The Forgotten Role of Pastors

"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth you shall give them warning from me." Ezekiel 3:17

There are a lot of hats a pastor must wear. Pastors need to be counselors, visionaries, preachers, teachers, managers, and scholars, to name a few. One of the things that has surprised me most about being a pastor is how much time in my week is spent just talking with people within the congregation, caring for them, encouraging them, working through issues with them, and just building relationships so I can speak into their lives.

Maybe it shouldn't surprise me that the majority of my time as a pastor is spent "pastoring" people in my congregation, but it does. It's definitely one of the most significant things to do as a pastor. If you don't spend time with your congregation, caring for them, investing in their lives, you won't ever earn the right to be heard.

Sometimes, though, the role of looking down into the congregation, along with staying up on theology, preparing worship services or messages, meeting with staff, and keeping your own devotional life disciplined and fresh can be overwhelming. It can be so overwhelming that in the midst of pastors trying to do all these things, there is a role we seemed to have overlooked.

I think so much of our time is spent either looking down toward the congregation or up toward our creator that we have neglected the important task of looking out. When God calls Ezekiel to be a prophet to Israel, he asks him to be a watchmen. He asks him to stand at the tower and look out to the distant enemies and misfortunes waiting to strike.

We have forgotten our roles as watchmen for the church. We are so preoccupied with the immediate needs inside our village and taking no time to peer toward the horizon for what may be looming in the distant. What is the zeitgeist of this culture? What deeper sins have crept into our church through holes in the walls to subvert our affections from Christ? Who are the true enemies of the church?

Being a pastor can be overwhelming at times, but it is no excuse for me to neglect being a watchmen as well as a caregiver. So what do you see from the tower? What distant enemies are marching toward us?