I am a pastor, when people know my job, they often feel shocked, you are a priest! Then following some funny questions: why you choose to be a priest? Do you host weddings? What do you do in daily life? Do you host communion every day? Why don’t you wear your robe?...... Until today, most people see the priest as a mysterious profession. Every time I attend a social activity, self-introducing that I am a priest, I always feel some strange eyes staring at me.
Priests are not mysterious, as the bible says: we are also human.
But I often think, what do priests exactly do? Being a priest for so many years, I should be clear. Learning in seminary, serving the church for so many years, to become a priest, pastoral care, and build the church. Do I still need to answer the question?
But, I need to provide an answer to this question constantly. Because I am a priest, I need to constantly think about my role, and serve the God and church. Without a good role definition, I don’t think I can be a good priest.
First, priest is like a teacher. Many believers tell me: "your sermons are good.” Before seminary, I was in Normal school, and I was a teacher in seminary. As teachers, give lessons and resolve problems. Preaching god's truth correctly and clearly, help the believers growing, priest is a teacher. It is no wonder that once a believer said to me, I think priest is the engineer of the soul, not only teachers. But I am still not satisfied. Should the priest only be good at preaching? Today, we see a lot eloquent, passionate preacher, but are they the real shepherd?
Secondly, I think, as a priest, I feel happy to accompany our brothers and sisters in their lives. Most challenging part of my job is in their lives’ most critical moment, I am there by their side. As a witness in their wedding, pray for their new born children, when they have a serious problem in family and life, when the couple argues in front of you, when they are sick, they are dying, at their funeral. Priest, accompany them from birth to death. For all that, being a priest is the most happy and meaningful job.
Finally, the priest's role is more important, in many believers’ heart: he is a caregiver empowered by God. He uses God’s words, with sincere prayers, use his knowledge, under god’s support, to care for the believers. This care is spiritual, deep, and sympathetic, not only psychological, but with god's authority, nonprofit care, it's different from all other care, we are not Psychologist, only care people's psychological and charge for that; We are not their relatives and friends, but use god's love to support and encourage. In this way, we are really providing a pastoral care; priest, the word is really appropriate to describe us.
I'm very busy, because the Chinese church now is still less priests, more believers; I am very tired, because the believers have too much need; I am also very happy, seeing the life’s change and growth, seeing the believers feeling god’s love because of priests’ work.
Busy, tired, and happy. This is me, a priest.
