You, O Pastor, As An Individual, Do Not Matter

You, O Pastor, as an individual, do not matter.

You are utterly replaceable. In fact, you are supposed to be replaceable.

I visited my former parish during the week, checking up on the new guy there. It could be a rough place - and he needed some time to vent and also some encouragement.

And one of my favorite people came in - he was one of the elders of the church - and he was glad to see me, but when he used the title "Pastor" he wasn't referring to me anymore. That had been his term for me for 11 years. 4 years later - it's not me. It is someone else.

As it should be.

The work is significant because it is the proclamation of the Word. But the speaker, well... God has so ordained it that the speakers of that Word get replaced routinely.

You, O Pastor, will be replaced. Maybe you will be remembered fondly. And then you'll only be remembered by the old-timers. Then you will be forgotten - perhaps a picture on the wall.

And that is utterly fine.

Because you aren't the important one. The Word you proclaim to the people God has given to you - that's important, and they are important.

You need to decrease, so that Christ may increase.

- Anonymous Pastor 

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