\u201cShe\u2019s a pastor? But she is too nice to be a pastor.\u201d That is what the receptionist at the kennel said to my husband. He was dropping off our kitties before heading out of town with me for a conference. The receptionist asked where we were going this time and he told her he was my plus one at a pastor\u2019s conference. My instant reaction to hearing this was, \u201coh, how sweet.\u201d The more I thought about it, however, the more it made me sad. Wait a minute. What is her experience with pastors if someone who just shows common courtesy is \u201ctoo nice to be a pastor?\u201d The more I think about it, the more it breaks my heart. Sadly, this is not a rare occurrence where we live. The Church does not have a positive reputation here. One of my goals is to change that image.<\/p>\n
This is the story that comes to mind when looking through JR Woodward\u2019s book, The Scandal of Leadership<\/em>. He writes, \u201cWhen we become Christians, our identity is not only as a son or daughter of God but also as a brother or sister to other believers. Our identity is therefore inextricably linked with other Christ-followers.\u201d [i]<\/a>We are linked not only in the ways we thrive, but in the ways we tarnish Jesus\u2019 reputation. Woodward uses the passage in Philippians 2:5-11 to illustrate \u201cThe Scandal of imitating Christ.\u201d[ii]<\/a> This passage is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. I strive to be an imitator of Christ.<\/p>\n Why is it scandalous to imitate Christ? Woodward writes:<\/p>\n Suffering love and the positive use of power is reflected when our identity is formed by and compelled by God\u2019s love, and when we identify with the poor and oppressed. The key to a faithful praxis of power is when our lives are characterized by a love affair with God and when his kingdom becomes a reality, especially for those the current system oppresses.[iii]<\/a><\/p>\n \n Jesus called us to love the poor and oppressed, to stand for them, to help them. The poor and oppressed in our modern age are not just those who live in poverty, they are the outcasts of society. I live in an area with a large LGBTQ+ population. Guerneville, just fifteen minutes from my house and the closest place with a grocery store, is known for this community. The local pub is the Rainbow Cattle Company.<\/p>\n I do not have an answer to the question of whether homosexuality is a sin. I believe it is, but I struggle with it. I know many who are devout followers of Christ who do not believe it is sin. I have not yet studied the topic in depth, though it is on my list. What I do know is that a person\u2019s sexual orientation does not change God\u2019s love for that person. So, it does not change my love. I choose to love my community, to imitate Christ as best as I can. I do not lead with \u201cI am a pastor.\u201d Instead, I lead with love.<\/p>\n [i]<\/a> JR Woodward, The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church<\/em>. (Cody, WY: 100 Movements Publishing, 2023), 259.<\/p>\n