October is Pastor Appreciation Month.
What comes to mind when you think of what our pastors do throughout the week?
Contrary to the old joke, they don’t just work for a couple hours on Sunday and then kick back and relax until Sunday rolls around again. You know that. You see it, even if you don’t interact with them throughout the week.
So what comes to mind?
Are they sitting at their desks with their Bibles open in front of them as they prepare for sermons, devotions, and Bible studies? They do that.
They’re also attending meetings and discussing the ways that the congregation can best carry out the mission of the church God has given us.
They’re sitting with families and loved ones gathered around hospital beds. They’re listening as we pour out our hearts in our darkest moments when it feels like nothing will be okay ever again. They’re sharing in our joy and laughter at weddings, baptisms, and confirmations. They’re experiencing bittersweet emotions alongside us as loved ones are called home to heaven.
They’re praying with us and for us—encouraging us to remain faithful to the Word, to keep coming back to worship in God’s house. They’re sharing God’s Word with us—even when it hurts, even when we don’t want to hear what God has to say. In all they do, our pastors are pointing us to the cross and to our Savior—to the forgiveness of our sins no matter what they are—and to the home that’s waiting for us in heaven.
Out of all the things our pastors do, what do we absolutely need them to be doing—above all else?
The apostle Peter summarized it well (1 Peter 5:2). Or, rather, the Holy Spirit through Peter made it clear what God calls our pastors to be: shepherds. Their primary purpose is to be our shepherds—to do everything they possibly can to help us, the flock, get home to heaven.
Why do we need shepherds?
In multiple places in the Scriptures, God calls us “sheep.” We know that isn’t a reference to our cute, cuddly personalities. No, it’s because we can be stubborn, obstinate people. It also shows our need for dependence.
Sheep need shepherds to care for their needs. To find food for them in green pastures. To lead them to drink beside quiet waters. To find shelter as they roam. To lead them to the safety of the home pasture where they can rest in peace. To protect them from the wild animals that would devour them along the way. Sheep need shepherds. Without shepherds, the sheep wouldn’t make it home.
We need our pastors. To give us spiritual food and drink through Word and sacrament: sermons, devotions, and Bible studies. To pray for us and to encourage us to remain faithful to the Word. That’s the motivation for everything they do for us and say to us. As our shepherds, their goal is to make sure they do everything they can to see us safely home.
Prayer:
Thank you, God, for the shepherds you place in our lives. Lead them—and all of us—home to heaven with you. Amen.
As you think of ways to show your pastor you appreciate him, consider purchasing him an e-gift card for theological books and resources of his choice from Northwestern Publishing House.
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.