The Tent: A safe place for shepherds to reflect together
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prchsd
Joined: 14 Oct 2019 Posts: 5
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Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2019 9:58 pm Post subject: Day 2 – Provision |
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As I reflect on the reading for Day 2, I am in awe at the people God provided to nurture me in ministry. The story of Black women in ministry is an old one. It is a story of struggle, disrespect, oppression, and misogyny inked on the historical record of every age. It is a calling that comes with the warning something like: â€make sure you know its God calling because it will not be easy.â€
Answering the call of God has a certain amount of trepidation built within. Additional external pressures only add to the anxiety. Nevertheless, we persevere and respond to God, trusting that the God who called will make a way. My journey was no exception.
One of the hallmarks of the Black Church is the apprenticeship method for training leaders. Leaders, from the usher ministry to the pulpit to pastors, all serve under a “master†as they learn how to help God’s people. Beginning in my early years, I, like many others, was integrated into worship through reading scripture and praying during service. Years later, I would serve under four different pastors as I learned the rudiments of the preaching ministry. By the time I entered the seminary, I’d been in ministry for seven years and thoroughly comfortable with pulpit ministry.
The years under these pastors were my first lessons in practical theology. They taught me how to not only interpret scripture but, more importantly, the congregation and culture as well. They taught me the usefulness of knowing scripture and reading widely. However, to me their most important lesson was how they walked out their own ministry. These pastors lived a life worthy of emulation. They demonstrated that there should be no daylight between my words and my actions. They informed me that I would be watched more closely and judged more harshly than my male counterparts. They also taught me to love God more than anything else. Because during hard times, God and only God would be the source I needed, Being given the gift of apprenticeship prepared me in advance of academic training to serve God’s people. |
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