Seelesorger

Earlier this week I had a dentist appointment and as I was sitting in the chair as the hygienist scraped plaque off my teeth the question that I dread the most came up. “So, what do you do for a living?” With blood-tinged dribble running down my chin I sputtered “I’m a pastor.” She was one of the few people who didn’t say, “Oh that’s nice” with a polite smile on her face. Rather, she went on to tell me all about her church and how much she and her family enjoy it.  

I still find it odd that I am a pastor. It’s an odd career choice. People often ask what I do all week since most people assume I only work half a day on Sunday. Depending on your flavor of Christianity the pastor can mean a lot of things. In some contexts we are the CEO, in others, we are a teacher, in others, we are the social justice warrior, and for some we are counselors, and to many, we are just really nice guys who wear khakis and polo shirts.  

Here is the thing. I am not wired like a CEO. I am not a trained therapist, and I don’t own khakis or a polo shirt.

So, who am I?

One of the most formative classes I had in seminary was a class on pastoral care. In that class, Dr. Marrs introduced us to the German word, seelesorger, which I believe translates to “soul carer”. He told us that long before pastors were CEO or therapists the primary job of the pastor in the local community was to care for the souls of their people.

No author has shaped my view of the pastorate more than Eugene Peterson. In his book titled The Contemplative Pastor, he writes, “My job is not to solve people's problems or make them happy, but to help them see the grace operating in their lives.” As I live into this vocation of pastor, I am more thoroughly convinced that this is what it means to be a seelesorger. My primary job as a pastor is to help people see how God’s grace is operating in their ordinary lives. That is the best way I can care for anyone’s soul, mine included. That is why I call this little corner of the internet Encouragement in the Ordinary. I am not trying to wow you with truth bombs or deep theological or philosophical arguments. I just want to help you recognize God’s grace in your life… your plain, ordinary, often boring, and mundane life.

So, dear reader or listener, know that you are loved with an infinite and divine love. May that love be with you as you change diapers, play with grandchildren, crunch numbers in Excel, or sip a glass of wine after a long week. You are known and you are loved by the God who created you and gave himself for you.

Grace and peace ‘til we rise in glory.