2010 Annual NALIP Conference

June 3 - 5, 2010

Presenter:
The Rev. Foster R. McCurley, PhD

Theme:
Prophets in Interim Ministry

In his introduction to his commentary on the prophets, Martin Luther reminds us that the prophets always addressed their sermons to the situations they discerned in their audiences. Our understanding of their sermons, therefore, requires our probing into the questions the people were asking, their attitudes they held, and the context of the world in which they lived. The preaching and pastoral care provided by interim pastors follows the same pattern the prophets used. Discerning the "interim" in terms of loss, uncertainty, and grief provides an important part of the setting to which we address God's Word. At the same time, discerning the loss, uncertainty, and grief of the "interim pastor" challenges us to seek the same Word from Scripture and from other people.