I have been stewing on this for about a week and I think it is finally ready to come out. I don’t like titles, not titles that refer to what you do like CEO of Apple or Youth Minister of Media and Children’s Pastor but when people refer to people with the titles Pastor or my ultimate favorite, Reverend. One time I have been referred to as Reverend and the got it wrong the wrote the Rev. Ken Boles (I am finding that no one gets my name right). I have been noticing a lot lately or maybe it is finally irritating me enough now to make me think about more when so and so refers to another minister or co-worker and Pastor Such and Such. Why? Why do we feel the need to prefix their name? Is it power? Ego? Something I’m missing? Do you something for free when you refer to them that way like base ball tickets, or money, a vacation? I just don’t get it.
I really think it has to with power and ego. We want people to think we are important and maybe they will refer to us that way the next time. I have never liked titles. I don’t like the association it brings with my name and the countless negative experiences people have had with other guys called by the same title. To me its like the whole Catholic thing with saints. Saint Michael, Saint Mary, the Saint of safe travel or the one that will sell your house. People see these people as the real saints and don’t think the passages about saints in the bible refer them. The same goes for the title Pastor. How can we convince God’s people that they are all ministers if all the real ministers get the spiffy title.
