I can identify with this to a certain degree, although I have never felt that
the my congregations were made up of "egoistic people who have no
responsibilities other than those placed upon them by their self-absorption".
In my experience, people's greatest concerns usually seem to be about those
closest to them, rather than themselves.
My pastoral knowledge of people's situations has definitely affected my
preaching, and there have been times when I felt the need to word things very
carefully so that certain people did not feel they were being "got at". I think
it is often easier for a visiting preacher to be prophetic than someone who
knows the folk well, although sometimes the pastor, too, has to say hard things
in love, just because he or she is aware of what is going on in a congregation.
I'm not in a pastoral role now, but I've been in my present circuit long enough
to get to know folk in the churches to a greater or lesser degree, so I don't
feel like a visitor any more when I go out to a preaching appointment. I try
not to beat congregations over the head by talking all the time about what they
ought to be doing. Rather I try to share the insights I gain through prayer and
study and try to help them to get to know Jesus better. If I can to any degree
achieve that, I can leave it to Him to change hearts and minds and the way they
relate to others and the world.
John Barnett
On 06 August 2021 at 14:34 Alan Sharp <alansharp26@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The Christian Century website has this interesting discussion between
William H. Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas, on whether Pastoral Care is
softening the prophetic voice in preaching:
https://www.christiancentury.org/article/interview/dangers-providing-pastoral-care
Alan
