Warming up to teaching

Preaching and teaching are often two of the things cited in a pastor's job description. When congregations are asked what they want from a pastor, "a good preacher" is often the number one answer. I really enjoy preaching. I enjoy the crafting of it, the creativity of it, the presentation of it. Teaching, though, has been something I've been lukewarm about. I'm not sure why that is, but I think it has something to do with my sometimes unhealthy need to feel like I should have the answer to any question that's asked.

"You're the pastor," someone might say to me and then ask, "what does this particular passage mean?" If I draw a blank, can I just shrug my shoulders? And if I do that, will the questioner think less of me? Not the best attitude to have. I'm feeling more comfortable, however, with the things I don't know, which isn't to say that I don't prepare or at least have some grasp of what we're discussing.

I'm currently leading a small group that's billed as an introduction to faith/Christianity. These are often the most rewarding and most challenging groups because participants sometimes ask the biggest and most penetrating questions, but they're also sponges for any piece of information that I can share.

One of the things I'm learning about doing ministry with young adults these days is that I have to assume they know absolutely nothing about the Bible. The other day I was in a meeting and someone said turn to the book of Matthew and the woman next to me whispered, "I have no idea where to look for that." I appreciated her honesty and it reminded me that we're really working with clean slates. Which can be kind of exciting.

We had our second small-group gathering last night and we were pondering the different passages that address the question, how should I treat my enemies? We looked through the Old and New Testaments, talked about the differences and discussed what do we do when the Bible seems to contradict itself. Everyone was engaged and at times it looked like lights were going off in their heads ("Oh, that makes sense!") and I got a brief sense of what it must be like for a teacher who really connects with a student.

I've been leading small groups for years and I think I may finally be getting the hang of it.