As someone who has heard a few too many sermons along the lines of “Ministry is really hard, so be nice to me, your pastor”—I’m so glad this piece didn't go the direction I was halfway expecting. Thank you for writing this.
Oh, goodness. I've heard this sermon too many times myself, and it always strikes me as highly inappropriate, especially since considered simply as a job, I suspect that ministry involves shorter hours and better remuneration than many jobs congregants work. Surely ministers have clergy colleague group chats for when they really need to vent rather than burdening their congregations with complaints (I know I do!). A friend and fellow pastor put it this way, which I think is right: "We are liable to have a weird combination of jealous/proprietary sentiment about our profession and indifference to its outcomes." Anyway, thanks for the comment!
Rereading my comment, it might have been excessively grouchy, sorry. I’ve got a lot of stuff to work through I suppose. But I appreciate and agree with your response. Thankful to be attending a church where the pastor seems to have a healthy practice in this area, so far as I can see so far.
A fitting Ember reflection for Advent III week. The Ember week falling in Advent III surely must have been an influence on why Cranmer revised the Collect for Advent III to be as it is, no? As a layman, your bracing exhortation here awakens me to how to pray for my clergy. Do I pray insipid prayers about non-descript "blessing" or do I pray against spiritual shipwreck and for holiness and innocence of life? Thank you!
As someone who has heard a few too many sermons along the lines of “Ministry is really hard, so be nice to me, your pastor”—I’m so glad this piece didn't go the direction I was halfway expecting. Thank you for writing this.
Oh, goodness. I've heard this sermon too many times myself, and it always strikes me as highly inappropriate, especially since considered simply as a job, I suspect that ministry involves shorter hours and better remuneration than many jobs congregants work. Surely ministers have clergy colleague group chats for when they really need to vent rather than burdening their congregations with complaints (I know I do!). A friend and fellow pastor put it this way, which I think is right: "We are liable to have a weird combination of jealous/proprietary sentiment about our profession and indifference to its outcomes." Anyway, thanks for the comment!
Rereading my comment, it might have been excessively grouchy, sorry. I’ve got a lot of stuff to work through I suppose. But I appreciate and agree with your response. Thankful to be attending a church where the pastor seems to have a healthy practice in this area, so far as I can see so far.
I didn’t read it that way!! But I’m very glad to hear that you’re in a good church at present.
A fitting Ember reflection for Advent III week. The Ember week falling in Advent III surely must have been an influence on why Cranmer revised the Collect for Advent III to be as it is, no? As a layman, your bracing exhortation here awakens me to how to pray for my clergy. Do I pray insipid prayers about non-descript "blessing" or do I pray against spiritual shipwreck and for holiness and innocence of life? Thank you!
I know the latter are the prayers I need!
And yes, I've wondered about the Advent III collect. It strikes me as highly likely that the Ember week has something to do with it.