Pastoral ministry calls for resilience. As we carry one another’s burdens we carry the weight that Paul called “concern for the churches” (2 Corinthians 11v28). It’s a pressure that reveals our weakness. To bring the riches of the gospel in pastoral care is a privilege. But we carry that treasure in earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4v7) that are breakable and perishable. Clay pots were utensils that lacked resilience.
Resilience as a concept has its origins in the world of engineering where it denoted a material that could recover from the strain or deformation caused by stress, hence the popular shorthand, “bouncing back”. But clay jars aren’t very malleable!
Paul certainly describes stressors in ministry: in 2 Corinthians 4v8-9, he speaks of being pressured, perplexed, persecuted and pummelled. Enough for cracks to appear – and sometimes break us into pieces. And yet there is a wonderful resilience to this treasure-containing pottery. It isn’t crushed, or in despair, or forsaken, or destroyed. In fact, these cheap jars put life on display (v10-11).
