A paradox is something that combines qualities that seem to contradict each other and a pastor’s life is full of them.
Perhaps the most obvious relates to the pastor’s use of time. He is expected to spend time alone with God studying, praying and preparing to present a word from God in each sermon. At the same time he is expected to be available 24/7 for organizational meetings, visitation, pastoral care and emergencies.
The contradiction between the two expectations is a paradox a pastor faces. While he is consumed by serving others, a pastor must never neglect his own prayer and preparation for the ministry of the Word.
There are other paradoxes a pastor faces.
For example, when the pastor stands before a congregation on Sunday morning people expect the sermon to be inspiring, insightful and uplifting. To Baptists preaching is important. What is said is important and so is the way the message is presented.
Baptists also expect the sermon to be practical and helpful, providing guidance on how to live out the Word from God in everyday life. No one wants to end up being “so heavenly minded that one is of no earthly good.” But combining the two different aspects of content and application can be challenging, a paradox.
A team builder
The pastor is a leader. The pastor is the catalyst for most things that happen in a church. It is commonly said a church does not rise above the vision or character of its pastor. Yet the pastor is a team builder for no pastor can do everything alone.
A church is an organization. It offers many expressions through which the gospel is channeled into the lives of members. It provides numerous opportunities for Christian service to express gospel truths to its community. That means the pastor must be a team builder to enable the church to reach its fullest potential.
A pastor must be a leader and a team builder although the two are not synonymous and require different skills.
A pastor is a specialist in representing God’s presence. That is as true when the pastor is beside the bed of a sick person as it is when he stands in the pulpit. It is as true in a community meeting as it is in a counseling session.
To represent God’s presence and concern requires the pastor be a student of the Bible and a number of other academic disciplines. A pastor must spend time reading and training and praying so he is prepared to reflect God — His word, His care, His comfort, His guidance.
Almost as important is the pastor’s ability to understand human nature and conduct. That means a pastor must have a general knowledge of many things. He must be sensitive to what goes on around him. He must be intuitive toward others.
A pastor’s specialized training is complemented by a breath of general understandings and his academic training is displayed through a filter of common sense.
Much of a pastor’s work is done independently. Whether it is sermon preparation, counseling, recruiting or any one of the many tasks done by a pastor, most of it is done in an independent manner. A pastor has to be a self-starter, able to set personal goals, hold himself accountable for shortcomings and find personal fulfillment in independent actions.
At the same time a pastor works with small groups — deacons, Sunday School teachers, church committees, ministry partners. That means skills in small group dynamics are a must. He must be a team player, able to participate in and facilitate group decision making, even support things when decided differently from his personal preference.
The ability to work alone yet be effective in small groups is an unusual combination in anyone yet that is the expectation of every pastor.
A pastor must stay in touch with the problems of real people. He cannot hide in a cloistered environment behind the church walls. Church members and members of the community must know the church is a relevant resource for their hurts and heartaches, their doubts and fears.
The pastor must know the complexities of society’s struggles. He must understand them emotionally, physically and spiritually. But an understanding mind and a compassionate heart does not mean compromised truth as presented in Scripture.
Holding up truth with grace is difficult. The temptation is to be rigid on the one hand or sentimental on the other.
Loving God and loving others often seems like a paradox.
Like a runner, the pastor must pace himself for the demands of his calling. Sometimes the pace of life is so fast it seems like one is a sprinter. At other times the demands are so exhausting it seems like one is running uphill.
A pastor must learn to conserve strength and energy to respond to either demand. If a runner begins a race too fast he may not finish. Too often, a pastor expends personal resources in one part of the ministry only to be depleted in the face of another ministry demand. Occasionally a pastor may give up and never finish his course.
As a pastor cares for himself, he must help his people learn to conserve their energy and strength for the pressures of their own lives. A life of leisure is a figment of imagination for most people. Instead most are hard pressed with problems, expectations and responsibilities.
For both the pastor and people, finding a sense of balance between faithfulness to God and care for the person God created and gifted with life is a difficult thing to achieve.
Teacher of teachers
A pastor is a teacher in the best sense of the term. He is a teacher through what he says as well as what he models. The pastor also is a teacher of teachers. He multiplies himself so the Good News of the gospel might get to places where he could never reach. A pastor invests himself in others so they might learn, might lead, might live before God in ways that bring honor and glory to the Lord.
Being a teacher is demanding. Being a teacher of teachers is even more so.
Perhaps you can add to this list of paradoxes faced by a pastor. But no matter how long the list, the paradoxes illustrate the complicated and demanding roles filled by a pastor. Perhaps being more understanding of situations faced by your pastor (by every pastor) would be helpful. Certainly supporting your pastor through prayer would be a blessing to him and to you. It certainly is for me.
Share with others: