The daily desertions of a semi-devoted clergy
These words moved up from a raw gut space.
They had almost lodged in a place just south of my uvula but consonants, vowels, and syllables, maintained mental motion until this moment when expression seems imperative to maintain any spiritual consistency.
No doubt condemnation will rain down from high places in Trenton but a belief here, stated unequivocally, is that clergy fail this city. Those ministers, pastors, reverends, and bishops who preach here, who say they were called here for ministry, but close up shop and head home to suburban homes daily, contribute to the demise of Trenton.
Without them near the flock, so to speak, Trenton loses a spiritual battle and therefore suffers drastic defeats. I find difficult to believe that God called men and women to preach his gospel in Trenton, but offered a geographical caveat that allowed them residence in Princeton, Hopewell, or Lawrence.
One can imagine that want ad to preach in Trenton, but live in a comfortable suburban community. Maybe God could throw in a cruise or a ClubMed vacation.
Pardon the sarcasm, but I just believe that significant change in Trenton remains buoyed to our spiritual condition. Pastors must be present in the ministry to win the ministry, so to speak.
If such a thing as spiritual street credibility exists then many Trenton clergy will not receive their due respect. Sure, people may seek you out for a funeral, prayer for an ailing loved one, but do they find you those nights when the wolves howl outside their window or when bad memories roar inside their hearts.
Ministries hardly matter if those leading them turn out lights, lock doors, and then make a 30-minute or more commute home.
An almost double mindedness exists as preachers live what can be considered split decisions, in town until the sun goes down then home to serenity, their own slice of peace on earth.
Their daily desertions suggest a message of detachment. Their leaving underscores a lifestyle that allows an exit strategy while church members struggle in a maze of violence, drugs, and heightened criminal activity.
Mind you, clergy are not only needed for frayed fights, people should have you present for joy, celebrations, births, and all the other gifts of God given to the people of God.
In 2001, new Catholic Diocese Bishop David M. O’Connell moved out of the traditional home on West State Street in Trenton, opting for a Lawrence residence with a Princeton mailing address.
Meanwhile, recently named New Jersey Episcopal Bishop William Stokes selected a Trenton residence. Bishop Stokes could have lived in any suburban town from Cape May to Elizabeth but landed here.
On face value, these circumstances suggest significant differences in mindset. The observation is not about ministries, but more about perception and a sense of mission.
While Jesus moved freely in society, almost lived a life of a drifter as part of his ministry, local clergy maintain stationary lives.
While my heart offers respect for those who preach the Word of God, there are questions that I feel compelled to ask; thoughts that request freedom for open-aired consideration.
Contrary responses will point toward a multitude of Scripture that support religious non-residency but these spiritual advisors and leaders have always been referenced as shepherds, people who tend the flock, or as Isaiah 40-11 offers, “gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.”
While Trenton residents or people living elsewhere should have an allowance to seek and find the church that energizes their spirit and heart, clergy who preach that God has called them to this place, or Camden, or Princeton, should rejoice in that calling.
That celebration should include a commitment to find residence in that place because the shepherd tends to his/her flock.
That spiritual oversight manifests in myriad ways because religious leaders serve as compasses that point us toward Scripture that leads us to salvation.
About a month ago a preacher noticed me at the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Southard Street. I had gone there to make a video when this young man exited a van.
He had this surging smile as he introduced himself as a preacher starting his ministry at Mosaic on South Broad Street. His passion burned as he gave witness to being in Trenton as a disciple, wanting to live in the place where he preached.
There is no doubt that living where one works, especially in a challenging community like Trenton, offers advantages to police officers, business leaders, reporters, columnists, taxi drivers and the clergy.