tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55727507006016944.post519854853242971021..comments2023-11-02T04:25:49.697-07:00Comments on Northwoods Seelsorger: Pastoral AuthorityDonald V. Engebretsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13048205066519140869noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55727507006016944.post-53705236954456187302014-10-28T09:35:29.850-07:002014-10-28T09:35:29.850-07:00The most difficult situations arise for me as a pa...The most difficult situations arise for me as a pastor with members of the congregation who repect me but not the Office. In conflict situations among members it makes it difficult to lead and thus the congregation flouders for lack of perceived authority, guidance and leadership. Programming stagnates, morale declines and fingers point. How can we in such corcumstances move the people of God forward?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55727507006016944.post-9919782945868950482009-08-14T07:16:15.227-07:002009-08-14T07:16:15.227-07:00Thank you, Benny, for your comment.
Like you ther...Thank you, Benny, for your comment.<br /><br />Like you there are members out there who are "passionate about the truth," and that is encouraging to pastors such as myself! <br /><br />I think one of the areas that causes problems is when people feel they are passionate about the truth, but don't fully understand the issue. They are passionate about the truth as they believe it to be. The pastor was usually the resource to help such people work through their confusion, but, as the topic of this post addressed, some don't respect the pastor's authority and training in the Word, feeling that their thoughts and opinions are equally grounded in truth. It then becomes no more than a "he said, she said" kind of argument.Donald V. Engebretsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13048205066519140869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55727507006016944.post-33524028413151152422009-08-13T07:12:46.327-07:002009-08-13T07:12:46.327-07:00I think it would be great to have 2 groups in the ...I think it would be great to have 2 groups in the congregation be passionate about the truth! It is the pastor's job, just like Philip, to explain the Word and guide them in the truth. However, I have not seen that (passion for the truth) to be the case and it is especially frustrating to find that it isn't the truth that many members seek. They want their opinions to be verified (ie open communion) and any pastor that will not agree with that must be the wrong pastor for them. I would like to think that as a member of an LCMS congregation everyone at one point was instructed in it's doctrine. So why such a division? It isn't just the lay members of the church either, as you well know. When a new pastor comes in and has to basically start from scratch teaching the fundamentals of what the members should have known all along you have to wonder where our leaders are. But then, as I recently found out, some of the leaders can't even interpret their own Constitution.<br /><br />Thank you for an enligtening topic!<br /><br />BennyJeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06726228114378693192noreply@blogger.com