What Do Pastors Do All Week? Part. 1

What Do Pastors Do All Week?
Part 1
“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching . . . practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all my see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” -1 Timothy 4:13,15-16

 Last week I asked you to submit any questions you may have about church or church life so that I could answer them here. Our question this week is: “What do pastors do all week? Don’t pastors only work on Sundays?” Believe it or not, I’m asked this question on a regular basis! I even have a vivid memory of my dad, who is also a pastor, being asked this question by one of my friends when I was a kid. He wasn’t being sarcastic – he really wanted to know!

So what do pastors do all week? Paul gives the young pastor Timothy an outline to structure his week around. The first and most important item on the pastor’s weekly agenda is the public reading and teaching of Scripture. In our context, this public reading and teaching happens on Sunday morning and on Wednesday night. Paul says that this teaching is not to be “off the cuff.” Instead, pastors are to prepare to teach. He goes as far as to say pastors ought to “practice these things,” and be “immersed” in them. In keeping with Paul’s instruction, the majority of my week is taken up by preparation for those times of reading and teaching Scripture.

Why? Paul explains, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” People are saved through the Word of God. Pastors are sent to preach and teach the Word of God. When pastors are faithful in that calling -devoted to it - as Paul says, salvation is the promised result.

While teaching and preparing to teach take up the majority of the pastor’s week, that is certainly not all that we have to do! I’ll continue this series next week with Part 2. If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.

Your Pastor and Friend,
John Knox Foster