Favorite Comment

A fellow colleague of mine posted my favorite comment yet.  I had blogged on how I did not pass the Board of Ordained ministry to complete the process of ordination (you can read the blog here and it just means I will have to wait until next year to try again).

Here was his comment:

I am so sorry to hear this, and I've been away from blogs I follow for a while so I'm sorry I'm late to comment, but I'll do it anyway.

I did not pass on my first time through the commissioning process. I didn't pass the Call and Discipline life part. I had to go back to seminary, with all my friends who just went through their processes and tell them I did not pass. I passed what I was suppose to know (theology). I passed what I was suppose to do (preaching). But I didn't pass who I was. It hurt and it cut deep.


People always wanted to say, "it is just a year, don't worry it will go by quickly and it will only be a blip on the screen." "God has a plan, don't worry." Both of those things, and more, I did not want to hear. It sucked. It $*!@#(^) sucked! And I was comforted more by the people who let it suck.


My prayer for you is that as it sucks people will name that and just let it be. All the other stuff is true and now, 10 years later it does feel like a blip, but even now it still sucks.


I stand with you in this time, not to wash it away or to try to make you feel better. I stand with you in the midst of the sucking because that is where Christ is as well.


Peace be with you.

It's my favorite comment thus far because it is the essence of what pastoral ministry is all about.  Pastoral ministry is first and foremost incarnational.  It's presence.  It's not about having the right words.  It's not about offering glib platitudes.  It's not about saying something cliche just to say something because you don't know what else to say.  It's not about trying to fix someone.  It's about letting a person be where they are and letting them know that you are with them.

Thanks for the comment Jim Parsons...and as a thank you I would ask you to check out his blog found here.