About My Strange Job…
Being a pastor is a very strange job! I have had a lot of jobs (careers). I didn't answer my call to ordained ministry until I was 46 years old, and it took me 11 years to finish my undergraduate degree, my master’s degree and my commissioning process within the church. This means that I spent almost 30 years working outside the church, 11 years working on staff in a church and only five years (so far) as a pastor. I will say again, being a pastor is definitely the strangest "job" I have ever had! In reality, it's a calling, not a job - which is a good thing - otherwise, many of us might not continue!
So, as you can imagine, I have had a lot of jobs/careers. I have worked in restaurant management, human resources and management training. I have been a church secretary, director of family ministries, a lunch lady in a public school, a retail store manager and executive manager for Tupperware (where I drove a free minivan for about three years as a reward for being a top unit manager in the country). I have also run my own business as a human resource consultant. I will say again, being a pastor is a very strange job! Even stranger than being a lunch lady or selling Tupperware!
You may, be thinking, "Okay, Pastor Madeline, what makes it so strange?" Well, in the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, it states that ordained elders "have a fourfold ministry of Word, Sacrament, Order, and Service and thus serve in the local church and in extension ministries in witness and service of Christ’s love and justice. Elders are authorized to preach and teach the Word, to provide pastoral care and counsel, to administer the sacraments, and to order the life of the church." It sounds pretty simple and straight forward, right? I think the strangest part of being pastor is found in these six words, "order the life of the church." It sounds simple, but is it?
Let me put this in plain English. In any given week I will probably be doing the following things - lead a staff meeting to keep us on track towards our goals, plan worship (for that week and for the upcoming quarter), provide staff members with a performance evaluation, attend every committee meeting, unclog a toilet, plan a Bible Study, sit through five Conference Zoom meetings, figure out what we need for additional funds for the year to keep up with our growth in worship and children/youth ministries and then provide a rationale to the Finance and SPRC Committees for these increased funds, contact visitors from the previous Sunday, plan six weddings for the rest of the year, sit with someone who is struggling, work on my humility when I am told by several people about the mistakes I have made, and come up with a great sermon for Sunday. By the way, all of this (and more) has happened this week and it's only Wednesday! Being a pastor requires a very broad set of skills - from being a cheerleader, a spiritual director and a counselor, to being a facilities manager, a CEO, a community liaison, a toilet unstopper, and a security guard (I'll tell this story another time).
Being a pastor is a very strange job! But it is also the greatest privilege, blessing and honor of my life! Being able to be with people in their darkest moments and their most joyful times, leading people to Christ and teaching folks about Scripture, helping our neighbors in any way possible and being a champion for social justice are the rewards of this job! So, even as I am currently feeling a bit worn out and on the days when I ask myself, "Why?" as I drag myself down the beautiful memorial walkway on my 20 foot commute to my beautiful home (parsonage), I always remember that this strange job is a gift from God and I am beyond blessed to be called to lead this church!
(It also helps to remember that I leave on a fabulous vacation in about ten days to an island with no bridge, no stores, and very few people, where I will rest in a house right on the beach for a week!)
May I always remember just how privileged I am! God is good all the time!
Grace and Peace
-Pastor Madeline
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