Book excerpt: POOR IN SPIRIT. BROKEN. HUMBLE. HUNGRY. SYMPATHETIC. PURE. RECONCILING. ENDURING. These are not the words that describe the typical picture of the modern-day successful American pastor, but these are the words Jesus said should characterize the lives of his twelve disciples. In many circles, the image of what a pastor is or does looks nothing like the picture Jesus paints for his disciples of the character that marks citizens of his kingdom. Shepherding like Jesus is a call to rebel against much of what our culture understands pastoral leadership to be and return to being the shepherd God has called pastors to be. It’s an invitation to recover the most essential element of pastoral ministry: the character of Christ.