These questions are based on the short story, The Tempting Fruit, in Volume 2, Clergy Tales–Tails: Wagging, Friendly but Exhausting, available at amzn.to/1a1uCI6 . Enjoy the full story and think about this aspect of clergy life.
CHANGE IS UNCOMFORTABLE
While this story is set in 1984, and women clergy are more widely accepted now, there are still many ways in which churches demonstrate society’s prejudices in their response to different types of clergy. If you were to describe the ideal image of a clergy person for most churches, what would it look like?
What are some of the prejudices that you recognize still exist that affects a church’s acceptance of pastor?
Beth felt that one of the ways that prejudice was expressed was by people being hypercritical of her performance as a clergy person. Her friend, Shirley, responds by saying: “Not surprised. Most of us have learned to adjust to life as it is. Threaten to change things, and it means that we all have to reevaluate who we are. Familiar pain is more comfortable than the unknown future.”
To what degree to you agree or disagree with Shirley’s evaluation of people’s response to change? How does that affect your ministry?
NOT EVERYONE LIKES A SERMON
After one of Beth’s sermons, she gets this response:
“As a longtime member, he wanted to remind her that this congregation was made up of good people who needed to be praised for their good works and not told that they had failed to reach out to a lot of likely undeserving vagrants and illegal immigrants. The very idea of suggesting that our dear Lord and Savior might have been an illegal immigrant when his family fled to Egypt was just insulting.”
How should clergy balance their affirmation of people and the challenge of the Gospel to alter their lives?
How should clergy respond to people’s criticism when a sermon has offended?
A GRACEFUL INTERRUPTION
In a time of tension, Beth visits a young couple and their newly born twins in the hospital, the following takes place.
“The couple burst into wide grins when they saw Beth enter their room. ‘Come see what we have,’ they cried. Beth had the pleasure of saying the first prayer to welcome two healthy children into the world.
“‘You get part of the credit,’ Tommy said.
“‘Tommy’s right,’ Lila agreed. ‘Without your support and counseling, I’m not sure we would have gotten this far. The boy will be Thomas, Jr., but we’ve decided to name the girl Elizabeth after you.’
“For once Beth was speechless, but the tears flowing down her cheeks were message enough for the Fletchers.”
How often have you experienced an interruption to difficult moments in your ministry by some event that reminds you of the blessing of being a pastor?
GOD’S CURRICULUM
How accurate is Beth’s statement.
“The temptation you face (in leaving) seminary (is you) think you have all this knowledge about what is right and wrong for the church. You come to a congregation and discover that only God knows the truth about good and evil. What you have to do is care about the people and trust God.”
What are a couple of things that God has taught you through the members of your congregation?
YOUR BEST ADVICE
What is something you would advise a pastor who has just left seminary and is beginning service at a church?
