The Contemplative Pastor

I really enjoyed reading this book. More than that though, it was challening reading Peterson's understanding of pastoral ministry. I found myself wrestling with the tensions that he describes. How do we fulfill our vocational calling while treating those we minister to with Gospel dignity. That is a difficult tightrope to walk at times. I especially like the distinction that Peterson makes in outling pastoral vocation as unbusy, subversive, and apocalyptic. Unbusy indicates that pastors are not bogged down by "running" a church. Although administration is part and parcel of our "job" as pastors, that is not what we are called to "be." Being unbusy means that we are unrushed. It is not a "works-based" righteousness. It is important that we embody that in our ministry. It is about being saturated in prayer and Scripture. The Spirit, not the calendar, directs our lives. We are not called to be important (we usually show our importance by how much stuff we do). It is a vanity that says the Church cannot survive without my effort. Being unbusy is a resting in God's work in the Church and that we are called to "be" not "do." Furthermore, we are called to be subversive. We oppose the culture and what it deems we are to be as pastors and as people. It means that the kingdom of self is replaced by the Kingdom of God in our lives and in the lives of our congregations. It is looking for the Kingdom that is even now burgeoning in our lives. And, it is allowing our wills to be subsumed by that Kingdom so that we are partners with God's re-creational work in the world. Finally, pastors are apocalyptic. This is not end-of-the-world proclamations aimed at our people. Rather, the apocalyptic pastor is one who prays, perseveres, and uses language poetically (as a "maker"). We are truth tellers that are shaped by the Word and employ words to shape the world. It is a confidence that God's work in the world is already happening and will come to fruition and completion in the fullness of time. Sabbath helps us "cease" so that we are fully present, able to listen, and focused upon what God is doing rather than on what we are doing to bring God's Kingdom about.

For me, it has been a struggle to stop. I don't do it very well. This has been especially true with finishing school, keeping up with ministry, and finishing wedding and honeymoon plans. There's so much to be accomplished and it seems there is so little time to accomplish it in. Plus, I feel important when I have responsibilities that I am able to juggle. It shows competence and skill. But, too often it denigrates into building my kingdom rather than seeking to build God's Kingdom. It is an exercise in ego. And, although I cannot neglect all of these activities and goals, it is important that I realize what is truly valuable and important in this life. It is vital that I remember that I am valued because of who I am in Christ, not what I accomplish in life. It doesn't eliminate all of the tasks that must be finished, but it does prioritize them. Sabbath is helping me remember this and re-evaluate my life in light of those facts.

Hannah as Model Prayer - Sabbath Reflection from 1 Samuel

"In a world in which God is the primary reality, worship is the primary activity. In worship, we cultivate attentiveness and responsiveness to God. Cultivate, because if we live by mere happenstance - looking at what is biggest, listening to what is loudest, doing what is easiest - we will live as if God were confined to the margins of our lives. But God is not marginal; God is foundational and central. The person who lives as if God sits on a bench aat the edges of life, waiting to be called on in emergencies, is out of touch with reality and so lives badly... And the worship continues. Worship is not something one does to get something, and once it is got can be discontinued. Worship is a way of life." - Eugene Peterson (First and Second Samuel Westminster Bible Companion, page 21-22).

Sabbath is cultivating attentiveness and responsiveness to God. It is allowing God to be more than marginal in our lives. He becomes foundational and central. In this way, we are in touch with true reality and thus able to live rightly.