What's in a name?

Words are amazing. They are great vehicles for conveying ideas. But because they convey ideas, and not absolutes, they change. I speak primarily of their meanings. "Cool" no longer primarily refer to a temperature; rather, it is a "state" of being. Sure, it still can mean a low but not freezing temperature. But society has redefined it. Normally I'm ok with that. But what happens when something valuble is lost in the changing? (A contemporary example would be the definition of marriage, where this very debate is going on.)

The word that has been on my heart is "pastor." It has such beautiful and rich original connotations. Today, it generally means, "congregational leader" or "preacher." It often refers to the "one in charge." The connotations that it has today give an image of someone who preaches on Sundays, hires and fires staff, creates a vision for the church, performs weddings and funerals, and generally is the "public face" of the church. You might expect the pastor to visit you in the hospital (or at least one of the pastors).

But the original word (and use) had such different connotations and images associated with it. The words often translated "pastor" are words that mean "to shepherd." It was used to refer to the responsibilities and actions of "elders" ("bishops"). The image was one of a dedicated watchman over a flock of sheep. The shepherd watches and cares for every single sheep because his very life and livlihood was intertwined with them. He "feeds the flock," not by spoon feeding; rather, a shepherd leads the flock to pastures where they can feed themselves. The pastors (since there were often more than one to protect large flocks... think the shepherds at the birth of Jesus) kept a close eye on the flock, to make sure that predators did not enter. If one wandered away, the shepherd was there to search for and find it. If needed, the shepherd/pastor would bind up wounds. Pastors knew their flock. Jesus is called the Great Pastor (Shepherd). You can see why. He knows each sheep individually.

The "pastors" of today rarely know anyone in the flock other then the "leading men and women" who provide the most financial support and the rest of the paid staff. The modern "elders" are often little more than a budget-approving board of directors. They often don't know much of the flock, and often have no idea what the sheep are getting into. But that is what the societal change (as well as the institutional change in the church) has resulted in. The "shepherd" of today has hirelings gather the flock into the barn, and then dishes out some stale hay.

Should we reclaim (redeem?) the title of "pastor?" Maybe we should let "preachers", "leaders", and "evangelists" be just that, and let the elders/bishops/pastors get back to the job of knowing the flock. Can you imagine what would happen if our churches actually had pastors who did not have to present a message every Sunday or preside at funerals (preacher), and did not have to lead revivals or write curriculum (evangelists), but rather got their hands dirty as they actively worked with the flock, to lead them (teach them) to pastures where the know how to feed themselves? Where the pastors actually know the sheep, and know when one is in trouble (without having to hear it fourth hand 2 months later)? Where the pastors bind up the wounded, and care for the sick (both physically and spiritually)?

I may be a matter of semantics. But I think we have lost an important role that is so vital to church health in letting semantic drift change the church's understanding of "pastor." I am a natural leader, but I'm a horrible evangelist. I'm an ok preacher, but my goal and heart is to become a pastor of God's flock. God, hear my prayer, Amen.