Life of a Pastor

To quote the famous poet Kermit the Frog “ It’s not easy being green.” In the song Kermit begins to tell about how hard life is in being green. When he reaches the end of the song, he says:

        When green is all there is to be

               It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why

               Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful

               And I think it's what I want to be[1]

This sums up the life of a pastor very well; it is hard, it is beautiful, and there is nothing I would rather be. The job of a pastor does not stop on Sunday. It is a way of life that calls one  to work twenty-four hours a day. The work of God does not stop at the doors of the church.

I grew up in the church because my father was a pastor, my brother is a pastor, and now I am a minister. This is not a job where a person just wakes up one morning and says” I think I will become a pastor.”. It requires a calling from God, Spiritual Gifts from God, and a love for others that comes only through knowing Christ.

The day of a pastor does not start  when he arrives at the office at 7:00 AM ; it starts hours before when he wakes up, grabs a cup of coffee, and walks out to the chair on his back porch to spend some quiet time in conversation with God to prepare himself for the activities of the day. Then it is off to the office. Sometimes it is an office at the church; other times it is just a home office, but either way the work day begins. It begins with checking and answering e-mail messages, posts, and checking out the news for current and local events. The pastor’s office duties may include counseling, board meetings, staff meetings, or staff training.

The pastor’s duties often take him outside the office. Activities range from hospital visitation to city council meetings. These duties can last into an evening at a local sporting event as he gives the invocation or an evening at a family’s home comforting them after a recent loss of a loved one.

The pastor’s job never stops. Because he is  a father and husband, he has to balance his duties as a pastor to include  an all- night  prayer vigiles or the 2:00AM call to the hospital. On Sunday morning at church, one should shake the hand of the pastor and tell him “thank you” for always being there for anyone who needs him.

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[1] "Bein' Green" (also known as "It's Not Easy Bein' Green") is a popular song written by Joe Raposo, originally performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. It was later covered by Frank Sinatra and other performers.