Scripture: Titus 1:7-9 – “For a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or addicted to wine or violent or greedy for gain, but he must be hospitable, a lover of goodness, self-controlled, upright, devout, and restrained, holding tightly to the trustworthy word of the teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort with sound instruction and to refute those who contradict it.” (NRSVue)
The Letter to Titus is one of the shorter epistles in the New Testament. It is one of the three “pastoral epistles” attributed to Paul which contain advice on how to be a pastoral leader in an increasingly institutional church. The Letter begins with a general description of the qualities of a good bishop, the highest leadership position at the time. However, the virtues described in the letter are applicable to any Christian leader. To summarize, Titus is to be faithful, loving, and self-controlled, not slipping into vices like anger, greed, or drunkenness.
We still have these same expectations for pastors today. They are to be moral exemplars to help guide people to a greater love of God in Christ through the Church. In the United Church of Christ, there are ideals for ministers to aim toward called “The Marks of Faithful and Effective Ministers.” These are what those discerning a call to ministry use to orient their journey and are used to help acting ministers to see what they can improve upon. There are forty-eight marks in eight categories, so I won’t describe them all, but they involve prayer; contemplation of scripture and theology; leadership; empathy; compassion to oneself, others, and the planet; and commitment to the wider church. These are ideals, not a checklist of perfection, because no pastor is perfect. If they were, Paul’s advice to Titus would not still be relevant two thousand years later.
But Paul’s earlier letters, like the letters to the Corinthians, are full of advice for congregations. The speak of how they can avoid things like infighting and obsessions with unimportant details. Paul preaches endurance, commitment, and love, the greatest of all virtues.
Currently, the United Church of Christ is working on a Manual on Church to compliment the Manual on Ministry used to guide the ordination and authorization of ministers. This Manual on Church will contain the “Marks of Faithful and Vital Local Churches,” again forty-eight in eight categories. Many of these are similar, like prayer, worship, and working for justice. But they also focus strongly on community. In my experience, congregations can be very insular, worried about their own affairs and survival. But these new marks remind us of what Paul taught so long ago, that the church is meant to be a presence that not only calls the lost to find Christ, but also to serve those in need.
Look back on the ideal bishop from the Letter to Titus. How many of those marks apply to your pastor? How many apply to you? Because while we might not all be teachers and preachers, we all can show faith, love, and self-control. What model is God calling you to ascribe to today?
Prayer: Lord, guide me to be a better Christian and to work to serve a better Church. Amen.
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