2025-01-21 A Meditation on Pastor’s Duty

“26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. 27 For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. 28 And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “ ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ 34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “ ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm, “ ‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41 “ ‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’ ”” (Acts 13:26-41 ESV)

In the jumble, the pastor’s duty, signed and consecrated, is to obtain of such mild spirit, such lack of pretense, such equanimity, the Facts and the Observations, towards oneself, towards one’s sinful enterprise, of a Spirit Speaking to the People. We recollect, we revisit, the most vivid Stark Confrontations are with one’s own enemies, who bring about realization: we, too, are sinners. We, too, fail in that Merciful Call, that Dual Cadence, that UN mission, to walk a walk of two hypotheticals. Two possibilities. Two narratives.

Two or more, the omni-channel Reality of our world, means a Pastor’s Personal Call to Listen rather obstinately, against all “one-track living”. Our one track… it is the Faith, God hears the one’s newly minted as sinners, despite grand plans, despite largesse seemingly earned. Despite our repose as those finally Post-Mortem, Post-Sin, Post-wild-eyed and frantic searching. Our depressive times, our obstinate times, our plain failures to “get to the heart of the matter”, our “Fear of the next step” (that is, of the wedding banquet), our childish dalliances and Imposition of ours, of a child’s, will power upon the situation. All this: war makes us patently sinner, and patently saint. We are sainted because of Accepting Jesus as Lord. We are sainted because of taking the mind trip that hears Omni-Channel plurality of Message and Inkling, of worldwide indeed, worldwide Cause. Of a states’-rights or a nations’-rights; of Human Rights.

It is a new day dawning that Beckons a Gospel response to any and all lost souls, souls Needful of that absolving Power, souls itching, seeking, that Acceptance. And if the churchgoer is lazy and forgets, forgets the Other Side, the one’s skirting on the outskirts of the congregation, afraid, more, angry, at the church’s Failed Cause, of its Failure to Raise Up Christian witness… these, who are principled and Atheistic, they are denied something as well. Theirs is a war we all share, to be Front Line. To be In the Moment, blessed and forgiven. We do well to elucidate their Domain, their Problems, their Sins, in mind experimentally, because theirs are ours: we are sinner and saint, as well. And it behooves everyone’s inner conscience, state of their soul, to witness a sinner forgiven. We do it not for the sinner’s sake alone, but to blanket the Church with her Absolving Compassion.