Dear friends in Christ, I write to you as a pastor and Army chaplain and therefore can only give you the view from my fox hole. In this column, I wanted to write some on the office of the holy ministry.
There are many different reactions to the office of the holy ministry, also called the pastoral office. Some treat pastors as holy angels sent from the Lord, while others treat them with disdain and contempt worse than that shown the lowest employee at the lowliest of jobs.
Yet the pastoral office is a blessed office to fill because we few have the sacred privilege of publicly preaching the Gospel, that is, the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the sake of sinners. Thus, pastors should rejoice in this sacred duty, as St. Paul writes:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16).”
This work, the preaching of the Gospel to our fellow men has eternal significance, for by this gracious proclamation sinners are brought to repentance and told of the wondrous work of redemption that God the Father wrought through His beloved Son, our dear Lord Jesus Christ. God the Holy Spirit works through this preached word to bring sinners, men, women, and children to saving faith.
Pastors have the privilege to study God’s Word, not man’s word, but God’s Word daily and share what the Holy Spirit has taught them through that careful study with their parishioners. What a privilege and joy to preach the Gospel. What an honor to baptize little ones, welcoming them into Christ’s holy Church. Or again, to stand at the grave and proclaim with conviction that our God has conquered death and that those who have died in the faith, Christ Himself shall wake from their sleep “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”
Yet this office also has its crosses. Time and time again we see friends fall into grievous and besetting sins. Pastors see fellow pastors wrongly persecuted and put out of their church. Pastors see heresy and schism, strife and brother against brother both inside and outside of the church. Pastors hear slander and gossip galore often about themselves or family. Pastors see many Christians simply lose their faith or stop going to church because after all, it is filled with hypocrites. And likely, the thing that hurts the most is when pastors see fellow pastors commit perverse and evil offenses that rightly removes them from the pastoral office.
Yet dear friends, for all of that, it is a blessed life. And what a privilege to bear a cross for Christ’s name’s sake. And all Christians, pastors and laity alike, should give their amen to that. For each of us bears shame and scorn for Christ’s name’s sake. What the pastor experiences publicly, all Christians experience in some small way privately. Each of us knows what it is like to be ridiculed, excluded or betrayed for clinging to the truth of the pure and unadulterated Word of God. Yet Christ tells us, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (Mat. 5:11-12).”
So, if you were to ask, is being a pastor worth it? I would have to tell you the same thing my pastor once told me. It is a blessed life and a noble calling.
Winston P Grieser
CH (MAJ) IN ARNG
519TH DSSB
BN Chaplain
Pastor, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Kewanee Voice.
***This column is sponsored by the Kewanee Ministerial Association
