I am rarely ministered to more than when I visit widows or widowers. There seems to be in them a depth of relationship with Jesus that surpasses most others I know. They may not always be the most eloquent or ready to lead a Bible study, but more often than not, they are those whom I desire to intercede for me the most. In their sorrows, they have met the Suffering Savior. Christ has become their portion, their joy. So often, they have dedicated their remaining days to the Church and to prayer. I have lost track of time many days listening to their stories and hearing their hearts’ longings.

I wish dearly that the Church would spend more time in the nursing homes and assisted living housing that surrounds us. In them is more wisdom than could be read, more valuable stories than are shared on any podcasts. I fear it has been a great trick of the devil to make the masses believe it is best to forget about our elderly to these facilities. Not that I am opposed to these places or the people working them, but rather the ease with which we forget about the staff and the residents in those houses.

We must fight to not forget, because the Spirit still resides in the believers there, and they have many sermons to preach to those who would listen.

It was my hours in the nursing home, especially during the COVID years, that I came to understand the priesthood of all believers and came to face a holy humility. I came into ministry with the fire of being a leader. I was the man up front with the word for the people. But after meeting with the widows and widowers, I realized that they had a better word for the people than I often did. Theirs was wiser, slower, compassionate, and generous.

In the Church, so much weight is placed on the pastor, and for good reason. It is a ministry well-defined by Scripture as an important part of the body of believers. It has been the greatest of privileges to hold that title and to participate in the duties and functions of that responsibility. And I believe I will be held to a higher standard because of my role as a pastor. And yet, the celebrity of a pastor is too much. We place this member of the body on a pedestal when we know well that it takes every part of the body to function. The same Spirit that is in the pastor is also in every member.

The pastor is a shepherd, leader, visionary, manager, and equipper among other titles. They have a specific gifting that is good for the growth and development of the body of believers. But they are in no ways superior to the body or distinct from the body. The church Olga and I are starting is shaped as a circular table, with the aim of decentralizing leadership and authority, allowing whole-body discipleship where the “pastor” role is brought into the body more clearly. The pastor is not always leading but is also being led by other members in the body. As the pastor disciples, so, too, it is clear that the pastor is being discipled.

All parts of the body are encouraged to enact their gifts to the fullest. Not waiting for a paid professional to open the door but, being guided by the Spirit, freely expressing their gifting.

1 Peter 2:9 (royal priesthood); Ephesians 4:11-16 (equipping saints for ministry); 1 Corinthians 12 (body with diverse parts)

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