Someone once asked me for a one sentence description of a pastor's life. Many possibilities, of course, came to mind. With Ed Scrugg's recent decision to accept the position of Conductor/Artist in Residence with Mid-America Productions in New York City, the response I once gave popped out of my memory. I answered, "The pastor's life feels like a ongoing series of farewells."

Farewells constitute a hefty portion of a pastor's life. We tend to move from congregation to congregation over the course of a career. Even when we believe God is leading in the relocation, we still endure the grief of parting from friends and colleagues, not to mention leaving establishing routines to start over in a new environment. When we lose a church member to death, we lose a friend. Few people in American society enjoy a meaningful relationship with so many others as does a pastor. Each death becomes a personal lose. In our mobile and consumer-oriented society, church members come and go. Regardless of why a church member relocates to another congregation, most pastors grieve at their departure. We feel much the same when a staff colleague leaves to pursue a new opportunity.

The life of a pastor provides many source of satisfaction, and I'm grateful for each and every one. At the same time, I think it wise for us for us admit and name the genuine griefs associated with our calling. Doing so helps keep us spiritually healthy, and it certainly makes any advice we might offer would-be pastors more honest and valuable.