Faith Works 9-29-23

Faith Works 9-29-23
Jeff Gill

A letter to an applicant of sorts
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From the search committee, to John D. Baptist:

Thank you for your application & interview with us for the open ministry position on our church's staff. We appreciate your time with us, especially as you seem to have walked some distance to be here!

While we are not filling the position at this time, we will keep your resume on file for future consideration. As discussed when we were together, our ministry team dress code would require some adjustments on your part, though sandals with socks could be discussed should a future offer arise.

It was a bit jarring for you to call the search committee "a brood of vipers," but it was said in such a matter of fact tone we might have missed the intended irony. More problematically, your employment history is weak, or at least unclear. Were you working as a wilderness guide for a tour company, or as an interpretive ranger during your time outdoors? If you were serving as a camp chaplain there it is something we'd take into account, but we are looking for someone with previous (indoor) church experience.

As to your current ministry status, we would need you to pursue standing with current certifications. Your preaching skills are apparent, but you would benefit from interpersonal skill development and some small group leadership training. Repentance is all well and good, but you need to hold some effective meetings along the way!

Again, thank you for the chance to meet, and for the honeycomb you shared with us so generously, and we look forward to possibly working together in the future.

Sincerely,
The Search Committee

P.S.: Hold the locusts next time.

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So, that's a joke, of sorts.

October is in many traditions clergy appreciation month, probably because it's not in either Advent or Lent, or during the summer, so here we are.

I wrote something back in the spring alluding to this calendar custom, urging churches to, if they really want to appreciate their clergy, to encourage them to take the time off they have coming. That kind of support is needed. I know while some sincerely want support their preacher, there's always a critical mass of people who have a tendency to treat them like an employee, no matter what the compensation or benefits are or aren't.

To treat ministers like employees is dangerous to the spiritual health of the whole community, I would argue. What is tricky is that the other relationship I hear about and see in some ways playing out as a model for the church and minister relationship is that of a marriage. This creates all sorts of expectations that aren't helpful, either, or so I'd say.

For Christian faith communities, the best starting place is scripture, and there I think the leading model is that of shepherd. I'm going to sidestep for now the question of how much a preacher is standing in the place of Christ, which is part of the model in some traditions, much less so officially in Protestant circles, but still thought to be part of the persona.

But there's an aspect of being Christ to one another, and to the world, which relates to Jesus speaking about being the Good Shepherd, and some allusions especially in Acts to how the apostles and elders and leaders are shepherds called to good stewardship of the flock in their care.

One obvious problem with using shepherding as our model for ministry is that we don't most of us deal with sheep as much as once was the case. I'd like to talk about that metaphor in practical terms next week!


Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he's never tended sheep himself, but he's been around at lambing time before. Tell him what you know about sheep at knapsack77@gmail.com, or follow @Knapsack77 on Threads.