I want to say up front that I am a retired minister in my 70’s and my age, profession, and retirement status definitely color my opinions.

We had a guest preacher in church yesterday and I really enjoyed the sermon. That is saying quite a lot because I have been critical of the preaching in our church more often than I have expressed appreciation. The guest preacher is a retired United Methodist pastor who attended our congregation for a few years following his retirement. Then the lure of grandchildren drew them to another community. I am not sure of the reason they were back in our congregation. We have been having discussions about topics that were suggested by members of the congregation this summer and our guest was the leader of an after church discussion about aging and so an invitation to present at the discussion may have prompted the visit and since he was visiting, an invitation to preach was also in order. Our regular lead pastor was in attendance, so it wasn’t coverage for a vacation or other need for pulpit supply.

Whatever the case, I found the sermon to be delightful. It was inspired by the scripture choices of the day, contained genuine personal stories that connected with the texts, was sprinkled with quotes and references to classical theology and relevant books including fiction and poetry. And the delivery was spot on. I felt engaged from the beginning to the end of the sermon.

I have been reflecting on the reasons for my reactions since our time of worship. I know that one distinct possibility is that it is easier for me to relate to someone who is my own age and at a similar stage of life. It can be more challenging to connect with someone who is 20 or more years younger than I, I suppose. It is also possible that our educations have similarly aged. We have read the same books and we may not have kept up on the latest trends in theology and scripture exposition.

I think, however, that it is more than the obvious.

Here are some of the challenges for me in terms of connecting with our pastor in terms of preaching. My primary concern has to do with her strong sense of boundaries between her personal life and the life of our congregation. She keeps her home life completely separate from her professional life. We don’t get to see her spouse in worship or even at special events. If there is a potluck, she joins the congregation as our pastor, not as someone who is bringing here family to the event. We, of course, had a different connection with the congregations we served. In the first place, my spouse was also serving the same congregations so they saw our relationship in action. They knew how important my family is to me because it was in front of them every week. Our children participated in the congregation every week. I know that being on constant display can create stresses for the children of preachers and there is a stigma about being a preacher’s kid, but both of our children seem to have weathered that storm with grace and with a bit of ease. Whatever the reasons and differences, the result is that it doesn’t seem like our pastor puts her whole self into her preaching. There are parts of her life that she keeps separate. This leaves me with a feeling that she is not as deeply connected to the texts or to the congregation as I would like.

I know from speaking with others and from visiting other congregations that this careful creation of boundaries is very common among the current generation of clergy. They have been rightly trained in boundaries and are careful not to mix their personal and professional lives. The way that we engaged in ministry may just be a thing of the past now that there is deeper awareness of appropriate boundaries.

I also struggle with a difference between how many younger pastors connect with scholarship and with scripture. They will quote scholars. Our pastor often reads extended portions from scholarly books as part of her sermons. But they don’t give the sense that they have incorporated those scholars into their ecology of spirit. They seem to be familiar with scripture and able to quote scripture, but the scriptures don’t seem to live inside of these ministers. There is a distance between them and the texts that matches the distance between them and the congregations they serve. I find this to be very different from the way I approached scripture and scholarship and I am challenged to understand the way many clergy approach those elements of life.

The bottom line is that for me, being a pastor was more than just a job. It was an identity. I lived the cycles of the lectionary. I traveled the seasons of the church year. I wrestled with an angel alongside Jacob and I was overwhelmed by love with Paul. I felt that I belonged to the congregations I served. It wasn’t just that I was hired by them, I became a member of those congregations and invested my time and energy. I tried to always match the members of my congregation in terms of giving volunteer hours to the congregation. I treasured opportunities to work side by side with them whether we were cutting firewood or going on a mission trip or painting a classroom or preparing a meal in the church kitchen.

I long for a pastor who feels that connection to our congregation. Yet I understand that I may simply be asking too much of any individual. After all, churches don’t pay the highest salaries, though the salary and benefits of a senior pastor in a church like ours is sufficient for a very comfortable life. The generosity of the congregations I served have made for a comfortable retirement as well.

I may be asking too much of the pastors who serve our congregations. Still, I really appreciated yesterday’s sermon. I hope I can deliver as meaningful messages when I am invited to peach on occasion.

If you are a regular reader you probably already know that I’m celebrating this morning, Our daughter and grandson are here in our home. The next few weeks will be joy, joy, joy for us.