So, the other day I was thinking about how well I really know my pastor, and it got me down this whole rabbit hole of self-reflection and exploration. It’s funny how we can see someone week after week, listen to their sermons, maybe even shake their hand, but still not truly know them.
I started by jotting down everything I thought I knew about him. You know, the usual stuff like his favorite Bible verse, his general stance on certain issues, that kind of thing. But I wanted to go deeper. So, I dug up our church’s mission and vision statements from their dusty corner of the website. Honestly, I hadn’t looked at those in ages. It was a good reminder of what we’re supposed to be about as a church community.
Delving Deeper
Then, I stumbled upon this video where some guy was talking about getting to know your pastor beyond the surface level stuff. It had a list of questions, like, 27 of them, that were designed to help you understand your pastor’s heart, their motivations, their struggles, that sort of thing.
I printed out that list and, over a few days, I tried to answer them as best as I could. Some were easy, some were tough, and some I just had no clue about. It made me realize how much I didn’t know.
- What are his biggest fears?
- What are his hopes for the church?
- What keeps him up at night?
- What does he do for fun?
But it wasn’t just about answering questions. This whole thing made me more aware of my pastor as a person, not just a figurehead on a Sunday morning. I mean everyone got their own lives outside of work.
I even took this online “Am I Called” test, which, in hindsight, was probably more for people considering becoming pastors themselves. But, hey, I was on a roll! It was actually pretty interesting, it helped me think about my own strengths and weaknesses, and maybe how those align with the kind of qualities a pastor should have.
Realization
After all this, I’ve realized that really knowing your pastor, or anyone for that matter, takes effort and intentionality. It’s about asking good questions, listening to their answers, and being genuinely interested in their lives. I’m still working on it, but I feel like I’m on the right path.
It’s been a good journey so far, a little eye-opening, and definitely worth the time. Makes you appreciate the people around you a little more, you know?
