The Importance Of A Pastoral Minister Is A Humbling...

The ability to serve God in the role of a pastoral minister is a humbling experience and one that has to be taken very seriously. The ability to enter into personal situations, positive or negative, with other human beings when they are looking for support to circumstances in their life can be life changing for all people involved. It is imperative that the pastor develop a solid understanding of theology. It is also important to note that individuals will indeed develop different understandings of God’s word. Theology, according to Charles Wood and Ellen Blue â€Å"is a way of paying attention to God, and to everything else in its â€Å"God-relatedness†Ã¢â‚¬ . Theology is going to be learned as an activity. Learning through â€Å"attending to reality†¦show more content†¦The point is that it is significant â€Å"to acknowledge an important but complex fact: that the reality to which God is related, and to which we are to attend, includes ourselves, bu t is not limited to ourselves.† Ultimately, it is God who shapes and molds us into who we are. However, it is up to individuals to be open to God. People need to have a relationship with God that allows for the molding and forming to take place. This is certainly accomplished by listening to God, by reading and studying and in seeking God in every circumstance. People in the United Methodist denomination refer to the Wesleyan quadrilateral, scripture, tradition, reason and experience, as ways to be shaped by God. â€Å"As United Methodist, we have an obligation to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ.† In order to bear a faithful Christian witness to Christ, Wood and Blue point out three conditions to help achieve this goal. Authenticity is the first condition. One should look to determine if â€Å"Christian witness is authentic to the extent that it is actually Jesus Christ who is the content of its testimony.† The second condition is truth. In other words, are people must be committed to it fully. It must be incorporated into every ounce of their living. The last condition talked about by Wood and Blue is