When Jesus looked out over the people to whom he ministered, it moved him deeply. They were harassed and helpless, like sheep without shepherds. He called on them to pray that the Lord of the Harvest send workers into the harvest field of souls. (Matthew 9:35-38) During the last few months and years, Lutheran congregations throughout North America have been doing just that — praying that God would send them faithful shepherds. In April, God answered many of those prayers. He called pastors to serve them. This month, he began to send them into the harvest field of souls. Four seminaries, two in the United States and two in Canada, helped future pastors complete their education with integrity and graduate. Now, as has happened for over a century and three quarters, these pastors make their way to the flocks placed in their care. Pray for safe travel and wisdom to use the gifts given them to care for Christ’s sheep.
Soon an even more ancient rite will take place in about one hundred places around that continent. Called ordination, these new pastors will be recognized by the Church as men sent by God to care for his people. As their fathers in the ministry did for them, other pastors, mostly from neighboring congregations, will place their hands on the new pastor, thereby designating the new pastor as ministers of the word and sacraments. In an unbroken line stretching back through two thousand years to the day Jesus breathed on the Apostles the Holy Spirit and the church of Antioch laid hands on St. Paul, one generation entrusts to the next to take up the yoke of Christ. In symbol of this, a red stole will be placed on the shoulder of the new pastor.
At an ordination and installations in every new field of service these new pastors will enter into the course of the ministry. The people of God, normally those for whom the pastor is called to care, will hear the new pastors makes solemn vows to God, to his Church and to the people he is to serve. He promises to teach according to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, to live a life according to God’s word and other things. The people of God promise to pray for him, care for him and to obey him when he teaches and preaches in harmony of God’s word. Together they witness to the world in word and deed to the grace of God in Christ Jesus. They proclaim the gospel so that many will respond in faith and become God’s children, too. Continue to pray for them, for the work has only begun.
Yet in many places, there is no pastor to bring God’s gifts to his people or shortly will be without a pastor. Pray to the Lord of the harvest, therefore, that he would send laborers into the harvest field of souls.
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In the ordinations I’ve attended the new pastor promised to do four things:
Preach the gospel in its truth and purity
Administer the sacraments rightly
Visit the sick
Comfort the dying
That’s it !
Never one mention of the lost.
That is what he’s called to do. The lost are included in these promises.
Please help me.
The lost are not mentioned.
It is always about serving the saved.
I already understand the explanation of the third article.
Ron, it is God who seeks and saves the lost, not a pastor and not Christians. If you look at the passages in which the office of the ministry is established, you will see that pastors are called to care for the sheep. It is to do this that they are called and what they promise to do. God makes no distinction between the saved sheep and the lost sheep. It is to preach to all that he promises to teach and preach in harmony with the Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, to forgive sins and maintain the seal of the confessional, continue to study and live a holy life. In short, he is called to do for all those that are put in his care. God’s people are called to be God’s witnesses as well and through them, in addition to pastors, that God works to bring people to faith.
With your definition, which is fairly recent, the church as we know it is doomed.
St Paul surely never practiced that.
Hey ! (a friendly form of greeting in parts of the south)
I enjoy your devotions.
Blessings to you and yours. Y
Ron,
As Rev. Smith pointed out, proclaiming the Gospel in its truth in purity includes both the lost and the Christian, whether that Christian is erring or not.
The Rite of Ordination includes a section entitled “The Responsibilities of the Office of the Holy Ministry. The second Scripture listed is this:
“[Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Whether the person I am speaking with is or is not a Christian, I am to preach the Gospel in truth in purity. Depending on the person and the circumstance, this preaching could look very differently. Even differently with the same person on different visits.
Perhaps the reason you didn’t hear a specific mention for those who do not know Christ is because such people typically do not frequent church services. Most of the pastor’s week is caring for the members of the congregation he has been called to and preparing to lead them in the upcoming service. But this does not mean he should not look for opportunities so reach those outside the congregation or Church of Christ.
There are men called to be missionaries. They have the primary responsibility to seek those far from Christ. That doesn’t mean they don’t also look after and minister Christians. It does mean most of their time is spent looking for opportunities to proclaim the Gospel to the lost.
Both are to do what you listed above, but their contexts look very different. Their ministries look very different and one will do some things more or less frequently than the other.
I hope that helps. Blessings!
Pr. Keller