conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

pastoral profile

[Editor's note: Argh! I just set the essay up in plain text and it is 40 lines! In Word it is 35! Argh. I have to pay to make changes once I submit the essay to the appropriate authorities. Oy. I have to trim. Bugger.]

[Another Editor's note: The secretary from the denominational office had this to say: "The best way to send it is to go by the character count - not to exceed 3000 characters - including spaces and punctuation and save it in rich text format (rtf)." WHEW!!]

Okay, so I have this "no more than 3000 character (including spaces and punctuation), 37 lines" essay to write to complete my pastoral profile. I am finding the task daunting. The purpose is to introduce myself somehow and share my theology and share my idea of leadership and and and...

It will be presented along side a bubbled preset list of attributes and skills data base. So, Some of who I am is there. I do not need to list employment history and the like. The data will give voice to my experience as a musician, my work in the hospital and with AIDS service organizations. It is exhaustive.

This essay is giving me fits. I like what it says now. It is earnest. That is good. I am not sure it is all that personal, however, and that troubles me. So, I thought I would post it here and see what you all think. Any congregation who reads it will also find out about this blog, so they will have access to me in one dimension, at least. There are photos in the gallery, etc. This is all good. And maybe that will be enough.

I know some readers of this blog have already received the most recent draft in an email. I am curious about what the rest of you think. Let me know.

The essay follows.

God has come to me in the midst of my own brokenness and confusion as a force of love and charity. All that I do as pastor is to be a reflection upon and a repetition of God’s healing and saving actions in my own life. How can I do more than witness to God’s grace in my own life and hope for God’s revelation in the lives of others? Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Where there is charity and love, God himself is there. If ever there was a hymn which transformed my soul, it is that one. As a husband, a pastor and a musician, this ancient hymn guides me.

Charity and love are to be embodied in the day-to-day life of a congregation if a congregation is to grow into discipleship as a worshiping community of believers. As we act as the Body of Christ for the world, we must hold these virtues as paramount. A congregation embodies God’s love and charity, meeting all people where they are. I believe that the worship life of a congregation is the primary place to learn to be Christian. My study of the history and traditions of the Church combined with my work as a musician have led me to a deep and abiding love for the liturgy and worship life of the Church. Worship is both an expression of our faith and a profound influence upon our faith. The hymn, Ubi caritas, bears witness to how liturgy and worship shaped my faith. Worship calls us together as community. Worship is how the Christian community has chosen to express itself before God and the world. It is where we learn and share our experiences and frustrations in living out the virtues of our faith. It is where our study of scripture, our relationships with one another and our work together for God’s Kingdom are given context.

Similarly, charity and love are to be embodied in the life of the denomination as we struggle along side our Baptist brothers and sisters in the midst of the challenges of theological diversity. It means that I must make room for those who disagree with me on many issues. Love and charity beget humility. I am not the Church. The Church is a Body with a long history and tradition whose head, Christ, is eternal. I believe that it is with great care and compassion that we must work through our differences. We are all in one another’s care.

Finally, charity and love are to be embodied within our Baptist tradition’s relationship with other Christian traditions. Charity and love motivate my ecumenical work. An ecumenical community shaped much of my thinking and belief about God and God’s Church. We Christians must come together to speak to love and charity and show the world a unified Church and not a divided and splintered Body. I believe this is the work of congregation, denomination and all Christian traditions. It is my vision for God’s people and my hope for my work as a pastor.

Posted by tripp at April 21, 2005 10:21 AM