Todd Hiestand

Pastoring & The Future Kingdom

January 20, 2006

I have been reading through the book “Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry” by William Willimon. Since I have not been able to finish seminary, and since I have grown up in a very non-traditional setting, its been great to get a view of pastoral theology from a more rigid tradition. Its actually refreshing.

This quote came along today that I thought was very much worth sharing (page 297):

“Any Christian consideration of failure takes place against a background of resurrection. Nothing, even our ministerial ineptitude, can thwart the final triumph of the reign of God. In the end, God will have God’s way with the world, and this world shall be transformed into the new world called the kingdom of God. We can confidently face our failures because we believe that we know something about he world that the world does not yet know, namely, that this world belongs to the Lamb and he shall reign. Without Easter, and the new world that it offers, I cannot imagine how we pastors could have the courage to go out and risk ministry in the name of Jesus. Yet we do because, despite all odds against it, Jesus shall reign.”