What does it mean to “Install” a Pastor?

Dear High Street Family,

With our Installation Worship Service this Sunday (woo hoo!), I’ve had more than a few people smirk at the strangeness of the phrase, a pastoral “installation.”

“Are you a new window?” one person kindly joked.

Another laughed, “It sounds like you’re a software upgrade, it’ll be High Street 2.0!”

I laughed too. It is funny.

Just a quick Google search of “Installation Service” brings up a browser of numerous options with great rates…all links to Home Depot and Lowes ;)

I'm so honored and expectant as I step into Lead Pastoring, but consider with me for a moment, what do we really mean when we say we're having an "Installation Service" this Sunday?

Check out Last Week’s Sermon, “Times of Refreshing” from our I Speak Jesus series.

“Installation” comes from the word “install” and roots back to old catholic churches where choirs and priests sat in stalls during the liturgies and music.

A stall is a place where animals stand in a farm setting, which is where the priests and choirs borrow the word stall. But, consider, the farm stall carries with it the idea of place. Of home. Of a resting place. Hmm.

So, if you consider that in-stall can mean calling a pastor into a permanent place of rest. A home with a family. A sacred space. Hospitable environment for God’s presence and His leadership over a farmstead (aka a church family)…now we have a fresh picture of the ancient call to in-stall-ation really means.

A pastor is installed to host God’s presence with a local people who are called to live in His presence in their weekly lives, and usher in rest (in the Bible this is Shalom—wholistic peace with God and humanity). That’s pretty cool!

The original catholic stalls were actually designed as miniature “thrones” in which the priests recognized that God’s Holy Spirit flows from His Heavenly Throne over leaders and through churches, delegating authority and influence through the leader, leadership, and a congregation, into the world.

Like Ephesians says, “[through] the immeasurable greatness of [God’s] power toward us who believe…you have been raised up with [Jesus] and seated in the heavenly places...that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 1:19 & 2:6-7.

God wants His power and love to flow through us, the Church. And, by installing a Lead Pastor, we’re agreeing and recognizing that God’s Holy Spirit is flowing from God, through leadership, through a church, and through you, to bring healing, restoration, life, and revelation to the world around us.

So, this "installation" means something for you. Are you ready for this?

Let’s prayerfully anticipate this installation and new season, and call-forth the things God is actively doing, recognizing that Jesus is already pouring blessing, counsel, and life into all who would come to Him because of His presence through High Street--may we see His presence increase in the days ahead. 

See you Sunday!

Pastor Dave

PS. We’ll press into these things together in our upcoming series, “Catching God’s Momentum” starting in June!