A Church for Starving Artists

I miss being a pastor. 

What I miss the most, honestly, are the church kids.  I loved it when they hugged me goodbye after worship or when I’d hear a little voice yell , “Pastor Jan! Pastor Jan” in the grocery store.  Or when one of them would ask me a heartfelt question.  I especially liked the ones who no longer liked church.

Our new neighbors in Chicagoland include a family with four children ages 3-11. Their parents have tried to get them to call me “Pastor Jan” but they don’t really call me anything.  My husband is Pastor _ but that makes sense because he is indeed a local parish pastor.  But I’ve been unemployed and feeling like nobody’s pastor.  Until now.

I start a new position (see previous post) and with it comes the clear opportunity to be a pastor to pastors and seminarians and congregations – in a sense – while we try to be the church together.  I’m struck by the wisdom of Eugene Peterson whose memoir all church people should read. 

Some of it speaks of another time when certain devout women felt deeply called to be The Pastor’s Wife and when pastors went door to door inviting people to come to worship.  But much of it is a reminder about what pastors are called to do and be even/especially in the 21st Century Church:

The Pastor’s role is more relationship than functional (which begs the question: can we afford to pay someone to have this special relationship with congregations?)

The Pastor is not a religious “bureaucrat in the time management business for God or a librarian cataloguing timeless truths” (although we spend a lot of time managing time and cataloguing)

The Pastor is not a purveyor of religious goods and services (although a bride once explained to me that – whether I liked it or not – I was one of the vendors at her wedding just like the florist, the organist, and the caterer.  Ouch.)

The Pastor is the one who pays attention to what God is doing and trains others to pay attention.  The Pastor is a witness to the Spirit’s movement and God’s grace.  Others have shared these insights before, but I like the way Peterson puts it.  What I like best in terms of the role of the pastor – my mantra when I denigrate my role to “the fixer” – is from Ephesians 4:  we are called to equips the saints for ministry. 

There is a lot of equipping to do. 

It’s not about Getting Things Done – although the world rewards us for building new education wings and refurbishing the pipe organ.  It’s not about Making Things Happen – although the world rewards us when are rainmakers.  It’s not about making the church Attractive as if we only need to be a pretty/tidy/clean/orderly organization to make God happy.

I can’t wait to be a pastor again, although nobody – not even the neighbor kids – will be calling me Pastor Jan.  That’s okay too.

Photo shows my last day as a parish pastor.  Next I get to be a Presbytery pastor although my job description calls me the IAEPM.

I have a new job.

 It’s not officially a new call because it’s an interim position. And I haven’t “left the ministry” although one person has already suggested that I have.

 On August 29^th I begin a year as the Interim Associate Executive Presbyter for Ministry for the Presbytery of Chicago.  For starters, I need a quick and easy way to share my title without sounding like one of the federal government workers who used to be my neighbors in Our Nation’s Capital. (ie The Assistant Second Advisory Officer for Religious Affairs for the White House Task Force of Faith Affairs and Religious Issues.)  Maybe something like “Interim Pastor with a twist.”

 A couple of years ago in the hallowed halls of the National Cathedral in DC, I was talking with a well known Emerging Church Guy who was introduced to a Presbytery staff member.  The entire encounter seemed to sum up all his problems with The Institutional Church. 

 “What the x#!& is a General Presbyter?” Emerging Church Guy asked me privately and the more I explained it, the more ridiculous I sounded.  My description captured more of the administrivia of the position than the ministry.

 So, here I am the newly elected Interim Associate Executive Presbyter.  This is not something I’ve aspired to do and be, and yet it is strangely right at this time and place. An opportunity to help shift the church in a new way.  Please pray I do it with energy, intelligence, imagination, and – mostly – love.  So pumped.

Although I’ve taken a slight break from posting until I finish one of my writing projects, this day cannot pass without some special recognition.

On this day of our Lord, July 10, 2011 . . .

– I and all my clergy colleagues in the PCUSA become Teaching Elders rather than Ministers of the Word and Sacrament

– My elder friends in the PCUSA become Ruling Elders rather than merely Elders (elders rule!)

– Faithful LGBT teaching and ruling elders can legally serve in all congregations that call them to serve

– My husband, my realtor, and a good friend in Richmond all celebrate birthdays.

– It would have been John Calvin’s 502nd. 

It’s a big day.  Let’s celebrate accordingly to the glory of God.

Note: On Saturday, June 25, 2011, I hit the wrong button and deleted 5 1/2 years of posts in my blog.  After feeling sick for a couple of days, I did what all theological thinkers do:  I wondered why it happened.  Here are my Top Five best hunches:

5.  Because I don’t read the fine print

4.  Because I’m looking for a job (and that post about the fairy princess could come back to bite me)

3.  Because nothing says Moving to A New Place like losing things (still haven’t found the salad forks)

2.  Because God likes Word Press more than Blogger

1.  Because I’m supposed to be writing something else.

In these weeks (months?) before employment, I’m working on two projects and I covet your prayers in the process.  A Church For Starving Artists returns with regular postings asap.  Please check back.

And thanks for reading. Your commentary/words of encouragement still welcomed.