by: Rev. Gary Harrison
10/1/2005

Who can forget the image? Earlier this year, a Jet Blue plane’s nosewheel failed to retract on takeoff. Then, on closer examination, the real problem became apparent the nosewheel was turned 90 degrees to the direction of travel! The resulting high drama was covered in real time by CNN. The plane, after dumping most of its fuel, circled the Los Angeles airport, burning off the last little bit until it was as light as it would get. Finally, it was time for the approach and landing, with the pilot working hard to keep the nose as high as possible, as long as possible. When the nose touched down, first there was smoke, then as the wheel collapsed, a spectacular fireball of flames shot from under the plane as the tires burned away. In the end, the nose strut held, and the pilot made a perfect landing.

A dramatic story, but what does it have to do with pastoral care? It serves as a good metaphor for many people’s experience in ministry. One could make the case that there was nothing inherently wrong with that Jet Blue’s nosewheel. All the parts were there. I’m sure had you given the wheel a spin, it would have rotated. The gear was down and locked. But the single fact that the wheel was 90 degrees to the direction of travel could have spelled disaster for the plane, her passengers, and her crew. One little detail.

I believe a significant number of pastors find themselves, metaphorically,in a similar situation. All the parts are there. They’ve felt a call into ministry; they’ve received proper, often extensive training; they probably have significant experience under their belts. But somewhere along the journey, it becomes obvious that something’s wrong. Ministry is taking more energy than it should; the conflicts seem to come quicker and with more intensity; sermons are harder to craft and seem to lack impact. The sparkle is gone, and serving the Living God is just plain hard. The sad truth is, many pastors simply tough it out and finish ministry a lot like that nose gear. The flames may be spectacular, but in the end, they’ve done the job. Others are not so fortunate. About halfway through the journey, the nose gear collapses, and this plane called ministry ends up a flaming wreckage. Why? Obviously, there are a number of reasons why this could happen, from external events to deliberate choices of sin. However, in my experience as a provider of pastoral care and support, I see the combination of two issues over and over again: this mystical thing we call “the call,” and our basic God-given wiring for life.

Our Call to Ministry

This isn’t a theological article, and I don’t propose to examine the scriptural underpinnings of God’s call to service in our lives, but if you’re in ministry, you know what I’m talking about. That burden, that conviction, that passionate, burning awareness that God desires you in full-time service. A call that is often confirmed through early (often pre-seminary) ministry experience and formally recognized in your ordination. Is there any single event more compelling in the life of a pastor? I still remember reading an article in a pastoral leadership magazine that spoke of being “lashed to the mast” as a metaphor for ministry. The companion image was that of the captain lashed to the mast of his violently storm-tossed ship. No matter what, we are committed to staying at the helm of this thing called ministry.

Unfortunately, that ship of ministry is sailing in ever-faster-changing seas. No longer is a pastor expected just to be a good preacher, a good teacher, a visitor to the flock, and comfort to the sick. He’s expected to be a dynamic leader, a good administrator, and a skillful change agent. He has to be technologically savvy, at the very least incorporating good PowerPoint presentations into his message, if not illustrating that message with movie clips. He has to be a dynamic evangelist, relevantly reaching the lost and also crafting ministry for people with an eve