Oldal 202 [202]
OCR
SUMMARY who feels called. Ihis is often a thought or indeed from the Bible that addresses one, inspires further thinking, and becomes a kind of leit motif, a metaphor for the meaning of life. Calling is the result of different levels of interaction: the dialogues between God and me, me and myself, the individual and the community, and the community and God together can confirm the calling of the person who feels called. The career of pastors makes it clear that this is not a final or settled process; depending on the life situation, questions related to personal calling come up again and again; for example before starting university, during university studies, at the beginning of one’s ministry in a congregation, as well as at the points when the pastor comes to crossroads in his work or faces a personal crisis. In the environment of a university the most important characteristic as well as the hardest challenge of theological studies is for these to also provide an opportunity for spiritual growth. At the beginning of theological studies it is important that the student should be clear about the basic schemes, frameworks and expectations. As time goes on and he becomes more competent in dealing with schemes and starts to see connections, it is important, however, that more space is given to personal reflexion, the forming of opinions, and that rather than received from others, his view of the questions of life and faith becomes his own. University years — whether a positive or negative experience — leave their mark on one’s attitude to, and view of the world and of the most important theological issues. It is on what they learned here that pastors base their life and attitudes in their later life and ministry. The measure of the success of theological education is whether the student is able to reflect theologically on life’s issues, and whether he regards the Christian message as the ,,final determinant.” From the point of view of the pastor’s long-term health it is important that he has an opportunity for growth both within the circle of the family and the community of the church. In the course of pastoral ministry the pastor’s family plays an important role in the life of the congregation, as — alongside other people, sometimes families — it takes a central place in the network of relationships. There is hardly any profession where the interface between work and the family is as important as in the case of the pastor of a congregation. In a system approach, the crises of the church family affects the pastor’s own family, and, the other way round, the crises of the pastor’s family (may) cause(s) ripples in the system of the church community. Proclaiming God’s boundless love and certain truth in a world without boundaries provides the minister with a difficult task, while at the same time he also has to respect and protect his own boundaries, and those of his family. The protection of personal and family life may take different forms, dependent on the pastor’s personality, temperament 201
