Money and other frustrations
Money sucks! Well, I guess the need for money sucks. Having to plan your life around how much money you have sucks. Feeling limited and stifled because of money sucks! The actually bills and coins are rather pleasant.
I know that alot of what motivates the pastors I am working with this summer is money. Not so much what they make, but what the churches bring in in order to keep their doors open; a legitimate concern I suppose, but it makes you act more as a CEO than a shepherd (to use Dan Kimball's terms). I wish that churches could think of themselves in other terms other than an organization that needs a building and whatnot.
My own personal frustration comes from having to make decisions I don't want to make. Because my wife and have dumped so much into our car as of late (including a windshield we're getting replaced tomorrow ....stupid kids!) we're having to decide if it is really feasible for her us to hookup this weekend. Grrr...
My other frustration of the day goes back to the churches I'm working with. They want me to help design an "emerging" worship service, but they don't want it to be something sustainable. Just something that whets the appetites of their communities to do something different. I don't get that at all. They have an opportunity to reach out to this growing community of young adults with families but no church connection and they just want to play with the style a little.
Okay, last one. Why do we Presbyterians have this thing about pastors not being members of the church and instead being members of the Presbytery? Maybe I'm just dense, but it seems to me that if the pastor doesn't really have to feel the congregation's sense of urgency (or need, or joy, or whatever the congregation might be feeling) than they aren't really able to be adequate shepherds. I understand the there are protections built into the system for clergy, but why are we so scared of our congregations?
Alright, enough out of me. Its late and I haven't had dinner. Maybe all of this will make sense after I eat.
I know that alot of what motivates the pastors I am working with this summer is money. Not so much what they make, but what the churches bring in in order to keep their doors open; a legitimate concern I suppose, but it makes you act more as a CEO than a shepherd (to use Dan Kimball's terms). I wish that churches could think of themselves in other terms other than an organization that needs a building and whatnot.
My own personal frustration comes from having to make decisions I don't want to make. Because my wife and have dumped so much into our car as of late (including a windshield we're getting replaced tomorrow ....stupid kids!) we're having to decide if it is really feasible for her us to hookup this weekend. Grrr...
My other frustration of the day goes back to the churches I'm working with. They want me to help design an "emerging" worship service, but they don't want it to be something sustainable. Just something that whets the appetites of their communities to do something different. I don't get that at all. They have an opportunity to reach out to this growing community of young adults with families but no church connection and they just want to play with the style a little.
Okay, last one. Why do we Presbyterians have this thing about pastors not being members of the church and instead being members of the Presbytery? Maybe I'm just dense, but it seems to me that if the pastor doesn't really have to feel the congregation's sense of urgency (or need, or joy, or whatever the congregation might be feeling) than they aren't really able to be adequate shepherds. I understand the there are protections built into the system for clergy, but why are we so scared of our congregations?
Alright, enough out of me. Its late and I haven't had dinner. Maybe all of this will make sense after I eat.
oh, sure, say you're going on a blog break and then start blogging again. fine. just throw me for a loop. i'll be ok.
money: oh, you read my pissiness on my blog. no need to repeat it.
presbyterian minister membership: i've never seen it be a problem that ministers are members of the presbytery. they all (ok, most) invest as need be in the church they are serving and send their tithes and such there. i think their being members of presbytery has more to do with accountability to the greater community.
what else? oh, i can't remember. 'rents need the phone anyhow.
Posted by
Kathryn Craven |
9:51 AM
yeah, I did read your post about money and I share your frustrations
Sorry for not alerting you to the end of the indefinite hiatus. Usually when someone says that something is being "terminated indefinitely" they mean its gone forever. It would have been better to say I'm in the blog relocation program or something like that.
The thing about ministers being members of the congregation: I'm already learning (and already knew) alot about church dynamics. There's a ton of "us" and "them" in the church. Congregations vs. ministers, sessions vs. presbyteries, sessions vs. pastors, etc...being part of the presbytery, in business terms, makes you corporate instead of being one of the working stiffs. I think part of that is connected to the hubris that gets ingrained with our ordination standards. "I did the 3 (or 4) years of school, I passed the really hard exams therefore I'm entitled to feel a little superior". I'm not saying this is everyone or even the majority of people, but I see it here and I've seen it at SFTS. Maybe what I'm seeing is just a symptom (sp?) of a larger systemic issue.
Anywho, I'm probably just being cantankerous (there's a word I've never typed before), but I feel like I still see alot of these things as an outsider looking in and somethings just confuse me.
Posted by
dlweston |
11:34 AM