Things for United Methodist Preachers to Unlearn

Being a creature of habit, both Type "A" and a bit on the OCD side, I like routine, rhythm, and routine better than anyone. If something works, I leave it alone; if it's functional, I don't try to improve it or buy something new. Over the years I have seen pastors work this way, and pastoral work is hard: writing/designing sermons takes time, study, planning, and discernment; pastoral care often interrupts the busiest of schedules. When you find something that works, we tend to run with it. We keep sermon files so that when we move, we don't waste previous work done. We function on local church, district, and conference levels in ways that are comfortable for us. We gravitate toward like-minded colleagues and find comfort in such community. These things "work" for us.

But not really. It's not working.

For us to offer Christ to a hurting world, we have to transcend some of what "worked" for us in the past. It requires a lot of introspection and self-awareness. It requires some confession and repentance. It requires that we "unlearn" some things which have become rote for us as UM pastors. Having recently read John Wesley's "Large Minutes" and being challenged by scholars Andrew Thompson and Doug Meeks, I'm led to share these things:

1. Our seminary professors and continuing ed teachers were wrong about clergy professionalism. If we are to be about discipleship, conversion, and mission, we can't have "professional distance" from those we serve - we have to be intimate with those we engage! If we do not live this and model this, we cannot expect anyone else to do it. Jesus MET the woman at the well; he didn't say to himself, "This is improper," even though most everyone else probably did. Our society has confused intimacy with sexuality; it actually comes from the Latin intimatus/intimare, "to make familiar with." Familiarity doesn't breed contempt - it breeds a relationship!

2. Preaching needs some change. It's a sore spot for most preachers to be told anything critical about their preaching - but my experience is that collectively, we're missing the mark. When I was younger I was asked to preach at a 6-day revival; I had no idea what to do. An older colleague advised me, "Preach your six 'sugar sticks.'" If I had it over to do again, I would have met with the church leadership several weeks beforehand and heard their story, their struggles, and their edges so I would know their context. Preaching has to be (a) hermeneutical, (b) preach Christ, and (c) help us make a connection WITH Jesus. As Wesley was clear to note, preach the Christ whom the scriptures witness, not the scriptures themselves. I have to remind myself often: it's the logos, stupid!

3. UM Pastors - more specifically, elders and deacons - act too much like a union (I've blogged about this before) and not enough like servants and vessels. I'm not the only one that has noticed this; our polity once protected pastors so they could be about Kingdom work (i.e., security of appointment), but it has now turned into (a) a financial benefit/liability that we may one day not be able to honor, and (b) led in some cases to ineffectiveness through malaise. Few of our laity have such a safety net, and indeed in some congregations, the pastor may be among the highest earners in a local church when salary, insurance, pension, housing, and other benefits are considered.

4. The Book of Discipline is too large, connectional and conference structures too wieldy, and theological/missional/discipleship questions as well as policy questions are often decided by popular vote instead of theological/missional focii. What was once a tool for order has become an imitation of US government bureaucratise and an entity unto itself. When we need a judicial council to tell us (or prevent us from) how to do mission and discipleship, we have got serious problems (there hasn't always been a judicial council, by the way). These things can change - even the Book of Discipline. If you don't believe one individual can make change, think again.

5. We don't live the trust - much less model it - that the Kingdom and the denomination demands of us. We often get put on committees or commissions and remain silent, waiting until the parking lot or text messages to our buddies to kibbutz and critique... thus depriving the institution we vowed to uphold and denying the spirit of conferencing that is so at the heart of our Wesleyan DNA... and then turn around and chastise our congregations for doing the same after board and council meetings! Of course it means conflict and difficult conversations. However, Christianity - indeed, Jesus - was no stranger to conflict or hostility. Read the correspondence of John and Charles Wesley, who were even estranged for a period of time over differences of opinion. Or read John Wesley and George Whitfield. St. Nicholas attacked Arius over heresy (though probably didn't slap him at the Council of Nicea as legend says). Without trust and honesty modeled and lived, we cannot embrace the deep change that this season required of us!

6. Like it or not, we have to be generalists. More than once I have heard, "That's just not me" or "I was raised/educated in a different era." To those that we serve, that is a great disservice.

For example: I didn't grow up with nor was educated in the use of multimedia in worship or for preaching. However, I have since learned that only about 9% of the population are auditory learners - and a lecture-style of preaching and witness is thus limited in its effectiveness.

Now, do I personally like using images, movie clips, etc. in my sermon illustrations? Personally, no. But I'm learning how to do it - because it is effective for many and helps address the hermeneutical task of preaching, which today has become a larger and more diverse method of verbal AND non-verbal communication of interpretation of the biblical text... which is NOT to be confused with exegesis, which is the more narrow focus of examination of the text. I wasn't taught this or raised with this, but they are effective methods of preaching that I cannot ignore. God could care less whether or not I "like" something personally.

We also have to be counselors, spiritual guides, able to read/interpret a financial report, teach doctrine, lead catechesis, and develop leadership to aid in all these things. None of us will be experts in any, much less all, of these things. But they are part of the authority of being ordained and licensed for ministry, and in a Wesleyan ethos we have to continually ask ourselves these questions: (1) What shall we teach? (2) How shall we teach? (3) What shall we do?

I used to think we used the model of medicine or law in training our pastors and leaders (lay or clergy) for ministry. But I am now of the opinion that we need to embrace the model of artisan/apprentice. It's relational. It's modeled. We mentor others as we are mentored. It's the education the disciples received - and after 3 years, they were commissioned to "go and teach."

We've got a lot to unlearn, and a lot to learn. But oh my, what a journey and opportunity!

Pax,
Sky+