Here is where I get really self-righteous. That stuff irritates me. The only pastoral privilege I'd holds to is the undisputed right to a nap Sunday afternoon.
The privilege is to serve God's people. It used to just amaze me. I mean I get thrilled when I pull a lamb -- and once, this is cool, I had one that wasn't breathing, tongue blue and lolling out. I held it so that I knew the airway was open and breathed into its mouth - no lip-lock necessary, D.G., and watches as its tongue turned pink and then finally it started breathing - and ten minutes later was on the teat doing what comes naturally.
YES I feel privileged to speak the words of life, to be given a chance to breathe into somebody's heart. And all this stuff that we argue about is really for much later on. The fire-starter is just,"He loves you, you really don't deserve it at ALL, but He loves you and means to save you into a salvation beyond your wildest dreams!"
Wow! And they used to pay me to do that. Heck, I'd pay them for the chance!
Here is where I get really self-righteous. That stuff irritates me. The only pastoral privilege I'd holds to is the undisputed right to a nap Sunday afternoon. The privilege is to serve God's people.
Yes, of course it is a privilege to serve God's people in a position of leadership. I was really just talking about the style and substance of any particular Sunday sermon. Should it be Peter this week, or should it be John? That's all. No order comes down to our pastors as to what to teach when. We like it that way. In our system, the visible governor for the privileged is (to a large degree) the laity of the church. The invisible is God.
P.S. - Glad to hear the lamb turned out OK and that you didn't make the 6 o'clock news for what you had to do to save it. :)