To my fellow shepherds. The work and calling of the Shepherd is unique. Whether you have been a pastor for a few years, as myself, or for a full lifetime you know this calling is challenging, rewarding, exhausting, exhilerating, deflating, inflating, mundane, transforming, impacting and heartbreaking. At times we may experience all of those emotions within a week of caring for God's sheep.
I would like to invite you to the Shepherds Campfire. After a long day caring for the sheep, feeding them, leading them to the living water, protecting them from predators, searching for those that have wandered off, and seperating those that are butting heads, we gather in the cool of the night. Finding a comfortable spot, we lay our staff's down, sip on a hot cup of coffee, and sit around the glow of the campfire in the warmth of fellow shepherds and friends.
I am gathering the wood and calling my friends, my fellow Shepherds to join the campfire. I would like to initiate the campfire discussion with a weekly blog and encourage you to share, to vent, to inform, to plead, to pursuade, to encourage or to give thanks. I don't want to be the only one who shares...for I need you. If you are a typical pastor, I know you are busy, being pulled in various directions, but my hope is that this blog will be an opportunity for us to gather, laugh and maybe even cry as we share in this great and unique calling together.
Campfire Question: Do you feel you need the friendship and support of other pastors? Why?
Yes, I certainly do. I have a number of friends, but there is a unique bond that I have with only pastor friends. When we walk the same path, experience similar challenges, and celebrate unique joys it creates special friendships. I cherish those friendships.
ReplyDeleteWithout question it is very helpful to have as a ministry resource the experience of trusted friends in ministry. I find that many have walked similar roads before me and their input is awesome. Not to mention the great friendship dynamics that Tim mentioned. (G. McClure)
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