by Joel V Webb | Jun 11, 2024 | Uncategorized
Recently I’ve been seeing a series of posts about what they see are
the problems with full-time ministry. Part of his emphasis is the
importance of pastors building alternative streams of income so they
are not sole dependent on a fixed ministry income. Is this an overall
bad thing? No! I agree that for some it can be important to have
alternative sources of income, especially in contexts where a single
church is not able to provide fully for a pastor and their family.
And I do also see a trend where in certain contexts, more pastors
will need to be more dual-income just as Paul was with his tent
making.
That being said, I
do not take this reality as a wholesale rejection of full-time
pastoral ministry. To be honest, much of this brother’s concern is
not with the idea of a pastor being full-time as it is with the
culture of many churches that has been developed over the last 50
years. Many of the issues this brother highlights are because in many
cases the role of pastor has stepped outside of the primary role of
shepherd, and turned more into a spiritualized charismatic CEO of
industry.
In my seminary
studies one thing has become clear in regards to the role of a
pastor. The needs of the human soul have not changed since the
founding of the Church, and will not change. Sure, the specific
challenges and circumstances we has humanity face may look different,
but the core needs of our souls are still the same. Because of this,
the core role of a pastor has not changed either. But in the broader
evangelical non-denominational culture, we have forced a shift on
pastors. Instead of being the shepherd who lives and grows with the
flock, the pastor has become more of a business boss who is more
involved in keeping sure programs are running effectively.
As Richard Baxter
says in his classic work The Reformed Pastor,
“To be a bishop, or pastor,
is not to be set up as an idol for the people to bow to, or as idle
‘slow bellies,’ to live to our fleshly delight and ease; but it
is to be the guide of sinners to heaven.” The
primary role and goal of a pastor is to shepherd and love those in
the church to follow Christ. This does not mean we do the work of the
Holy Spirit (because we would muck it all up). But the pastor is to
be the encourager and one who through experience and knowledge, help
set up a framework on how the Gospel instructs our lives.
This is a stark
departure from the role of pastor as it has been know. Now, there is
nothing wrong with church programs and the like. They are apart of
how many conduct church, and need to be managed. However, the role of
pastor has morphed into the manager of these programs, rather than
being the shepherd of the people of the flock. I agree with many of
the surface criticisms that have been presented. They are problems
that need to be addressed. But I do not think the blanket solution
for this is getting rid of full-time ministry altogether.
Instead, we need to
look hard and long at the roles of our pastors. Are they engaged in
the building of the believer, focused on the health and faith of
those in the flock. Or, are they simply managing programs? If it is
the latter, then something needs to change.
Put simply and
finally. The issue is not with full-time pastoring as a whole. This
has been the norm for all of Christendom, and I believe in various
ways will continue to be. We need men & women who are dedicated
to not just the study of the Word and functioning of the church, but
also dedicated and focused on the growth of the believers in their
context. Can and should pastors also work other jobs. If there is the
need or calling, then yes! God utilizes believers in so many
different ways. For some it may be a bi-vocational role where they
work both in and outside the Church for need of income and/or
ministry opportunity. And, there are those that God calls to be
dedicated full-time to pastoral ministry, as there is great benefit
there as well.
But let us be sure
to diagnose the problem correctly. Not with the role itself, but
instead the unhealthy culture of what the role is supposed to be that
has become so prevalent in the last several generations.
by Joel V Webb | Jun 3, 2024 | Uncategorized
There’s a certain kind of feeling when you have finished a long hike and you finally reach the scenic overlook. The beautiful display of God’s creation laying below as it expands in its ever moving edges to the horizon. In those moments there is a sort of clarity, peace and serenity when we get to overlook and oversee so much when not hemmed in by the trees and geography that is so often over us.
And then there is the long climb down. A hike of return that in many ways is easier than the climb up because the incline of the trail is going with you. But it also represents a moving away from the clarity and peace, back into the hum drum of life and civilized existence. Things seem less simple, and more complicated…probably because in reality they are.
At numerous times through my life, as I think many of us have experienced have been in those times and moments of serenity. A clairvoyant time of a mountain top in which every part of life seemed simple, everything had an answer, and maybe we even felt like we could fly. But as always happens the trek down the mountain starts we back to life as it seemingly was. Many of the times these experiences were precipitated by a special time away. Many of us can likely think back to times at youth camps where we met with Jesus in a special way, and all of our besetting problems and foibles seemed like they were done and over with. And then we go back to life and things are great for a week, and then as time goes the feeling of strength and clarity fade.
Could it all be that fickle? Is it supposed to be? Why does it seem to be this viscous cycle?
Psalm 139:8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”
Doesn’t that kind of sound like those mountain moments? Things get cleaned up and cleared out, but then whatever it was seemingly comes back with a vengeance? What are we supposed to do!? How can we overcome this?
Thankfully, God has not left us wondering there either.
Ultimately, the problem that so many of us have faced is that much of our walk and faith in Christ is based on experience and sometimes even more strongly our feelings. Don’t get me wrong, our personal experiences with Christ are essential, and something that we can look back on His faithfulness especially when we go through tough times. But the problem lies with almost totally living our Christian walk off of our feelings. Just like any other human feeling, that is fickle and bound for failure.
We have to remember, out walk with Christ is based off of Him, and Him alone. Now, we do have out part of allegiance to Christ. But the strength and ability to walk with Him is found in Him. God is so good to give us those times of respite, being on the mountain where we feel Him so clearly, and nothing seems to hold us. And then we always need to keep going.
So often I myself live in this cycle of failure and triumph. I was awaiting some amazing spiritual moment when I would overcome all the junk I was bound to and never have to face a problem again. Living in total victory because I’d always be on the mountain. But that’s not how life works, or how it was intended. Life happens. Stuff happens, and it sucks. But if my faith and relationship with Christ is solely built on the mountain times we actually miss how He is faithful…when it seems like He isn’t there from our perspective.
It is in those moments of the valley, that may even seem like hell to us where God is also.
The validity and strength of your walk with Christ are not graded on out feelings. If that were the case we’d all fail…HARD. Instead, let us remember that our salvation is based off of Christ’s faithfulness. And even if we feel like we’re in the dredges, He is with us. His Holy Spirit is empowering us to follow and remain allegiant to Him.
He is always with us. He will never leave or forsake us. And remember. Fear not because He has overcome the world.
by Joel V Webb | May 29, 2024 | Uncategorized
One of the big discussions happening in the Church is that
of reaching to the next generation, most who have never and may never darken
the doors of a Church building for a variety of reasons. The pool of research
is growing into this field, seeking out how the Church can be effective
witnesses of the Gospel.
Everything that I have read so far shows that really what
the next generation is looking for from those of us currently in the pews is
not necessarily a particular worship style or worship, but rather a warm
authentic community. Be it a church providing high liturgy and the Eucharist
every week, or a more modern setup with a rockin’ worship team and a pastor in
ripped jeans. The coming generations (particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha) are
really caring about the authenticity of the relationships and community that
their place of worship has, rather than being attached to a certain style of
worship (See the book Growing Young by Kara Powell, Jake Mulder and Brad
Griffin).
In my lifetime my experience with much of the Church has
been more concerned with the form of the worship over the community the
participated. I’m sure there are those who share this experience, or have very
different experiences. Because of the general acceptance of Christian morality
in the West for the last several generations, a form of malaise has grown over
our eyes as the culture around us generally mirrors how the Church is called to
live.
What has happened in the last 20 years in particular is a
vast shifting in the US (something that was already rapidly happening in Canada
and Europe) of the perspective of the Church and the Christian message. Now, just
like the early church in some ways, we are the counter-cultural force at play.
This is scary for many of us, causing us to respond with suspicion and fear to
the shifting sands around us, rather than responding with the attitude of
opportunity.
This needs to make us take a deep look at our outlook as the
Church in regards to our interaction and perspective. We are no longer the pre-supposed
middle of the conversation. With polarization on both political fronts, the
Church is finding itself being sucked to two extremes that are impossible to
bridge. Instead, we need to focus on what we were called to be. In, but not of
this world.
If we are wanting to be attractive to the next generations,
we must offer something that no ideology, Tik Tok fad, virtue signaling, or political
movement can provide. The Church offer
vital and life-giving community centered around the Gospel, which is a
life-changing message of hope and new life in a world that is spiraling as it
searches for meaning. Our modern world gives us the ability to reach and share
with people as unheard of speed, with the truth of an ancient message that has
been practiced by other broken, and then made new people for over 2000 years.
We may need to look at hybrid models of doing things. A sold
combination of alternative forms of church (commonly called fresh expressions) and
what we commonly think of as the Church to meet the needs of people who are in
just as much need of new life in Christ as we are, or the Jews & Gentiles
of the 1st Century AD were. I don’t know what that all looks like,
or means. The Holy Spirit is calling the Church to remain faithful to the faith
once for all delivered to the saints, while not being tied to how we’ve always
done things.
Let’s drop the facade of “doing Church” and instead really live
as an intentional community who loves God, loves people, and live sent to
proclaim the Gospel, whatever that looks like.
by Joel V Webb | May 22, 2024 | Uncategorized
Many in the Church feel there is
really only one of two options. We either give in to the political and philosophical
ideas of the right-wing in order to pursue God’s call for the Church. Others
feel to give into the political and philosophical ideas of the left-wing as the
way to pursue God’s call for the Church. What’s crazy about all of this is that
for those on both sides (myself included) we often don’t even realize that we
are doing it!
For the right it’s the presupposition that
most evangelicals who presume the American dream is an extension of the Gospel if
our nation follows God, waiting to be raptured from trouble. For the left, it’s
the idea that the liberation the Gospel speaks of needs to be exerted
politically for the oppressed using any means necessary to bring in the New
Heavens and the New Earth. Is there some truth contained in both sides. Sure.
But both sides are often taken too far into error that loses the saltiness that
Christ’s followers are supposed to have, trading it in for dichotomy of
politically exclusive choices.
Liberation is certainly a theme in the
Scriptures. God leads His chosen people from Egypt. Once slaves, they were
taught how to be free people, being distinct from the nations around them.
Likewise, the Gospel provides us with liberation from the powers of sin and hell,
giving us the freedom to live truly as God intended us to. But what we
unfortunately see from many of the ideas espoused by those in the Liberation
theology camp is a dangerous blend of Christianity’s call to pursue justice and
help for the needy into a Marxist infused political machine that doesn’t
distinguish itself from the excesses of the political left. Justice without
truth isn’t really justice at all.
Likewise, the far right gives into its
own excesses by shrugging its shoulders much of the time at pain and suffering,
expecting to be whisked away from tribulation at any moment. So often the
vision is really focused inwards, not paying attention to the ways the Church
has historically served as a demonstration of the love of Christ. There has
been no greater witness of the Gospel throughout history than the physical ways
Christians have put themselves out of comfort to work for others good, in the
same way Christ did for us. Often, the issues our society is facing are dealt
with suspicion and fear, rather than understanding and love that leads to
truth. Justice without love isn’t really justice at all.
All of this means living life in
tension. To not give into the ever-encompassing ideas of one side exclusively makes
you a target for both sides. But to do so is to deny dividing points the world
gives us, and instead shows the third way that Christ offers. When we start
with the cross, we know that all of us are guilty. We are all oppressors who
will sin against another image bearer of God. There are no exceptions. And at
the same time we are all under the thumb of sin, desperately in need of
liberation and freedom that is only found in Christ.
The only truly innocent victim was Christ; the only unredeemable
oppressor is the devil; and the only perfect liberator is God. – Biblical
Critical Theory, Christopher Watkin
by Joel V Webb | May 2, 2024 | Uncategorized
Doesn’t it
sometimes feel like the way things are handled in our greater world of politics
just isn’t cutting it? The endless and vicious circle of talking points, ad hominin
attacks and a victory at all costs mindset that hurts anyone in the way. This
has been part of the steady polarization we see in the culture around us in the
West, particularly in the United States.
CS Lewis famously wrote, “If we find ourselves with a desire that
nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we
were made for another world.”
This fits perfectly in line with the message given to not just the
Christians of the early church in the New Testament, but also to the natural
nation of Israel. Their way of life commanded by God was meant to distinguish
themselves in the culture around them as a people doing things differently.
From having no standing military, a king who was a humble servant of the
people, a priesthood with no means of amassing political or economic power, and
a redemption and jubilee system that ensured that even the disadvantaged were
able to maintain and provide for themselves.
What does this
maybe look like in our day? We feel uneasy or unsettled that the answers our
political systems are providing don’t seem to fit the mold we see in Scripture.
We want to see not just
Then throw in
the mix our fallen humanities insatiable desire for power. In Scripture (both Old
and New Testament) this desire is often personified with the city of Babylon. A
place of idolatry, power and wealth that conquered and commanded other nations.
This desire for power is something every human is susceptible to.
When Christ
came an inaugurated the “Kingdom of Heaven”, things would never be the same.
The systems of this world are turned upside down with how things would be run.
Think of the Sermon on the Mount as the constitution or founding document,
where we see how citizens of this Kingdom are to represent and follow the King
in a new way of life.
Now, back to
that Lewis quote. When he talks about another world, this is not something
being said about just living and being in heaven. That is a myopic and shallow
understanding of God’s Kingdom. That different world is what God intends for
His creation. A Kingdom, a people transformed and changed by Him who make a
world that is known by its love and different way of doing things, not enslaved
to the grasping for power that we see, attempt and experience here and now.
The Kingdom of
Heaven has been inaugurated, and is waiting to be consummated. It is not
finalized, but it is working. Slowly and surely through history it is growing
and changing the world around it bringing us back to how God intended it.
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