherd who cares for us.
Our burden became his, as he took it onto himself, the good & beautiful One taking our bad & ugly; the giver of life submitting to our death, even death on a cross. This story is my call. In fact, this is our call. We together, as the flawed, foolish, but reconciled people of God are called to make clear the beauty of our Savior. Our words and actions are meant to serve as a passionate cry to an overly entertained, overly medicated world: Isn’t He Good! Isn’t He beautiful!
Third: Called. I said before that I am a pastor because you called me. And it’s true. I am the wrong person for this job: I don’t like people enough. I watch obscure documentaries that make horrible sermon illustrations. I’m an introvert who gets ornery without regular alone time. I’m not from Chicago. My skin is a handful of shades too light for this neighborhood and my privileges & prejudices to many for a multi-ethnic church.
And yet you’ve called me. You have been the voice of the Gospel of Grace to me: stark reminders that my usefulness to the Kingdom comes not from my strength or knowledge, but from my weakness and foolishness. Your call has reminded me more often that I’d care to remember that the Good news of the Kingdom is displayed not through my by supposed best, but through the insecurities, failures, doubts, anxieties, and fears that are the stuff of my actual life.
We are called to contribute our gifts for the good of one another now; as we are, not as we hope to be. The idol of consumerism tells us that we will be useful and worthy some day — after we get that thing, possess that person, accomplish that dream, fix that personality trait, clean up that addiction.
But God’s call — the call you have voiced to me — is a call to come as we are. It is a call to be known, loved, accepted, and commissioned today. It is a call to reject every false measuring stick, every twisted logic, every deceitful story that leaves us feeling inadequate, unlovely, and not quite worth-it.
God’s call remains despite ourselves. God’s call remains despite unjust laws and stolen lives. God’s call can be heard through the clatter of consumerism, the noise of injustice, and the incessant blare of our own sinful rebellion.
Jesus said that the sheep follow their shepherd because they know his voice. May we hear our Good Shepherd’s voice and follow where he may lead.
Thank you for calling me to be your pastor. Even more, thanks be to God for calling each of us out of the valley of the shadow of death and into the green pastures of life. May we live our lives together, giving the good gifts of the Spirit, so that a grieving world may turn to the Good Shepherd who has laid down his life for us.
