So, what do you do, anyway?

You might be Presbyterian if:

You complain because your pastor works only one day a week

AND THEN she works too long…

All jokes aside, pastors do, in fact, work more than one day a week; but just what a pastor does in between sermons can seem a bit mysterious. The fact is, ministry is not like other jobs; in many ways, it’s not a job at all, in the conventional sense.

Once upon a time, the Bishop of North Africa, St. Augustine was asked to describe the job of a pastor. His response, some sixteen hundred years old, still rings true: Disturbers are to be rebuked, the low-spirited to be encouraged, the infirm to be supported, objectors confuted, the treacherous guarded against, the unskilled taught, the lazy aroused, the contentious restrained, the haughty repressed, litigants pacified, the poor relieved, the oppressed liberated, the good approved, the evil borne with, and all are to be loved.

As you might gather from this rather pithy quote, a lot of what a pastor does is what we might call relational; in seminary we called it ‘meeting people where they are,’ which basically means hanging out with people, getting to know them, sharing experiences with them so that, when the time is right, we can…well, we can do whatever God calls us to do. The problem with this is,

A) it’s really hard to quantify, and

2) it often doesn’t look like work.

Because it is so different, we will look at all this relational stuff in its own blog post. For now, let’s consider some of the things a pastor does each week to keep the church functioning. We begin with worship.

Worship happens every week, at least once; scriptures, hymns, prayers, sermons, week in, week out; this means that worship planning is going on more or less continually, and takes up a significant portion of any pastor’s working week. According to recent polls, the average pastor spends between a quarter and a third of their week planning worship – and an about an hour leading it. I organize the task by blocking out several days each quarter for the intensive process of selecting scriptures, titling sermons and picking  hymns; the other details, such as the Call to Worship and Prayer of Confession are composed and organized during weekly worship planning, which usually happens on Monday. I use what is called the Revised Common Lectionary, which is a three-year cycle of scripture selections that covers the significant portions of the Psalms, Gospels, Epistles and key themes from the Old Testament. The lectionary helps keep me from preaching the same passages over and over again, and allows me to use a variety of liturgical resources in the planning of worship. That being said, putting worship together is never simply a matter of cutting and pasting – each prayer, each reading, each hymn is composed or selected to fit the message God has placed on my heart for that week.

Once the planning is done, it is time for the execution. Worship actually begins early in the week, when I begin to consider the scripture passage upon which the sermon will be based. There is research involved. And study. And contemplation. This takes time. For me, contemplation is best achieved in the midst of activity requiring low-level intellectual engagement – things such as mowing the lawn, changing the oil in the car, building a wall, etc. In the end, sermon preparation requires some serious, uninterrupted computer time, which is why I tend to shy away from Saturday evening engagements.  Worship planning and execution takes up a full third of my time – between fifteen and twenty hours on average.

The next task is often described as administration,  which, on average, takes up about 15-20% of a pastor’s time. This includes such things as attending church meetings, preparing for meetings, collecting and disseminating congregational information, digesting and interpreting community and denominational information, responding to e-mails, answering phone calls, reading mail, writing letters, filing, organizing, researching, keeping track of office supplies, getting the copier fixed, acting as point person for repair and maintenance people, and on and on. Ideally, I like to do these things on Mondays (in combination with worship planning) and Wednesdays (in combination with bible study planning, see below). Some things, though, like e-mail and phone calls, are addressed around the clock, and administrative tasks are often completed both before and after evening meetings.

The 219^th General Assembly restored the traditional language of Ruling and Teaching Elders to describe the ordered ministries of the church. For me, this was long overdue; not only does this language emphasize the parity between clergy and laity, but it also holds up a pastor’s most significant responsibility: to instruct the faithful. Accordingly, the average pastor spends at least 13% of their week on teaching and training. At Mossy Creek, this includes Bible and book studies; topical series; theological and denominational discussions; new member and officer training; confirmation class, and individual sessions addressing specific topics. Bear in mind: for each scheduled event, there are several hours of preparation.

Presbytery committees, local cooperative ministries and interest groups are also important elements of my ministry. Community and denominational responsibilities account for approximately 6% of the average pastoral work week; for me, that includes meetings of the Presbytery, Central Valley Mission Community Coordinating Team, the North River Ministerial Association, and Presbytery Council.

Finally, there is what is technically called Reading, Other than for Sermons. While not directly on topic, such reading is essential for a pastor. Non-sermon reading can be broken down into several types: 

News. Many years ago, the Theologian Karl Barth advised his students to ‘take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.’ The contemporary pastor might replace their newspaper with the Huffington Post or Google News, but it remains essential that a pastor be aware of what is going on in the world in which their congregation lives, so that they can better interpret today’s events in light of the witness of God’s Word. I figure on about forty minutes a day.

Continuing Ed. Every day, hundreds of articles are published, while dozens of new titles hit the shelves of the Cokesbury bookstore – each claiming new wisdom or insight into some facet of ministry, or some new theological insight. While it would be impossible to read every new book that comes out (and most of them really aren’t very good…), it is important for a pastor to keep refining pastoral skills and considering the latest biblical and theological scholarship. I try to have at least one book going each week; say about three hours a week.

Directed Reading. Over the years, I have found it very important to read what my parishioners are reading. Novels, devotionals, self-help books  - all can become cultural phenomenona, and its important for me to be able to speak knowledgably about them. Often, someone will ask me if I have read a book; even better, they will give me a book and ask me to read it.

Of course, I also read for pleasure, which, although a leisure activity, serves to enhance my ministry as well.

If you were tallying things up in your head, you found that just keeping things going at the church takes a lot of time.

Next Time: The Relational part of my pastoral week.

The Elements of Worship at Mossy Creek Church

WE GATHER IN GOD’S NAME

As we gather for worship, the acolytes, usually young people, will often process and light the candles on the Communion Table.  This reminds us that the light of Christ is with us, celebrating the light in our lives and standing against any darkness we might be experiencing. The service then begins with the THE RINGING OF THE HOUR. The pastor welcomes the congregation with THE GREETING AND ANNOUNCEMENTS, followed by THE PRELUDE, which gives the opportunity to focus our hearts and minds on God and God's kingdom, by praying silently or engaging in quiet meditation. During the choral season,  THE CHORAL INTROIT follows the Prelude.

Our liturgy, the spoken word of worship, is drawn from the Bible and from Christian tradition.  Worship is not intended to be like a play where all the action is done by a few performers up front - all of us are participating in worship, in our singing, in our praying, and in our meditating on God's presence in our lives.  Beginning with THE CALL TO WORSHIP, the congregation joins in the creative act of worship, and continues as together we stand and sing THE HYMN OF PRAISE. The Pastor then focuses our attention with  THE CALL TO CONFESSION.  While an individual is free to share their personal stories and shortcomings in confidence with the pastor at any time, there is no need to do so; we do not have a "confessional” per se.  In the Reformed Tradition, this collective PRAYER OF CONFESSION reminds us from week to week that we all have "sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”, but that we are always forgiven by the amazing grace of our Lord in Jesus Christ.  We confess together, on behalf of the world, even if we ourselves did not commit the sins named, in order to be healed and forgiven as individuals and as a community. After our confession, the pastor reminds us of the incredibly good news of our forgiveness and healing, and we sing THE GLORIA PATRI (Glory be to the Father…), which is number 546 in the Hymnbook.

WE LISTEN TO GOD'S WORD

In the Reformed Tradition, of which Presbyterians are a part, the reading and interpretation of Holy Scripture are the heart of worship. This part of worship begins with THE CHILDREN’S SERMON, which is a time for the young people (up to fifth grade) to interact with the pastor on the lessons of the day. Selections from the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS are often chosen using the Revised Common Lectionary, a calendar of selections from which, from week to week, work through nearly the whole of the Bible and are used by denominations around the world. During the choral season, THE ANTHEM separates the Scripture readings, providing another approach to God’s Word.  THE SERMON  is then preached by the pastor; a sermon is designed to interpret the Bible, by the power of the Holy Spirit, for use in our lives.  Pastors explore the context of the text when it was originally written and seek to connect us with its wisdom and insight, and with the living Word in Christ. 

WE RESPOND TO GOD'S WORD

Responding to “God’s Word Read and Proclaimed” takes many forms:

We join in THE AFFIRMATION OF FAITH; usually The Apostle’s Creed, found on page 12 of the Hymnbook. We sing THE HYMN OF ASSURANCE.

As a congregation, we share THE JOYS AND CONCERNS, followed by the THE PASTORAL PRAYER and THE LORD’S PRAYER, prayed in unison;                                   it too, is found in the Hymnbook, page 12. We then consider how God is calling us to serve and to be His disciples in this world. In THE PRESENTATION OF TITHES AND OFFERINGS, we return to God a portion of his blessings to us (our “Tithes”) and gifts of thanks for what He has done for us (our Offerings”) as the offering plate is passed from person to person. But we also give of our time and our talents, a concept made manifest in THE OFFERTORY. THE DOXOLOGY, or “Words of Glory,” reminds us that it is from God that all our blessings flow; we sing this portion of the Old Hundredth Psalm as number 544 in the Hymnbook. The pastor then offers THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING before inviting the congregation to join in THE CLOSING HYMN. The service concludes with THE CHARGE, our “marching orders” for the week, followed by THE BENEDICTION, a prayer for God’s blessing as we depart. Usually, the Benediction is followed by THE CHORAL RESPONSE, which serves as the “Amen” for worship; THE POSTLUDE prompts us to reflect as we depart.

We celebrate two Sacraments in the Presbyterian Church, the two that were instituted by Jesus as witnessed in the Bible: the Lord's Supper and Baptism.

The Lord's Supper

Six times a year, we celebrate the Lord's Supper together, also known as the Eucharist or Holy Communion.  The Communion Table is ever present at the forefront of our worship. As Presbyterians, we believe that the “real presence” of the Holy Spirit is among us during the Lord's Supper.  We trust that, as these elements remind us of Christ's sacrifice for us, we are also being fed in the Spirit for whatever calling God has for us. Communion reminds us of our unity in Christ, and helps to heal the church, the Body of Christ.  And communion is like the joyful feast that we await when Christ comes… again.  At Mossy Creek, the Lord’s Supper is usually celebrated in the pews, when plates of bread and cups of wine or juice are passed from person to person.  When you pass the bread, you might say either "the bread of heaven,” "the bread of life,” or "the body of Christ.”  Likewise, when you share the cup, you might say "the cup of salvation,” or "the cup of life,” or “the blood of Christ.”  Some people respond, after they've received the bread or the cup, by saying, "Thanks be to God.”  All who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and been baptized into any Christian church are welcome to join in this Sacrament.

Baptism

As Presbyterians understand scripture, baptism is a recognition that, before we can respond, God is calling us to be set apart. Therefore, it is appropriate for people of any age, from the littlest baby to the oldest among us to be baptized. Baptism is a sign of God’s love, a seal of the Holy Spirit, and the claiming of the promises of God which have been given to God's people.  . In baptism we join a community of fellow Christians, the "Body of Christ;” because of this, baptisms take place in the context of  a worship service, in which the congregation promises to support the one being baptized throughout their life of faith. If you desire to be baptized or have your child baptized, please contact the pastor, who can then meet with you and talk about what you can expect during the baptism and what it means to have your child baptized. 

From the Log Colleges of the Western frontier, to the nineteenth century academies of our own Shenandoah Valley, Presbyterian ministers have a long and storied history of providing not just spiritual guidance but practical knowledge as well.


Most of you probably have heard bits and pieces of the story of my Call to ministry, but one thing you may not know is that when I first considered what God might be calling me to do, I thought it would be teaching. I had graduated from college with an English Literature degree and only the vaguest notion of what I might do. After some fits and starts, I decided that my future lay in academia – this despite the fact that I had, heretofore showed little interest in academic excellence. of any kind! I actually went to seminary to discern what discipline in which to pursue a doctorate; I figured becoming a professor of New Testament, or church history, of Theology would be more important, more significant than teaching Moby Dick to college freshmen - not that there's anything wrong with teaching literature, or with college freshmen, for that matter. Of course, God had other plans, and I wouldn’t have changed them for the world; as one of my seminary professors once told me, writing a dissertation is like making a brick – no matter how creative and imaginative you are, they have to be just so high, and wide and long, and weigh just so much… right or wrong, that logic resonated with me, and I resolved to seek ordination, putting me on the path that would eventually lead me to Mossy Creek almost ten years ago. Even so, the opportunity to teach has become of the most rewarding aspects of ministry for me. Whether it be a confirmation class, officer training, book study or an in-depth exploration of a subject, teaching is one of my favorite pastoral activities. It’s certainly one of the things that has made this past year so interesting.


One morning after worship almost a year ago, I was pulled aside by someone whose opinion I value highly. I was worried - often, when someone pulls me aside, it is to share a difficult concern; but that morning, it was not a concern, but a suggestion. Have you ever thought about teaching? Local colleges often need instructors for classes on religion, and you do a good job, and enjoy it…


The suggestion came to me as a surprise, notwithstanding my original notions about God’s Call. After all, it had been more than twenty years, and I long since been confirmed in my Call to be a pastor. I took it as a compliment, and filed it away. But then, another precinct was heard from. Not more than a week later, an acquaintance of Ann’s (a fellow Presbyterian) who worked in the administration of National College sent her an e-mail. They were looking an instructor for a class on World Religion, and did she know someone who might be interested? It was one of those times when you look around and think, Wow! Is think there might be a message here for me… So Ann and I talked about it, I prayed about it, and I replied. The next thing I knew, I was chatting with the campus director, getting ready to teach an elective course on World Religions.


Now, I understand there has been some concern about the time and attention involved in such an outside endeavor: Mossy Creek is not a part time Call, and I am not a tent-maker pastor. I see what I’m doing at the college as something akin to a hobby – an interest outside my work that refreshes me, while stretching me intellectually. Each class meets for one four hour session each week, and each term is eleven weeks long. Since most instructors are working professionals in their field, the college is very understanding about the limits of my time commitment. This past year, I have taught as many as two sections of the same course, one afternoon and one evening; this term, I had one class, on Thursday evening, and will not be teaching during the summer session; I will never teach more than two sections in any term. In order to compensate, I adjust my schedule as needed, and the campus director is always willing to cover a class for me if there is ever a pastoral need. They do pay me a small amount for class time, which is helpful as we pay for college and Governor’s School, but what I really appreciate is the opportunity to both learn and share, for when you teach, you learn – every time.


My perspective on the religions of the world is now very different than it was at this time last year; I am able to articulate in a much deeper way the similarities between the world’s faiths, but more importantly, the crucial places where Christianity is truly unique. It has been exciting to honor God’s Call in a deeper way, and to represent Mossy Creek in the larger community.

It may be just me,

but it seems that time is moving faster and faster; looking back can be like scenery, flashing by a train - glimpses, fragments of the strange and familiar rushing past, as we watch out the window, mesmerized by the rhythm of the road. But it’s only an illusion. What moves is us: learning, growing, aging – changing, moment by moment, day by day. As disciples of Christ, we are not simply observers of life – we are active participants, making the most of each day, taking stock of both challenges and blessings as we look forward to whatever is to come.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this past year. Recently, we passed the anniversary of a very difficult time for our family, and I am profoundly grateful that our son is doing well and is back at school. Connall’s illness changed my perspective; I’m convinced God’s gift of love is so powerful, so intense – both in its joy and its pain - that we require the Holy Spirit to survive what it does to our lives. I am trying to appreciate more fully each moment with Ann and the children, no matter how mundane or routine those moments might be.

In our congregational life, we can rightly celebrate the financial ministry of the church. The giving of the congregation increased in 2010, despite the current economic uncertainty; Mossy Creek ended the year under budget and in the black! After several years of hard work, we now have an excellent system for budgeting, tracking expenses and evaluating spending. As we make the transition to new treasurers, we can rejoice and give thanks to God for the for all the hard work by Paula Zirk and the Finance committee members, past and present. It is important that we maintain the financial discipline which has been developed, and so we pray for Mack Wilson and the current Finance committee.

Now it is time for us to turn our attention to another vital ministry of the church. While some grass roots efforts have continued and even expanded - the ongoing care for the Huffer family and the participation in the work of the Stokesville Food Pantry come to mind - much of the momentum for outreach generated in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita has dissipated. The Witness Committee, in response to your concerns and suggestions, is exploring opportunities for mission outreach in our local area, which would make it easier for each of to share in the ministry to which each of us is called. It is vital that we support these efforts, not only with our money, but also with our time and talent, for it is working together that we have the opportunity to give and receive what God so freely offers in Christ. The words of Anna Coghill’s hymn serve as our call:

Work , for the night is coming; work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling, work ‘mid the springing flowers;
Work when the day grows brighter, work in the glowing sun;
Work, for the night us coming, when man’s work is done.

Christ is in the details

So why is it so important that I visit people?

Pastoral visitation is a funny thing. Like, say salt, or advice from one’s in-laws, the right amount of pastoral visitation varies widely from person to person, from family to family.

On the frontier, farms and homesteads were often separated by miles, so that any sort of visitation was a time-consuming process. Pastors spent so much of their time travelling from pulpit to pulpit, or tending to their own land, they weren’t really expected to do a lot of visitation; their time was spent on preparing at least one (lengthy) sermon each week. The preacher might ‘visit’ for an overnight stay between preaching points; come to comfort the gravely ill; preside over funerals and weddings; and occasionally stop by to chastise an erring parishioner. Even into the twentieth century, it was just assumed a pastor spent hours in the study, researching and drafting the week’s sermon. But times change. The automobile has closed distances between us, so that, even in a country church like Mossy Creek, no one is truly isolated. And while Presbyterians still consider the Proclamation of the Word the central event of worship, few are willing to sit through a two-hour sermon – at least I don’t think they are. But beyond those very important changes, there is another insight with which I have been engaging, that brings a theological dimension to pastoral visitation.

It has become almost a cliché to describe the Christian faith as a relationship. For years, our more charismatic brothers and sisters have been advocating a ‘personal relationship with Jesus Christ,’ something which for years was hard to for me to envision. It wasn’t a question of God’s existence, or the truth of the Gospel, but a practical, logistical problem: How does one go about establishing a relationship with someone who isn’t here? For all the talk about God’s omnipresence, the Father and the Son are not HERE here -a not here like everyone else with whom I have a relationship. This, as they say, was the rub.

But God is good. I have come to understand the answer to this logistical problem by, of all things, looking hard at one of my own ‘growing edges’ (the new, non-judgmental term to describe what used to be called ‘weaknesses’ or ‘shortcomings.’) It may be hard to believe, but I am rather shy; because of that, visitation has always been one of my growing edges in ministry. It’s not as if I freeze up, or find myself unable to engage with others – I have just found it hard to get to the door, so to speak. Why would anyone want me to come over? What an imposition – entertaining me! Thoughts like this could easily paralyze me, and sabotage even my best intentions. But then one of my favorite passages spoke to me in a new way:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.


God gives us the power to love, to actively pursue what is best for the object of our love; but in order for us to know what is best for someone, we must know them. This is what Jesus did in his ministry, walking and talking with disciples, eating with strangers, asking those who came to him, what is it you want me to do for you? This is what we are called to do: to know each other, to listen to the stories of life, the joys and sorrows, hopes and fears; to work together, discovering talents, pushing one another to be the best we can be; to celebrate, and mourn, together. And God’s promise is to be there in us, all the while.

Our relationship with God grows in direct proportion to our relationships with each other in His name. In a real sense, Christ is in the details; the more we know, the deeper the relationship - the more we love. It is in that process of knowing and loving that we will come to see the face of Christ in them; the more we love one another, the deeper and firmer and more personal will be our relationship with Jesus. And that’s why I visit.

Just what do you do, anyway?

It’s a legitimate question. How a pastor spends their time is not always easy to see, especially in a country church without daily programming. The quick answer is, lots of things, and over time, it is my hope to acquaint you with many of them; this time, let’s look at what we Presbyterians call The Proclamation of the Word. As I said in a recent sermon, many of you know me as the Preacher, so obviously, I preach. But preaching requires several distinct undertakings, each of which takes both time and effort.
Preaching requires planning. I like to plan worship on a quarterly or seasonal basis, and for the most part, I follow the Revised Common Lectionary. The Lectionary is a three-year schedule of lessons that covers a wide swath of the Bible; I find using it keeps me from getting in a rut. In planning, I read through the scriptures for the season, and try to discern what God is calling us to hear. Sometimes, this is a quick process; sometimes it can take quite a while. After the scripture passages have been chosen, I use several worship planning resources (including my database of hymns you all know and like) to select hymns for each Sunday. I then create a worship planner (which is given to the worship committee and anyone else who wants one), and set up the bulletins in the computer, with the scripture lessons and hymns in place.
Preaching requires study. Of course, I went to Seminary, so a lot of the studying has already been done. It’s important, though, to go back to the books on a regular basis – especially when it comes to preaching. At the beginning of each week, I refresh my memory about the sermon lesson, and use my planning resources to help write the call to worship and prayer of confession. Then it’s time to study. For me, key words are fascinating, so I’ll often do some word study, in addition to checking the Bible commentaries, and, yes, my old sermons - although it is often a little embarrassing to read them again.
Preaching requires mulling. Sometimes it’s obvious where God is taking us with a passage; a sermon title pops right into my head at the beginning of the process, and we’re off to the proverbial races. Other times, I’ll look at a sermon title on Monday morning and wonder what in the world were you thinking when you came up with that? Most weeks, though, it’s somewhere in the middle, so after reading up on the passage, it’s time to mull things over; to think long and hard about the passage, opening myself to what God is saying to me and to us. While this mulling starts in my office, it continues in various settings, including lawn mowing, yard work, sitting on the porch, going for a drive – even grocery shopping. But perhaps one of the best ways to mull over the sermon is to talk with you all, because
Preaching requires me to know you. For me, preaching isn’t just about making theological points, or teaching doctrine; it’s about finding a way for us to both see and feel what God is doing in our midst. In fact, that might be the best part of my job – the privilege of seeing and learning, interpreting and sharing what God is doing in you. I get to do in lots of ways: sharing a meal, working on a project,
hanging around at the lawn party, sleeping in a bunkhouse, sipping tea on the porch – all of it is grist for the mill, and I love it all.
The last part is coming up with the a way in, the hook upon which I can hang my introduction, and a way out, the conclusion that keeps me from going on and on. Then it’s a matter of typing up my notes – although that, too, can make for a long night.
I love the regularity of preaching; the chance to share and build on last week’s sermon, the weekly deadline to meet, the sense of accomplishment I get each Sunday morning between 11:05 and 11:15, when the sermon is accomplished. It is my hope and prayer that the Spirit is at work in the sermon every week, and we continue to grow in faith through the Proclamation of the Word.
If you want a copy of this season’s worship planner, check the preacher’s mailbox, next to the office. Next time, perhaps we’ll talk about some of the other things I do; until next then, remember: I am yours in Christ.
Patrick, the Preacher