The Pastor’s Religious Experience and Parish Ministry
A reflection submitted by David Dismas during the first semester of his pastoral internship — Fall 1993
I find the topic of this paper intimidating. We are supposed to write about “The Pastor’s Religious Experience and Parish Ministry.” My assumption is that this piece is supposed to be subjective — i.e. about me, my religious experience, and my parish ministry. But, I am stuck on the word “pastor.” For, although I have been ordained for three years, and am currently preaching weekly to a small congregation, I am not the pastor. I am the pastoral intern. Moreover, because the church to which I minister is under fifty members, I would not quite be the pastor even if assigned there. Small churches, we are often told, tend to utilize the “professional clergy” associated with them more as “chaplains” than pastors. And, from the point of view of ministerial identity, my denomination does not have churches larger than fifty. [The Independent Sacramental Movement tends to minister in small congregations as a rule. It is doubtful that I would ever minister to more than fifty persons at any one time in my “professional” ministry.]
Thus, I approach this assignment with a different sense of purpose than my peers in denominations where it is more than likely that they will minister to large churches. As one preparing for small church work, my sense of self as “priest/pastor” is different. I administer the sacraments; I teach the adult religion classes; and, I counsel and pray and visit and offer what I have to offer. But, this is no different than any member of the church who would offer what he/she has to offer. Thus, my religious experience affects my ministry as any lay person’s religious experience would affect theirs. My experience of living out the Christian Faith in parish community is not that much different than any one of the church member’s living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Of course, by virtue of education and ordination, I am able to offer particular gifts to the community that others are not in a position to offer. And, these, like all aspects of my life, are influenced by and influence my religious experience(s). My relationship with God, fostered and nourished from a very early age, made it possible for me to discern my call to orders in the first place. And, as I have pursued the studies that will enable me to be most effective in this vocation, my religious experience has been impacted. My simple, “literalistic” view of doctrine and scripture has changed in the past few years — yet, my relationship with God has not been negatively affected. [That is not to say that there were not moments of severe stretching!] But, my education has helped me understand how the scriptures came to be the scriptures and how they work. These new insights have in turn helped me understand God and God’s ways better. Being more in tune with God’s will for me helped me stay focused on my studies — which in turn helped me grow, etc.
It is this ongoing process of growth that I bring to my ministry in the local church. As the one who ascends the pulpit on Sunday morning, I am empowered by my learning and ongoing relationship with God to empower others by exhorting, encouraging, and challenging my listeners to live more authentically the Gospel that we have received. In some ways, my ongoing relationship with God makes my sermons “more real” than just book knowledge alone. For the simple recounting of “facts” in the pulpit is not what brings people to God. The fact is known, by my own admission, that I live my life by the same principles that I preach — and, that fact makes my sermon worth listening to.
As an Orthodox-Catholic Christian, my life is ordered by the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Matrimony, Orders, and Holy Unction. My experience of God in this sacramental system helps me to administer the sacraments to others in such a way that they may experience what I have experienced. This, of course, is not simply a matter of saying the words right or with just enough “dramatic flair.” Rather, because I have experienced God’s love, grace, and power through these rituals, my prayer while ministering one of them is “Lord, keep me out of your way.” I know that God can work through these rites; I have experienced God in the celebration of many of these sacraments. By staying “out of God’s way” I am able to witness God’s working and to report what I see. [Sometimes I am able to see God’s working more clearly than others — in those moments, because of my faith, I am able to simply “bear witness” to what I see/know.]
This “staying out of the way” is not meant to imply that my role is passive. On the contrary, the gift that I bring to the sacramental moment is the Gift of Discernment. I am called to recognize God’s action in the midst of our community. This discernment is only possible because of my ongoing relationship with the One from whom all graces flow. My experience is that God manifests God’s self in a variety of ways in the worshiping community. The pastor, as a fruit of his/her relationship with God, is responsible for discerning what God is about — this is one of the greatest gifts the pastor can bring, helping the others to see their gifts for ministry.
How does this discernment work? I’ll give you a short example from this week’s parish ministry. Thanksgiving Day night someone or a small team of persons broke into our church. They went through all the drawers in the kitchen and in the church office. Somehow they missed the small room where the sacred vessels are stored. When they found nothing of value, they left. Although there was no major loss [a small coffee pot is the only thing that seems to be missing!], the members of the church, understandably, feel violated.
We spent some time processing the burglary and then proceeded with our Sunday schedule. We had the Bible study at 10:00 and began Morning Prayer at 11:00. It seemed that we were done with the burglary. About five minutes before I was to preach, the incident came back to my mind. I realized that our “visitors” had come into our church and left with nothing of any value. But, I had this overwhelming sense that their visit to our church shouldn’t be in vain. As I ascended the pulpit steps, I paused and invited the members of the church to pray for our visitors. I also encouraged them to keep the visitors in prayer during the coming week that their visit to our church should not be in vain. Judging from the nods I got from our members, I believe that they concurred with this approach.
This is not just something “cute” that the intern came up with; rather, I recall the many times that I have prayed for folks without them even knowing about it. I know that such prayer works — and, I know that there have been times in my own walk when strangers were enlisted to pray for me. I believe that God will somehow work in the lives of our visitors and I needed to “discern” that to the congregation. Perhaps they may come back to our church some Sunday and meet us face to face — perhaps, God will lead them to another church where they will meet their Savior. Whatever the outcome, I believe that God called us to pray for them — and, my relationship with God empowered me to “step out” and call the church to action.
This being ready to discern is not something that one can just turn on and off. It is not so much an ability as it is a gift. It is a gift that is given as the result of a relationship with the Giver. The “pastor’s” religious experience is the relationship through which God will often speak to the local church. I will not say God always speaks through this relationship, for there are dry spells even in the life of the most saintly of us when listening for God seems all but impossible. But, the channel of Grace into the parish is many times the connection that the pastor/priest has with God. [This does not mean to imply that there are not many other channels into the local church; in my opinion, the healthy parish is one in which all members are channels of God’s love and grace and power into the community’s life.]
In my apartment there hangs a banner that was made by my friend, Betty. It is a simple message “Do All for the Glory of God.” The banner is not just for decoration or even for inspiration. It is my life verse. It is my motto. It is my gift to the God Who has given so much to me. It summarizes for me my religious experience. My religious experience is a response to the grace, love, and power of God in my life. This reality is what motivates me to serve Christ in the Church. This reality is what focuses me as I approach my duties at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church or at Saint Teresa’s Orthodox-Catholic Church or at Marsh Chapel. Do all for the glory of God; this is what I do, who I am, what I teach, and hope to model. This, too, is the gift I bring to parish life. Whatever I do, whether teaching, preaching, or pastoring, if I do it for God’s glory then God’s glory will shine through and light the darkness in the lives of those around me.
Thus, I approach this assignment with a different sense of purpose than my peers in denominations where it is more than likely that they will minister to large churches. As one preparing for small church work, my sense of self as “priest/pastor” is different. I administer the sacraments; I teach the adult religion classes; and, I counsel and pray and visit and offer what I have to offer. But, this is no different than any member of the church who would offer what he/she has to offer. Thus, my religious experience affects my ministry as any lay person’s religious experience would affect theirs. My experience of living out the Christian Faith in parish community is not that much different than any one of the church member’s living out the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Of course, by virtue of education and ordination, I am able to offer particular gifts to the community that others are not in a position to offer. And, these, like all aspects of my life, are influenced by and influence my religious experience(s). My relationship with God, fostered and nourished from a very early age, made it possible for me to discern my call to orders in the first place. And, as I have pursued the studies that will enable me to be most effective in this vocation, my religious experience has been impacted. My simple, “literalistic” view of doctrine and scripture has changed in the past few years — yet, my relationship with God has not been negatively affected. [That is not to say that there were not moments of severe stretching!] But, my education has helped me understand how the scriptures came to be the scriptures and how they work. These new insights have in turn helped me understand God and God’s ways better. Being more in tune with God’s will for me helped me stay focused on my studies — which in turn helped me grow, etc.
It is this ongoing process of growth that I bring to my ministry in the local church. As the one who ascends the pulpit on Sunday morning, I am empowered by my learning and ongoing relationship with God to empower others by exhorting, encouraging, and challenging my listeners to live more authentically the Gospel that we have received. In some ways, my ongoing relationship with God makes my sermons “more real” than just book knowledge alone. For the simple recounting of “facts” in the pulpit is not what brings people to God. The fact is known, by my own admission, that I live my life by the same principles that I preach — and, that fact makes my sermon worth listening to.
As an Orthodox-Catholic Christian, my life is ordered by the seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Matrimony, Orders, and Holy Unction. My experience of God in this sacramental system helps me to administer the sacraments to others in such a way that they may experience what I have experienced. This, of course, is not simply a matter of saying the words right or with just enough “dramatic flair.” Rather, because I have experienced God’s love, grace, and power through these rituals, my prayer while ministering one of them is “Lord, keep me out of your way.” I know that God can work through these rites; I have experienced God in the celebration of many of these sacraments. By staying “out of God’s way” I am able to witness God’s working and to report what I see. [Sometimes I am able to see God’s working more clearly than others — in those moments, because of my faith, I am able to simply “bear witness” to what I see/know.]
This “staying out of the way” is not meant to imply that my role is passive. On the contrary, the gift that I bring to the sacramental moment is the Gift of Discernment. I am called to recognize God’s action in the midst of our community. This discernment is only possible because of my ongoing relationship with the One from whom all graces flow. My experience is that God manifests God’s self in a variety of ways in the worshiping community. The pastor, as a fruit of his/her relationship with God, is responsible for discerning what God is about — this is one of the greatest gifts the pastor can bring, helping the others to see their gifts for ministry.
How does this discernment work? I’ll give you a short example from this week’s parish ministry. Thanksgiving Day night someone or a small team of persons broke into our church. They went through all the drawers in the kitchen and in the church office. Somehow they missed the small room where the sacred vessels are stored. When they found nothing of value, they left. Although there was no major loss [a small coffee pot is the only thing that seems to be missing!], the members of the church, understandably, feel violated.
We spent some time processing the burglary and then proceeded with our Sunday schedule. We had the Bible study at 10:00 and began Morning Prayer at 11:00. It seemed that we were done with the burglary. About five minutes before I was to preach, the incident came back to my mind. I realized that our “visitors” had come into our church and left with nothing of any value. But, I had this overwhelming sense that their visit to our church shouldn’t be in vain. As I ascended the pulpit steps, I paused and invited the members of the church to pray for our visitors. I also encouraged them to keep the visitors in prayer during the coming week that their visit to our church should not be in vain. Judging from the nods I got from our members, I believe that they concurred with this approach.
This is not just something “cute” that the intern came up with; rather, I recall the many times that I have prayed for folks without them even knowing about it. I know that such prayer works — and, I know that there have been times in my own walk when strangers were enlisted to pray for me. I believe that God will somehow work in the lives of our visitors and I needed to “discern” that to the congregation. Perhaps they may come back to our church some Sunday and meet us face to face — perhaps, God will lead them to another church where they will meet their Savior. Whatever the outcome, I believe that God called us to pray for them — and, my relationship with God empowered me to “step out” and call the church to action.
This being ready to discern is not something that one can just turn on and off. It is not so much an ability as it is a gift. It is a gift that is given as the result of a relationship with the Giver. The “pastor’s” religious experience is the relationship through which God will often speak to the local church. I will not say God always speaks through this relationship, for there are dry spells even in the life of the most saintly of us when listening for God seems all but impossible. But, the channel of Grace into the parish is many times the connection that the pastor/priest has with God. [This does not mean to imply that there are not many other channels into the local church; in my opinion, the healthy parish is one in which all members are channels of God’s love and grace and power into the community’s life.]
In my apartment there hangs a banner that was made by my friend, Betty. It is a simple message “Do All for the Glory of God.” The banner is not just for decoration or even for inspiration. It is my life verse. It is my motto. It is my gift to the God Who has given so much to me. It summarizes for me my religious experience. My religious experience is a response to the grace, love, and power of God in my life. This reality is what motivates me to serve Christ in the Church. This reality is what focuses me as I approach my duties at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church or at Saint Teresa’s Orthodox-Catholic Church or at Marsh Chapel. Do all for the glory of God; this is what I do, who I am, what I teach, and hope to model. This, too, is the gift I bring to parish life. Whatever I do, whether teaching, preaching, or pastoring, if I do it for God’s glory then God’s glory will shine through and light the darkness in the lives of those around me.
