The Questioning Pastor

Last Winter I began attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.  Upon arrival at Moody, I began to look for a church to attend with the hope of becoming involved in the ministries of that church.  I spent the duration of last semester searching for a church to call my home for the term of my residence in Chicago.  As this semester began, The first church that I attended was Holy Trinity Church's West Side (HTCWS) congregation.  As Jenny, my lovely girlfriend, and I entered the upstairs of the building near the corner of Western and Roosevelt where HTCWS meets the handful of people that were already there greeted us both warmly and encouraged us to get some coffee and doughnuts--the mark of any good church...  Ok, just kidding about the doughnuts, but the attention of the people at HTCWS to making visitors feel welcome has been one of the reasons that I have continued to attend.
Later that week, the pastor at HTCWS, Oscar callled me to ask if we could meet and talk a little bit about HTC.  When we sat down, Oscar explained the history, organization, and outlook of HTC.  Then he expressed to me that he would like to see Jenny and I continue to be a part of HTC.  As a Pastoral Ministry major, the fact that Oscar came to sit down personally with me meant a lot to me.  I could see that he was dedicated to the growth and maturation of the congregation that he has been charged with shepherding.
I also noticed something interesting about Oscar.  He asks a lot of questions.  Important questions.

As I began researching for a paper entitled Philosphy of Pastoral Ministry for Pastoral Theology, I came across an article in the Anglican Theological Review that examined the importance of asking questions in pastoral ministry.  The author, Joseph Britton explains how the questions that God asks of humanity throughout the Bible (to Adam, Cain, Pharaoh, David, etc.) should inform the way that pastors go about their ministry.  He debunks the old myth that pastors are sufficient in their ministries simply by showing up.  Rather, he says, "Effective pastoral leadership is thus contingent upon having something to say."  In turn, it really should be no surprise that some of the best preachers in history have also been some of the best leaders in history.  Britton notes how Martin Luther King, Jr.'s inspirational sermons inspired thousands to follow him in the movement for civil equality.
This article made me realize that the reason I value hospitality in church members is that welcoming someone generally involves asking them questions.  When Oscar met with me, he didn't greet me by telling me how his day was.  He asked my how mine was, and he followed up my answer with more questions.  I will use this principle of my own pastoral ministry.  If you are not a pastor, surely, you are a leader in some part of your life.  Asking questions of the people you lead can help to bring out great ideas and productivity in your group.

Passages in this post:
Genesis 3--note the question in v. 9
Genesis 4--also v. 9
Exodus 10--question in v. 3
2 Samuel 12:9