Being a Pastor

The last few days I have been giving much thought to what is means to be a pastor.  Being a pastor is like being a Shepherd as Jesus was the good Shepherd.  Now I have some limited experience with sheep.  IN the monastery we had some sheep and a goat and I was part of the team that took care of them.  That’s just it, take care of them.

As a pastor I have been entrusted with the care of my community just as the shepherd is given care of his flock.  The shepherd would never place his sheep in harms way, as a matter of fact the shepherds entire job is to protect the flock, from the strongest to the weakest, from all harm.  We do this by placing ourselves between them and the danger.  We set up a hedge around them to protect them.  At the Judgement I will be held responsible for any of my flock that have left or been harmed by my actions or my inaction.  I will be held accountable for all of them.

This so called “pastor” and I say so called because of his actions, is putting his flock in harms way.  Yes people should not over react to his actions but we are fallen human beings and we have given over to our passions.  His actions could lead to his own community being placed in harms way let alone all Americans traveling or in the service of our country.

I have been praying for him and for his congregation since I first learned of this and I will continue to pray for him.  He says that God has told him to do this.  I am praying that he listens to God, because the God I know would never ask someone to do this and would never ask one of his shepherds to place his flock in harms way.