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Pastor to Pastor

Art of Arts

The work of shepherding begins in your own soul.

The Work of Shepherds (2)

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 1 Timothy 3.1

The Book of Pastoral Rule
Gregory the Great (ca. 540-604)
“No one presumes to teach an art till he has first, with intense meditation, learnt it. What rashness is it, then, for the unskillful to assume pastoral authority, since the government of souls is the art of arts! For who can be ignorant that the sores of the thoughts of men are more occult than the sores of the bowels? And yet how often do men who have no knowledge whatever of spiritual precepts fearlessly profess themselves physicians of the heart, though those who are ignorant of the effects of drugs blush to appear as physicians of the flesh!”

The Greek word in our text which is translated bishop is episkopos and means overseer. It refers to those who are entrusted with shepherding the flocks of the Lord, watching over the souls of His people for their edification and God’s glory (Heb. 13.17). Because caring for the souls of God’s people is a good work – “the art of arts” – a pastor should at all times make certain first, that in his own soul, he is growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3.18), and second, that He looks to God’s Word for counsel in doing the good work of shepherding (2 Tim. 3.15-17). Nothing fulfills the requirements of shepherding save that which God has revealed in His Word. The “spiritual precepts” we need to flourish as shepherds will be found in Scripture, not in the best ideas of social science. Gregory’s handbook on pastoral rule is full of sound Biblical insight to guide us in the work of shepherding, and we will take an extensive look at his counsel there.

Are you confident that your present practice of spiritual disciplines is helping you to grow as much as you might or should? And that your work of shepherding includes all that Scripture requires?

T. M. Moore

The Time of Your Life
An effective self-watch begins by knowing where your time goes each day. We’ve prepared a brief worksheet, The Time of Your Life, which you can use to analyze how you use your time each week, and to help you begin thinking about how to make better use of the time God gives you each day. You can receive a free copy of this worksheet (print it on two sides of a single sheet) by writing to John Nunnikhoven at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The Time of Your Life worksheet is one of the assessment tools of our Pastoral Hope Initiative, which can help you discover baselines and make plans for growth in all areas of your life. Watch this brief videofor more information. We have permanently waived the registration fee, so all you need to do begin this protocol is drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we can talk about whether the Pastoral Hope Initiative might help you.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations are from Gregory,
The Book of Pastoral Rule,in Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, eds., Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 12(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1895, 1995).

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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