Things we say but don’t mean

I was thinking about how many things we say to each other but don’t really mean or believe.

There’s the obvious ones like, “bless your heart” or “aren’t you precious?” We all know those actually mean something quite different. Some other obvious ones are “How are you?” and it’s partner “I’m doing fine.” Again … this does not actually mean what the words say. It’s become a salutation, a way of greeting someone.

Some people respond to what you’re saying with “awesome” or “cool”. These are false on two levels. 1 – most likely the person doesn’t really think what you said is “awe inspiring” nor does it change their temperature. 2 – even within the idiomatic meaning of these words, we just say them as a positive affirmation, in other words, “hey, I heard you and I don’t hate that.”

Christians incorporate all kinds of sayings that we don’t usually mean. They have good intentions and are well meaning but not always truthful. Let’s be honest, of the 1 million times you have told someone you would “pray for them” or “pray about” a situation, did you literally pray every single time? Like I said, it’s well meaning, and your intention was really, “I’ll be thinking about you” or “my heart goes with you” and sometimes you actually did feel led to say a prayer for someone. Mostly, though, it’s an expression used to show warmth and concern.

Here’s a big one pastor’s say (and the one that sparked this blog post), “everyone is a minister whether you’re a plumber or a preacher” or maybe “everyone has a ministry even if you never get behind a pulpit”. I think we mean this in principle. We believe it as an abstract ideal and as a spiritual truth but I’m not sure if we let it sink into reality.

I’ve been thinking about this idea and then read Jonathan Stone’s blog and it pushed me to think a bit more about it.

Many pastors can say that “everyone is a minister” without ever knowing what that really means. Most pastors will always be pastors. Some have always been pastors and a lot of the ones who are bi-vocational (working two jobs) are hoping to be “full-time” one day. Many of the pastors who had a first career, (pre-ministry) will not go back to that “secular” career. Why you ask?

It would be seen by many as going backward. There’s this status that comes with being a pastor.

I wonder how many actually believe that the Christian electrician or bank teller are of the same status as the senior pastor? Oh, they say it, but do they actually believe it? How many pastors would really trade places with a bank teller? What would happen if they had to do it?

I know several “former professionals” pastors who now work outside the pulpit (including myself). I think it is a real challenge to hold all of these things in tension. I know some who enjoy having a little more freedom while others can’t wait to do “real ministry” again.

So then how do pastors equip their members to be ministers in their context, if most are only successful at ministering as professional clergy?

And if someone becomes really successful at non-pulpit ministry, should we remove them from it to make them “full-time” at the church?

We do need pastors. But we also need people who don’t live and work in the Christian bubble.

With the direction things seem to be headed (the Church in Post-Christendom), I wonder if we’re preparing pastors to exist in this tension? Are we setting the expectation that “success” means “full-time ministry”?

Most of the young ministers that I see are being trained to be traditional “full-time” pastors not postmodern missionaries who may not be paid to do their ministry.

**stepping down from my soapbox**

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