Jason Has a Man-Crush - Prophetic Preachers?
A few weeks ago I had the misfortune opportunity to be the third-wheel during the latest episode of Crackers & Grape Juice. Jason & I interviewed pastor, podcaster & blogger Todd Littleton. Todd is the pastor of Snow Hill Baptist Church in Tuttle, Oklahoma.
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Five years ago I sat down on a Tuesday evening in a lecture hall full of a summer's worth of stale air to begin my seminary career. Dr. Valerie Bridgeman completely threw me off my game (if I even had any at the time) when she walked in the room with her sweet dog Solomon. One of the things I learned from Dr. Bridgeman that challenged/moved me the most was that pastors have a responsibility to act also as prophets. In addition to the preaching, pot-luck blessings, and hosptial visits, pastors as Dr. Bridgeman explained it are called to be prophetic.
On his podcast, Patheological, Todd infuses the roll of the pastor with actual theology. That's right, pastors in addition to preaching, pot-luck blessings, and hosptial visits are called to be theologians also. Maybe not a theologian in the academic sense but more of a practical theologian.
Jason and Todd bantered back and forth about it for a few minutes about it and came to the conclusion that in their contexts, maybe that isn't the best roll for a pastor. But I still look back to what Dr. Bridgeman taught us - being a pastor is more than preaching, pot-luck blessings and hospital visits. Being a pastor comes with the responsibility of speaking out both in affirmation of what the community is doing but also in a prophetic voice when the community begins to move against their calling.
This is what I love about the Crackers & Grape Juice podcast. I appreciate the differing views and how we are able to have discussions about things we disagree on and STILL be unified by Christ Jesus. Maybe not all pastors are called to be prophetic but I would add that (at least in my experience) not all pastors are called to be preachers either.
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