I’ve been reluctant to try blogging. For the most part, I really can’t imagine that there would be any great interest in my thoughts. So if you’re reading this, that’s amazing to me, in and of itself.
I’ve taken the blog name, pastorinseattle, because that identifies pretty well the kind of content I’d like to put here. Namely, I’d like to reflect on what it’s like to be a shepherd in a city that has a reputation for not being particularly enamored with shepherds. Apparently, the Pacific Northwest no longer holds the title of “most unchurched area in America,” but we’re still up near the top of the charts.
After having lived in Hamburg, Germany, for 18 years, I’m used to people reacting to the church with a strong degree of indifference. What’s different for me is the fact that, in spite of the low level of church attendance in Seattle, there is still a plethora of church options for people to choose from. I’m disappointed inwardly – it often feels like churches are fighting over the few sheep that are out there, competing for which one can best package a program that attracts them into the fold.
I had a lot of discussions with other pastors in Germany about the “attractional model” versus the “missional” or “servant model.” The discussion always seemed to lean toward either-or thinking. I don’t believe it’s ever either attraction or mission. When you look at the church in Acts, it’s clear that both movements were present – both inward and outward, both centripetal and centrifugal.
My hope is that I can effectively lead our congregation to be both – and to do that within a cultural context that is basically skeptical toward the Christian message.
Steve Pecota - a Pastor in Seattle 