He didn't.
I have been a pastor with an established, institutional, congregation and now with a congregation that is just beginning. The experiences are totally different. Most significantly, is that I feel like I'm living as a pastor in a more intense manner.
Think of it this way, when I was on staff with the established congregation it was like a doctor at a suburban hospital. Now it is like a triage doctor on the battle field.
I'm not trying to downplay what I did before. But I'm now learning that being a local pastor is so much more than preparing to teach lessons on Sundays or leading a ministry. Being a pastor is about being in the lives of people in my neighborhood, my congregation, and my larger community. It's about loving well. It is ultimately about living the gospel, every minute of every day.
I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Another way of looking at it is how God used your experiences to mold you. What you call more intense now vs. your prior position in the established and cushy congregation is really a different kind of intense? You say you're not downplaying what you did before but it kinda sounds that way.
ReplyDeleteglenntrevisan I'm really not. I'm curious why you can't take me at my word when I write that? Is there a reason you choose in this moment to not believe what I've written? I'm not downplaying my role before. Why would I lie about that? Why would I misrepresent my own feelings?
ReplyDeleteglenntrevisan One other thought, I totally agree that God has used these experiences to mold me. Is my current experience a different kind of intense? Absolutely. My role at Grace had its intensities but they were totally different from what I experience now. Doug was the lead guy and I was the number two. So, everything was different. I can't underestimate the value of my time there.
ReplyDeleteThe experience as a number two in an established church compared to that of a church planter is like comparing apples to oranges. There is very little overlap. Especially as the context is so radically different. At Grace we had few members and few leaders that actually lived in Farmington/Farmington Hills at the time. Whereas now just about everyone is in Ypsi. It's a totally different kind of intensity.