tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689838439428844486.post5811320487252613741..comments2024-03-15T20:15:34.428+13:00Comments on ξενος: Pastors: Making it up as you go alongUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689838439428844486.post-86156788694634149002013-04-03T13:55:34.156+13:002013-04-03T13:55:34.156+13:00No church should call someone only to pastor those...No church should call someone only to pastor those already inside the doors, that would be selfish. The souls outside have even greater need of "curing" ;) <br /><br />If the wind is blowing hard (to borrow Peterson's image) then protecting the hens is more important than building a good looking hen house. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689838439428844486.post-88346877964011170522013-04-03T11:27:11.254+13:002013-04-03T11:27:11.254+13:00To which I would give a hearty amen, and part of t...To which I would give a hearty amen, and part of the stress is that it is no longer enough to look after people as maintenance churches are sliding off into oblivion as we speak, if pastoring requires a church context to operate then the cure of souls requires churches, and it is also a part of the pastors job to ensure the survival of the organisation - if only for the sake of those who are ministered to through it. you are right that many focus on the survival and growth of the organisation to the detriment of the cure of souls, but anyone interested in the cure of souls should surely care about the survival and growth of the church?Jonathan Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18295840754661890186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6689838439428844486.post-80119807541736108332013-03-27T14:38:27.524+13:002013-03-27T14:38:27.524+13:00To some extent I agree there is a huge shift in cu...To some extent I agree there is a huge shift in culture going on, has been for some time, but the pace is not slowing, to some extent the job has to be redefined. And yet, people are still people. They still have the same hopes and fears (by and large, though with some new ones and others magnified), they still sin and need forgiveness. People still need pastoring... My fear is that in the excitement of redefining the job that essential can easily get missed out. But in the end it is the essential - if you (whoever, not you Jonathan) are not in the business of the "cure of souls" (a horrid phrase but expressive) then you are not pastors. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com