tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20439415.post113954358411085182..comments2023-05-11T07:10:10.211-04:00Comments on anakephalaiosasthai: No Such Thing as a Village PastorSteve Swayzehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04804726525753797672noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20439415.post-1141228905560858032006-03-01T11:01:00.000-05:002006-03-01T11:01:00.000-05:00This is nothing new, either. So many times in the ...This is nothing new, either. So many times in the Old Testament you read of Kings having their holy men and prophets. And there were those who tickled the King's ears (often as a matter of survival) and those few that actually spoke the heart of God. The problem with the latter is the same as what inspired your blog title: A "Village Pastor" that would speak honestly for God and God's heart wouldn't be a village pastor for long.<BR/><BR/>Here's a question, though (and one that's easy for me to ask not being in your shoes). Does the fact that these people don't want to hear your message (ultimately God's message) mean that you kindly decline the invitation in order to save them the headache, or do you use the opportunity to be a mouthpiece for God even at the expense of rejection / embarassment (on both sides) / giving FBC a "bad name" to those people? Maybe you don't purposefully make a scene (like showing up at the Triathalon with a prayer about how they should be building up the Body of Christ instead of their own bodies), but you explain to the person that contacted you that you know God does not approve of people "forsaking the assemblying of themselves together" in order to put on a selfish display of accomplishment. I think this is what dnance was talking about.<BR/><BR/>I do see your point in this entry - a "Village Pastor" would be a political position and you would have to play politics in such a position. True, but being a "Pastor within the village", as dnance put it, you get some of the same contacts / opportunities. And I think you don't just don't silence your message because it's an unpopular one. I'm very aware of how easy that is to say (type) from where I'm sitting, even as I neglect to speak the message of God to the person in the next cubicle over at work because of potential embarassment. <BR/><BR/>God help us all to be better witnesses.Jeremyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08074398463778928371noreply@blogger.com