An Important Linguistic Point

 


In an article that is very worth your time, Jared Wilson talks about the fact that pastors are paid to sit and stare out the window-or, in other words, to think, pray, and meditate on Scripture. This seems counterintuitive to many parishioners, and to many pastors as well. One of the reasons, Wilson argues, is because we have mislabeled the "pastor's study" as the "pastor's office." He then gives the following quote from Eugene Peterson to that effect:

“A misnaming replaces ‘pastor’s study’ with ‘office,’ thereby further secularizing perceptions of pastoral work. How many pastors no longer come to their desks as places for learning but as operation centers for organizing projects? The change of vocabulary is not harmless. Words have ways of shaping us. If we walk into a room labeled ‘office’ often enough we end up doing office work. First we change the word, then the word changes us.”

The whole article from Wilson is worth your time. What are you expecting from your pastor? Business-like production, or faithful reflection and labor in prayer and word ministry? 

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