Hey Pastor, "Thank you!"

Dear Congregational Pastors1,

First, how are you?

While I am no longer in the pastorate, I have had the privilege of hanging out with you in various contexts, having spent time with about 20 churches over the year. While navigating congregational life in the shadow of the pandemic, I am grateful for how you have responded to this vocation and calling of a pastor.

As I approach my 29th Ordiversary2 and after serving seven congregations, I know that the call can be exhilarating and excruciating all before lunch. The pastoral seasons can be all over the place, and over the past four years, it has been particularly unsettling. So yes, when talking about pastoral ministry, we could spend a great deal of time commiserating about the state of the church, the nature of professional ministry, the long-term impact of the pandemic, and various other assorted ailments of the call, but today, I hope you hear and receive what is not said often enough — thank you.

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Off the top of my head and in no particular order . . .

Thank you for the ways you love the people you serve.

Thank you for the presence you offer to people in times of crisis.

Thank you for your prophetic words and actions.

Thank you for the ways you challenge the community to expand their experience of the holy.

Thank you for saying yes to call in the first place.

Thank you for staying when the call is not yet complete.

Thank you for leaving when you are called to what is next.

Thank you for your plumbing, floral, janitorial, web design, baking, marketing, bookkeeping, sound engineering, and other “duties as assigned” skills that you bring.

Thank you for doing all of tasks that need to happen each and every week.

Thank you for responding to the interruptions, that also happen each and every week.

Thank you for getting to know the community around you: businesses, schools, houses of worship, service agencies, restaurants, cafes, and goverment offices.

Thank you for taking time to get to know the people around you: members, visitors, neighbors, organizsers, public officials, and strangers.

Thank you for crafting bold words that prompt and inspire.

Thank you for listening in ways that builds trust and honors the other.

Thank you for encouraing deep silence that invites the Spirit.

Thank you for the depths of the rituals that you convene and guide.

Thank you for your committment to the faith.

Thank you for being patient and kind.

Thank you for giving the people the benefit of the doubt.

Thank you for calling out bad behavior when it harms the body.

Thank you for grace extended to othersand to yourself.

Thank you for stepping in when you are needed.

Thank for for getting the hell out the way when you need to.

Thank you for holding personal and professional boundaries that will allow for future pastoral leadership to thrive.

Thank you for creating space where people feel welcomed to lead with you.

Thank you for knowing when you need help, asking for it, and accepting it.

Thank you for your humanity: tears, laughter, sorrow, and celebration.

And lastly, thank you for working more than just on Sunday :-)

Again, we know that this work is not easy. No two congregations or roles are the same, and everyone approaches the pastoral endeavor differently. So, no matter what season you are in or in what context you are serving, please know that you are seen, you are loved, and you are appreciated.

I am sure I have left some things out, but there you go. If you are a congregational pastor, I hope you have been able to receive more than a few of these. If a pastor or two are in your orbit, feel free to add your thanks in the comments and/or send this their way.

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