MARKDALE BAPTIST CHURCH
  • Home
  • Jesus?
    • Tell Me More >
      • Who is Jesus?
      • What is Christianity All About?
      • The Sinner's Prayer
      • The Big Bible Story
      • FAQ
  • About
    • Baptism and Membership
    • Beliefs
    • Donate
    • History
    • Missions
    • Photos
    • Programs >
      • King's Kids
      • Ladies Coffee Hour
      • Life Group Questions
    • Virtual Tour
  • Announcements
  • Worship
    • Service >
      • What to Expect
      • LIVE Stream
      • Phone In
    • Sermons >
      • Coming Sermons
      • Past Sermons
      • Past 5MMs
  • Who's Who
    • Leaders
    • Our Pastor
    • Pastor's BLOG >
      • Drippings from the Honeycomb
      • Memory Verse Songs
  • Contact Us

Drippings from the Honeycomb

Job Description

10/22/2020

 
This month was considered "Pastor Appreciation Month." I certainly appreciate (and sometimes discernibly feel) the prayers of God's people, thank you!

In line with the short interview in the service  last Lord's Day, someone asked, "What are the major aspects of pastoral ministry and how can we better understand them?" In other words, "What is your job description."

Let me answer that, in part, directing your attention to this piece of art.

First, let me say, a pastor/teacher-overseer-elder, is to be the first among equals of a group of men known in the Bible as the eldership (c.f. Tit 1:5). While no better than any other Christian, they do have a unique calling and role within the body: to be under-shepherds to equip the saints for ministry (Eph 4:12). Many people have little understanding what pastoral ministry entails. Please allow me to sketch some important aspects in response to this question.

The piece of art here hangs at McMaster University, originally a Baptist institution. The artwork is titled "the unknown Baptist minister" with words at the bottom echoing 2 Cor 6:9. I appreciate it because in the pioneer era (the tree motif), classic evangelicalism was more robust and Baptists had a clearer understanding of their belief and practice, including the vocation and office of pastor. 

What should strike the viewer first is the art's cruciform shape. It is shaped like a cross! Loving Christ and serving Christ and proclaiming Christ crucified, risen and ascended and returning, should be the pastor's focus and power. Indeed, Christ is the head of the church, including the pastor's. 

The well-spring of the art is the pastor's ordination, where his gifts were recognized and where he was ordained (set apart) for the work of the ministry.

At the head is the ministry of the word. This is the central role of the pastor for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  All authority and instruction for ministry flows from Christ's commands in Scripture.

In no particular order, the art then focuses on a variety of other areas.

The pastored gathered in his home around the family table, leading his family in family worship (e.g. prayer, reading of Scripture, understanding Scripture, singing, etc).

Though not alone the prerogative of the pastor, but certainly one he overseas, are the ordinances: baptism (entry into the church) and the Lord's Supper (continuance in the church). The importance of these means of grace must not be diminished. 

On the far left there is the importance of personal study. If his very ministry centres around the Word of God, it must involve a rich knowledge of the Word. Scripture saturated ministries are always the most effective. Yet, study must be combined with a personal knowledge of the Lord and that comes also through personal prayer. The pastor must be an example not only in study but in leading his people in prayer: pray for himself, his flock, his community, for missions.

On the far right there is catechism, a question and answer form of discipleship used with small children and new converts (and one that I believe we should recapture). Catechizing aside, discipleship is at the heart of the Great Commission, to teach the faithful all that Christ has commanded them. As an extension of the ministry of the Word, this is vitally important.

This leaves one last station: that of visitation or evangelism. The pastor must know and care for the needs of his flock and this is done through visitation, not simply tea and biscuits either, but a genuine care for their physical and spiritual well-being, an opportunity to take a spiritual pulse, offer a word of encouragement or admonition, to disciple and talk about the things of the Lord. Beyond the visible church this takes a slightly different form, to do the work of an evangelist. To make relationships with people in the community, to make Jesus frequently known, to be so passionate, gentle and respectful that people would logically associate seeking the Lord with seeking out the local Christian pastor.

Then there are the ORD's (other related duties), like being the point person for all things technological during our time of Covid!

Job description: general shepherding/equipping oversight, the ministry of the Word, family worship, administering the ordinances, personal study and prayer, discipleship, visitation and evangelism.

If faithfulness and simplicity to the Word are kept central a pastor's job will be more straightforward, effective and less prone to temptations to "do great things" or ride the latest "fad."


Picture

Teach us to pray

10/14/2020

 
The Lord's Prayer stands as the most famous prayer in the Bible. That is why we began to teach it to our son, along with other signature elements of Christianity (i.e. the 10 Commandments, Apostles Creed, the Doxology, etc), from birth. Amazingly by 20 months he knew the Lord's Prayer. Recently, however, he has begun to do something new, he imitates me as I pray (this makes for longer more stunted prayers as, like speaking through a translator, I need to give him opportunity to recite the words I say). He is learning how to pray (and I must confess, as a Christian father, is one of the most endearing things I have ever witnessed in fatherhood).

Prayer is a spiritual art, it needs to be learned. The disciples recognized this when they went to their master, Jesus, and asked, "Lord, teach us to pray..." (Lk 11:1). What He gave them is known as the "Our Father" (first phrase) or "the Lord's Prayer" (the One who taught it). It is not only a prayer to recite but a model to pray through.

Additionally, we learn how to pray by asking the Holy Spirit to teach us. We can learn from other great prayer warriors who have known Jesus and had more time to perfect this art. We can use aids to help us structure our prayers (like ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication). We can learn by studying what Scripture says about prayer. We can learn by praying through Scripture (like a Psalm).

Like any art, like learning the social art of conversation, the more we practice it the more adept we will become. We all know we ought to pray, sometimes the challenge is to know how. Like little children, like the disciples, may we not be too proud to pray, "Lord, teach me to pray." He will be pleased to answer, give us this good gift, and draw us into deeper fellowship with Himself.

The Lord's Prayer Song

*A song to help learn the key themes of the Lord's Pray.
Our Father in heaven
We hallow Thy name
Thy kingdom most glorious
Forever you’ll reign
On earth as in heaven
Your will be done.
 
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our sins
As we forgive others
And deliver us from the enemy.
 
For Thine is the kingdom
The power and the glory
Forever and ever. Amen!
the_lord_prayer_song.pdf
File Size: 368 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

    Author: Chris Crocker

    Pastor, historian and beekeeper.

    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019

    Categories

    All
    Acedia
    Age
    Apologetics
    Apostacy
    Apostasy
    Armour Of God
    Atonement
    Baptist
    Bible
    Bible Study
    Book Recommendation
    Books
    Canada
    Challenges
    Christian Living
    Christ In The Old Testament
    Christmas
    Christ's Return
    Church
    Church Life
    Communication
    Communion
    Conformity
    Contemporary
    Contentment
    Context
    Conversation Starter
    Conversion
    Counselling
    Covid
    Cross
    Culture
    Death
    Definitions
    Delight
    Devotional
    Dilemmas
    Discernment
    Discipleship
    Doctrine
    Doubt
    Enjoyment
    Error
    Eschatology
    Evangelism
    Faith
    False Christianity
    False Religion
    False Teachers
    Fasting
    Fear
    Fellowship
    Forgiveness
    Freedom
    Gathering
    Gender
    Giving
    God's Word
    Good Friday
    Gospel
    Government
    Grace
    Grey Gables
    Grief
    Hard Passages
    Heresy
    Hermeneutics
    History
    Holidays
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Hospitality
    Humility
    Idolatry
    Jesus
    Job
    Knowing God
    Leadership
    Liberalism
    Licentiousness
    Local Church
    Love
    Love Of God
    Marriage
    Men's Breakfast
    Ministry
    Mission
    Missions
    Moral
    Moral Failure
    Moses
    New Age
    New Covenant
    News
    Nominalism
    Objectivity
    Observation
    Old Testament
    Open Letter
    Orthodoxy
    Other Sermons
    Outreach
    Passover
    Paul
    Personal
    Politics
    Post-Covid
    Prayer
    Preaching
    Pride
    Public Holidays
    Questions
    Reading The Bible
    Real Christianity
    Recommended
    Reflection
    Relationships
    Relevance
    Religion
    Resurrection
    Salvation
    Sanctification
    Sexuality
    Sin
    Smallness
    Sovereignty
    Speech
    Spiritual
    Spiritual Disciplines
    Spirituality
    Spiritual Warfare
    Standing Firm
    Stewardship
    Subjectivity
    Submission
    Substances
    Suffering
    Talks
    The Christian Life
    The Cross
    The Lord's Day
    Theology
    Theology 101
    Tithing
    Truth
    Vanity
    World Affairs
    Worldliness
    Worship

Location

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
Picture

Sunday Service Times
Morning @ 10:00 a.m.
Evening @ 6:00 p.m.
​
Contact Us

P- 519-986-4372
E- markdalebaptistchurch
@hotmail.com


dONATE
  • Home
  • Jesus?
    • Tell Me More >
      • Who is Jesus?
      • What is Christianity All About?
      • The Sinner's Prayer
      • The Big Bible Story
      • FAQ
  • About
    • Baptism and Membership
    • Beliefs
    • Donate
    • History
    • Missions
    • Photos
    • Programs >
      • King's Kids
      • Ladies Coffee Hour
      • Life Group Questions
    • Virtual Tour
  • Announcements
  • Worship
    • Service >
      • What to Expect
      • LIVE Stream
      • Phone In
    • Sermons >
      • Coming Sermons
      • Past Sermons
      • Past 5MMs
  • Who's Who
    • Leaders
    • Our Pastor
    • Pastor's BLOG >
      • Drippings from the Honeycomb
      • Memory Verse Songs
  • Contact Us