"Being Holy, Being Human"
Ben Patterson
The tension between living out the pastoral role and being genuine will be played out differently. For me, the decision hinges on the answer to this question: "Which will better enhance the ministry of Christ in the church?"
—Ben Patterson
I felt a little ashamed of myself for doing it, but not enough to stop myself.
It was my day off; my wife and I had taken our usual long walk, had breakfast together, and stopped in a clothing store to shop. When I saw two church members in the boutique, I quickly ducked behind a mannequin. I was tired, it was my day off, and I didn't feel like extending any greetings. Making sure they weren't looking, I slipped out of the store and made my escape.
It wasn't pastoral of me, but it was honest. And it illustrates a struggle I face in the pastorate—trying to balance the tension between the personal and the professional—being the person I am and being that person called a "pastor."
Other professions live with the same tension, but they can handle it more efficiently. In The Christian Century, columnist Martin Marty once wrote about the schizolike attitude of flight attendants. On airplanes we find attendants gracious, sometimes to the point of gushiness. They look us in the eye, give us a big smile, and extend plenty of hospitality.
But when our flight lands and we spot these same attendants in the concourse or baggage claim area, they simply walk by, avoid eye contact, and ignore us. Marty calls that "civil inattention"—they step out of the flight attendant role and become themselves, no longer obligated to look after us.
Pastors must be pastors. But we are also people. Do we have a right to step out of the professional role? Although we can't divide our roles as cleanly as a flight attendant, ...
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