"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'"And didn’t he instruct us in that same passage to
"not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ.”because
”The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”We evangelical flavored Christians seem to not understand why the more liturgical traditions address their ministers as “Father” and yet are very comfortable addressing our ministers as Pastor (with a capital ‘P’).
For me the heart of ministry and in particular pastoring is what Jesus says, speaking of Himself, in John 10:
”The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.In an evangelical church world where many are asked to lay down their lives for the dreams and aspirations of the senior pastor ... Jesus’ message challenges me every day to lay my life down for the flock.
As for me ... just call me Bob ... or Kansas Bob :)