Faith Fact- The Role of Pastor

 


The first of the three-fold role of Presbyters in the church, as listed in the Ordination service, is as Pastor. 

Pastor is the Latin word for "shepherd". For this reason, John 10:11-18, Jesus' "I am the good shepherd" speech is one of the Gospel choices for the Ordination of a Priest. Shepherds are called on to help guide the sheep, as David lays out in Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd." This at time means providing protection, in our case spiritual protection. Jesus speaks of this in John 10:11-13, and it is also why David was strong enough to be able to fell Goliath with his slingshot after growing up tending his father's sheep.

Another Gospel reading option for the Ordination service is Matthew 9:35-38 where Jesus has pity on the crowds since they are like "sheep without a shepherd". Sometimes we are placed in front of those who need us in ministry. Other times, we are called to seek those out we are called to serve. As Jesus says in "The Parable of the Lost Sheep", sometimes we are called to call back even one sheep out of a hundred and bring that sheep back to the fold.

The Examination in the Ordination of a Priest lays out the role as pastor like this:

You are to love and serve the 
people among whom you work, caring alike for young and 
old, strong and weak, rich and poor.

In other words, in pastoring to the sheep of Christ, we are called to look after not just some, but all. This means being present as a support during good times and bad.

If you are looking for this pastoral support in your life, please reach out to the presbyter/priest/pastor of your congregation, or at least one residing near you. Rest assured that your pastor is also working to keep an eye and ear out to provide love and service to those in the great sheepfold of Christ Jesus.