Pastoral Life: Living as a Parable of Jesus

I was challenged with the thought that a pastor is to be a parable of Jesus to the congregation he serves (The Art of Pastoring: Ministry without all the Answers, by David Hansen). Whether we interact with people of the congregation, or people on the street, they ought to know that something about God is happening. When we encounter people, it ought not to be their “experiencing me so much as they experience God” (p. 26). Jesus is communicated through us in our every day lives as we reflect Him to those around us. It is matching our life with His life which gives meaning to every day events. Pastoral life and ministry should not be task-oriented, nor should it be trend-driven. Hansen writes,

“the power to do pastoral ministry and its central focus, that which gives every aspect of it meaning, lies specifically in the everyday, concrete following of Jesus, led by him on the Way of the Cross. That is how we become parables of Jesus and deliver Him to the people we meet.” (p. 27).

What an awesome responsibility!

Note: of course, every Christian’s life is meant to be a parable of Jesus, but we must show them how.