Two years ago, during the pre-dawn hours of the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, the parish of St. Michael in Woonsocket (UOC-USA) suffered from a terrible fire. It got up into the rafters and destroyed the roof. It was only due to the bravery and proficiency of the firefighters that it was kept … [Read more...]
Am I Called?
The Gospel reading for Matins this Sunday answers the question "Am I Called?" When you have understood this, you know what to do next. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I … [Read more...]
10 Reasons Bivocational Ministry Matters
By Chuck Lawless “I didn’t come to seminary to be a bivocational minister, to have to get another kind of job,” my student told me. I may not have agreed with my student, but I did understand his thinking. Back then (almost 15 years ago), we weren’t talking much about bivocational ministr … [Read more...]
Autopsy of a Burned-Out Pastor: 13 Lessons
Another short gem from Thom Rainer, this one based on his "autopsies" of pastors whose ministries - and persons - were rendered "mission incapable" by their inability to cope with the cumulative pressures of parish life. Please note that only two of the factors: serving dysfunctional parishes and … [Read more...]
The One-Term Curse (and how to avoid it)
In this essay, Thom Rainer describes a parish phenomenon that is all too common among pastors: the three year tenure. I grew up in a tradition - Methodism - that had institutionalized a four year rotational schedule for its ministers. While short tenures have some benefits, they do not allow for th … [Read more...]
Priests, you don’t have to like your parish either
In my post, “You Don’t Have to Like Your Priest”, I built on Brother Patrick’s essay to describe some of the reasons that people don’t like their Orthodox priests, making the general point that all of his foibles pale in comparison to the One Thing Needful which He serves and shares. Another dynamic … [Read more...]
You Don’t Have to Like Your Priest
A reader recommended Brother Patrick Mary Briscoe's article "You Don't have to Like Your priest" (published on March 7, 2014 at Dominicana) It is an excellent article and I recommend it, too. Imitation is the highest form of flattery. The following is patterned on Brother Patrick's essay. Why do … [Read more...]
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