Tag: pastoring

An Unconscious Conspiracy

“Confronted with this kind of violent reaction when they seek to mold their congregations into instruments of evangelism and social healing, pastors gradually settle down and lose interest in being change agents in the church. An unconscious conspiracy arises between their flesh and that of their congregations. It becomes tacitly understood that the laity will give pastors special honor in the exercise of their gifts, if the pastors will agree to leave their congregations’ pre-Christian lifestyles undisturbed and do not call for the mobilization of lay gifts for the work of the kingdom. Pastors are permitted to become ministerial superstars. Their pride is fed as their congregations are permitted to remain herds of sheep in which each has cheerfully turned to his own way.”

—Richard F. Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1979), 207. Quoted in Collin Hansen, Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2023), 97.

Feed Souls With the Bread of Heaven

“If a man chooses someone to manage his household, he assigns him duties. What duties, then, has God assigned to us, if not to impart to his people the food of life, that is, his word? Without that, does the title ‘pastor’ mean anything at all? Someone who claimed to be the shepherd of a flock of sheep or the keeper of a herd of cows, but who lets the poor beasts starve to death, would surely deserve to be stoned. Yet we are shepherds, not of brute beasts but of God’s children! Our task is to feed, not bodies with food that perishes, but souls with the bread of heaven. If we do not have what is needed to fulfil our office, do we not mock God by usurping so noble a title when the reality is otherwise?

Observe, then, that to be a pastor, overseer, minister, presbyter and ruler of the church is to be one whose teaching edifies God’s people.”

—John Calvin, trans. Robert White, Sermons on Titus (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2015), 88. Calvin said this while preaching on Titus 1:9-10.