The hazards of pastoral ministry – Christmas
Christmas is a
wonderful time of celebratory services, a relaxed mood with strangers and
neighbours, holidays, happy family days, feasting and leisure – right?
That’s what it is
supposed be anyway. Even if we look beyond the indulgent cultural Christmas of
the west, surely this is a season when serious-minded Christians can take
advantage of the public holiday to sneak somewhere quiet to reflect on why the
saviour needed to come, the fact and manner of his coming and the wonder of it
all.
There are many
for whom Christmas is something very different. For starters there are those
who have no choice but to work at their employment or at unpaid care-giving
duties for the aged, ill or people with disabilities. Then there are those with
the empty and aching hearts in which there is a space for a loved one lost, for
a lost love, lament at what was but is now not and regret at that which could
have been but was not. And those for whom the daily struggle just to stay alive
is made more painful by the sight of those awash in plenty.
Christmas brings
special hazards for those in pastoral ministry. This is widespread. I felt it
during my pastoral years and know of many many with similar feelings about Christmas.
So what is the
pastoral hazard of Christmas?
It’s not the fact
of working while others rest and party, for that is a weekly event for those
whose heaviest work is routinely on weekends. Nor is it the 2am Christmas Day call
to a hospital bedside, for that is a privilege of those with a pastor’s heart.
In some part it
may be that the pastor’s family is far from their kin and cannot join the
family gathering until a day or two afterwards. That can hurt, especially for
the spouse and children and for unbelieving parents or in-laws.
I wonder if the
larger hazard lies in the contrast between what lies on the true pastor’s heart
and the demands of a typical church Christmas. A true pastor of God’s people
will share the compassion of Jesus for the lost (Mrk 6:34-35) and the desire of
Paul to present people mature in Christ (Col 1:28) by so ministering God’s word
that people grow from fickle spiritual infancy to the likeness of Jesus (Eph
4:11-16). A church Christmas typically swamps these desires as a superficial
religious goodwill takes the stage. It’s hard to keep the focus on striving for
Christ and Christ-likeness amidst candles, camels, cards and the rest.
And so the
hazard. The pastoral worker is expected to lead the church Christmas and tries
to do so with genuine goodwill, while yearning for the Christ-centred calling in their heart. These two things can overlap, but often are in tension.
Thank God for
pastors who live with this hazard rather than run from it!
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