Pastor

by Willimon, William H.

• ISBN13: 9780687097883
• ISBN10: 0687097886
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-09-01
• Publisher: ABINGDON PRESS

Summary

One of the great sources of discouragement for those in ordained ministry is the perception that they are alone. The challenges and difficulties they face seem all the larger for their frequent lack of mentors and friends with whom to discuss these issues.Yet, according to Willimon, a "cloud of witnesses" surrounds those in ordained ministry, forebears from whom they could learn if they had the opportunity to listen. The challenges and joys of ministry are not new; they have been present since the first Christian congregations began. From the age of the church fathers and mothers, into the Middle Ages, through the Reformation, and down to the present, faithful leaders of the Christian Church have contemplated, debated, laughed, and prayed about the life of ordained leadership.In this new volume Willimon brings together the best voices from 20 centuries of Christian pastors and leaders, introducing what they have to say on the tasks and roles of ministry. Brief, accessible excerpts from the most important writings on ordained ministry encourage today's pastors. Each introduction places the excerpt in the context of its own time and place, then discusses its particular relevance for the practice of ministry today. This volume will serve as a guide to all who seek the wisdom of those who have followed the call to ordained ministry before them.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 9
Ordination	p. 11
The Nobility of the Ministry	p. 11
Vocation	p. 22
Faith and Order Paper No. 111, Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry	p. 31
Ministry for the Twenty-first Century	p. 46
The Ebenezer Gospel	p. 46
The Pastor as Priest	p. 70
Liturgy and Leadership: Priest and Pastor	p. 70
Liturgical Celebration	p. 84
The Priest as Pastor	p. 90
On Being Unnecessary	p. 90
The Real Presence	p. 96
The Pastor as Interpreter of Scripture	p. 103
Preaching as Bearing Witness	p. 103
Back to Square One: God Said	p. 111
The Pastor as Preacher	p. 124
Temptations of the Teacher	p. 124
The Preacher and His Church	p. 132
Learning to Preach	p. 141
Help Me, Jesus	p. 151
The Pastor as Counselor	p. 157
The Wounded Healer	p. 158
(On) Facing Martyrdom	p. 169
The Pastor as Intercessor	p. 177
The Pastor as Teacher	p. 188
Brother to a Dragonfly	p. 189
Leaves From the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic	p. 203
The Country Parson	p. 210
The Pastor as Evangelist	p. 213
The Pastor as Evangelist	p. 213
Confessions	p. 223
The Pastor as Prophet	p. 237
Empowerment for Ministry	p. 237
The Pastor as Leader	p. 247
Letter from Birmingham Jail	p. 247
Sister Aimee	p. 264
The Pastor as Character	p. 279
The Glory of the Priesthood	p. 280
The Pastor as Disciplined Christian	p. 288
The Pursuit of Holiness	p. 289
The Preacher's Private Prayer	p. 313
Index of Names	p. 322
Subject Index	p. 324
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.