Sunday, November 14, 2004
why are ministers important
OK. So the guest preacher gets up to speak. Good friend, so no bagging him.
He challenges the church to pray for me every day. “Steve would not ask you to do this, but I want you think about praying for him every day.”
He’s damn right Steve would never ask that. Why me? What about the person next to me, who cleans tables. Why not pray for him every day? Why is the church, the minister, more important than anyone else.
I’ll take my share of prayer, but surely this is just a pedestalising that denies the importance of the Kingdom, of life spent in Incarnational mission in the world God loves.
Posted by steve at 10:35 PM
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the minister isn’t more important. But she is more public. And also more likely than anyone else to be the clothes hanger for complaints and anger. So maybe praying for the visible person is no bad thing. It might lead us to be positive and generous to all the other, less visible ministers.
On the other hand, as you fear, it might lead us to believe that there is only one minister…. I guess we have to keep deflecting that by how we (as ministers) do our ministry, and point the spotlight at the priesthood of all believers.
Anyway, I shall heed your friends advice and say one for you today. 🙂 And one for the man who cleans the tables.
Comment by maggi — November 14, 2004 @ 11:02 pm
The reason I think we need to pray for ministers is because Satan has it in for them maybe more so than the table cleaner. From past experience there is nothing the devil enjoys more than to bring a leader down. But I do acknowledge that if we are living our lives the way God has intended than we are all prospects for attacks whether we clean tables or not.
Comment by Pew Dweller — November 15, 2004 @ 11:21 am
Saw this the other day…didn’t comment immediately b/c it’s a toughie.
And I DO think that Pastors are important and should be recognized as such. An old Spiderman saying reversed would go, “With great responsibility comes great power”. Having said that though, I do accept and believe in the priest hood of all believers. As such we are all ministers to some degree. And given the upside down nature of the Kingdom, greatness is often hard to measure.
Sooooooooo, guess I’m not sure about this one. Play it by ear and on a case by case basis I guess.
Comment by Rich — November 20, 2004 @ 12:19 pm
Rich, I appreciate your air of uncertainty … I am surprised that not more people have engaged with this post … I made my point quite forcibly .. possibly too forcibly … but like you I am not sure I am right and I was hoping to get some considered feedback 🙂
Comment by steve — November 21, 2004 @ 9:02 pm
Paul asked the Ephesians to pray for him.
Paul would also have had us praying for everybody too I think.
Comment by Eric — November 25, 2004 @ 9:51 pm