There’s a scene in Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man that may be the single best depiction I’ve seen in media of what ministry actually feels like. You’re busy doing what you believe is important—focused, intentional, maybe even in a rush—and then suddenly an interruption occurs. In that moment, you face a choice:
Do you keep doing the thing you thought mattered most, or do you respond to the thing you’re actually called to?
When “Important” Isn’t the Same as “Calling”
In the film, Jud is a suspect in a murder investigation. He has every reason to be focused on finding the information that will clear him. What he’s doing is important, time‑sensitive, and good. As Jud himself says, it’s a priority.
But then his calling interrupts him.
And calling outweighs most urgent tasks.
That dynamic—being in the middle of something significant and suddenly needing to pivot toward someone who needs you—is the core tension of ministry. We rarely get to choose the timing. We only get to choose how we respond. Do I respond to the perceived important task or the interruption that is in line with my calling?
Shepherd and Servant: What Our Titles Really Mean
The word pastor comes from the Latin for “shepherd.”
The word minister comes from the Latin for “servant.”
These are two titles I love because, at their core, both point toward caring for people. That is, I believe, the primary role of a pastor. Yes, many important tasks fill a minister’s day—administration, planning, teaching, preparing, managing crises, handling details—but caring for people is what we are fundamentally called to do.
And most times, calling trumps everything else.
When Life Interrupts You
I’ve lived this out more times than I can count. Important tasks on my list, things I want to finish, things that really do matter—and then someone sees me, calls, or reaches out in a moment of need. Ministry happens right then, not later.
I hope that in most of those moments I have responded the way Jud does in the movie—with a willingness to set aside the “priority” in order to live into my calling.
Because that’s the work:
Shepherd. Servant. Care for people.
Even when it interrupts everything else.