Air Prayer

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You’ve heard of Air Guitar, but have you heard of Air Prayer?  They are alike in significant ways.  WIKIPEDIA describes Air Guitar as –

… a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play rock or heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs/solos/etc.  Air guitar is generally used in the imaginary simulation of loud electric guitar music.

There is a lot of pretend and the imaginary in Air Prayer.  Air Prayer pretends to be a serious approach to God and is the imaginary simulation of coming before Him.

Air Prayer is a professional hazard for the pastor.

One of the characteristics of Air Prayer is that it is formal and ceremonious.  And in pointing this out I mean that it is required and official and something that has to be done.  Routinely, prayer is structured into the very form of our public times together.

We all have formal times we pray – because we have to or feel obligated to – at meals/at service/before and after Bible studies, etc.  There are times that, if we didn’t pray someone would say or think, “Hey, we’re supposed to pray before we eat, teach the Bible, begin the service, go street witnessing, etc.”  Routinely, prayer is structured into the very form of our public times together.  And this is a very good thing – and yet it poses a professional hazard. You are very acquainted with this professional hazard.  Just examine your own experience.

We have all prayed and then 10 seconds later can’t remember what we prayed.  We have all prayed and then 10 seconds into the prayer realize that we are just mouthing platitudes and really aren’t (if we’re honest) addressing ourselves to our holy God.  The prayer is addressed to Him, but our hearts and minds are engaged with what’s next.  We pray the same thing at the same time over and over again.  Anyone who has been paying attention can, after a while, get up and repeat our prayers.  (Caveat: we can pray the same thing over and again and, because of faith, we do connect with God and the people do experience the heartfeltness of it.  Yet, I have to be honest with myself and realize that often this doesn’t happen).  There is a difference between formal times of prayer and the prayers that are prayed during these formal times.  Yet the prayers prayed at formal times can easily become formal prayers – this is the professional hazard.

I’m a great air pray-er.  It’s easy for me to pray a formal prayer out of obligation and not from thoughtful consideration.  I often find myself 10-15 seconds into a public prayer and realize I am just mouthing platitudes.  When I preach, I will announce my text, read it, and then say, “Let’s pray.”  One-tenth of a second later I am praying, “Father, bless this time.  Help us to hear Your voice. We want to meet with You. We lift our hearts up to You.  May we hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.  In Jesus’ name, amen.”  Do I mean what I pray?  Sure.  Am I thinking about what I pray?  Not so much – it just rolls of my tongue without thinking.  Mealtime prayers, beginning of service prayers, end of service prayers, Bible study prayers, baby dedication prayers, healing prayers, etc., have become so familiar that I can thoughtlessly and seamlessly spew them forth.  I told you, I’m a good air pray-er.  But I have come to the place where I despise not formal times of prayer, but formal prayers, froth and foam prayers, thoughtless prayers.

One of the greatest lessons of prayer I have ever learned, I learned in 45 seconds one afternoon.  I was at some pastor’s event and Tony Holyde (pastoring CC Shoreline in Morro Bay at the time) was asked to pray.  We all bowed our heads and for 15 seconds there was silence.  I thought, “Maybe he’s just thinking of something to pray that will impress us pastors.”  Another 15 seconds of silence rolled by.  I cocked my head and squinted through one eye to see if he had heard that he was requested to pray and was getting ready.  I couldn’t discern anything with my subtle squint.  Another 15 seconds passed and finally Tony began to pray.  It was a simple prayer.  It was heartfelt.  It was in the moment – no pre-cooked words.  I connected with God through Tony’s prayer.  I was edified.  Tony wasn’t trying to impress us pastors, he was quieting his heart before God.

When you are asked to pray – 45 seconds is a long time to wait before you begin.  People begin to wonder/to look around/to feel uncomfortable.  A 45 second pause is, well … an inefficient use of time.  Yet Tony’s 45 second pause helped me in my prayer life more than 10 books on prayer ever could.  My greatest challenge in prayer is quieting my heart before God.  When I don’t still my heart before God, I default to automatic mode and pray what routine and repetition have programmed into my mind.  When I don’t quiet my heart and launch right into prayer, froth and foam come forth.  When I still my heart, gather my thoughts, zero in on what is needed in the moment, my prayer becomes a thoughtful, meaningful approach to God.  The words may be the same words I have prayed 100 times before, but the mood, the spirit, the Spirit is different – and the people can feel it.  And I can sense that the people have experienced God in the prayer and not just heard the words of the prayer.

I could still hold my own in an Air Prayer competition, but what I learned in 45 seconds of silence has helped to revitalize and preserve my prayer life – both formal and otherwise.

Sanctity of Human Life

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My thoughts are focused on the Sanctity of Human Life as it approaches this January 22–which also marks the 39th anniversary of Roe V. Wade. Think about this. It is estimated that 92,000 people died as a result of the earthquake in Haiti a couple years ago. This is the number of children that have been aborted every 22 days since this ruling in 1973. Let that sink in. 1.5 million babies have been aborted each year, on average, since 1973.  These numbers are greater than our ability to comprehend.

A few years ago I was pursuing a doctoral degree, but withdrew from the program during my dissertation phase (my guilt speaking, but I will save that for another day).  During the summer of 2007 I attended a seminar that rocked my world. The topic was abortion. During the seminar, we met one of the director of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform an organization that is fighting to protect babies that are facing abortion. During this seminar, he showed a very powerful video on abortion. I opted out for a number of reasons–primarily I didn’t want to face the reality of what it was. A few months after the fact, I decided I should watch it to see what it actually was.  As I watched the video the veil was lifted concerning abortion.  I could no longer live in denial about what it was–anything but a choice.  I encourage you, especially if you are pro-choice, to watch it by following this hyperlink:  This IS Abortion

The majority of Americans seem quite content living under an allusion that abortion is all about “women’s rights” and claim many reasons to justify it. You may be included, I know I was. If this is you, I implore you to watch the posted video so that you gain understanding concerning the truth of abortion.

God used this seminar to shake me to my core. It culminated January 2008, as I found myself pastor of Valley Baptist Church and preaching every Sunday. The Sanctity of Human Life Sunday was fast approaching and I had to decide would I comment on the issue.

Many factors seemed to be at play. First, I stumbled across a chapter in John Piper’s book, “Brothers, We Are Not Professionals” that challenged pastors on this topic–me in particular. I felt like such a coward. Then, I realized that I was finishing First Timothy the Sunday before Sanctity of Human Life Sunday…what would I do? I had no excuses. Ultimately, I decided that I needed to take a stand. I would preach on the topic from a biblical vantage point. This was the hardest sermon I have ever preached. I came with great personal pain, anger, and sorrow. I have preached on this subject ever since without regrets.

In my heart I don’t think that someone can remain “pro-choice” after viewing this posted video, yet I know that I am wrong because many people are involved in this “medical procedure” day in and day out and are not moved by their actions. Our conscience is truly seared concerning this subject.

There are a few things that I want to say specifically on this matter:

1. If you have been involved in abortion (both female and male), Jesus has paid the penalty for you sin. Forgiveness is available to you if you ask Him. Forgiveness and consequence are two separate matters. Once forgiven, I believe it can take many years to sort through the guilt, shame, and scars.

2. I believe aborted children are resting in the arms of God. They are safe with Him.

3. Concerning abortion to day. This is murder. We must act to defend the lives of the innocent. I am not suggesting that we murder abortionist, but we must rise up and help the helpless through political means, supporting your local pro-life pregnancy clinic, reaching out to abort-intent women, along with caring for young single moms who decided to keep their kids.

To you apathetic Christian, I implore you to watch the video and ask yourself, “What does God think about this?” Do you say, “Personally, I would never do it. But, I could never tell someone else what to do.” Really? Watch the video, then tell me that! Then I would encourage you to read Proverbs 24:11-12 and ask yourself, “How does this passage relate toward abortion?”

To you apathetic pastor, you must realize that in your seats sit those young, older, single, with kids and without kids who are contemplating abortion.  I sit on the board of Alternatives Women’s Center in Escondido, CA.  I am shocked to see the social-economic range of ladies who come in considering an abortion.  Yes, pastor, your people included.  Also, realize that statistically 1 out of 3 women in your church have had an abortion and are suffering in silence.  I am shocked at the number of pastors who are cowards, I use this word coward very intentionally, when it comes to the speaking of abortion.  You have an obligation to speak on this matter for three reasons: 1) to education your people on the biblical reasons against abortion,  2) to offer hope and healing to both men and women who are suffering in silence with the scars of abortion, and 3) help your people get involved in this battle to protect the lives of the unborn.

Please people, watch this video. Let it hurt. Let the tears flow. Let it move you into action.  Be ignorant no more!

How Do We Stay Motivated?

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I’ve been involved in pastoral ministry since 1976, and in a full-time capacity since 1979. Recently, I’ve been thinking about pastoral motivation. What is it that keeps us pastors going?

By that I don’t mean, what keeps us going professionally, as though our motivation were derived from statistics, budgets, salary, and benefits.

What I do mean is what keeps us going … doing real ministry to real hearts in authentic ways?

2 Corinthians 4:1-2 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. {2} But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 

I/we wear many hats: we’re sons of God, disciples of Christ, husbands, fathers, grandfathers, pastors, teachers, examples, equippers, evangelists, visionaries, mentors, counselors, administrators, executives, sons, and for those who are bi-vocational, tentmakers.

A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to a Bible study I taught sometime in late 1999. That time period was while I was still with Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay, prior to a string of painful events in my life that led to my resignation from that pastorate. While I was listening to the message, I was once again realizing the tremendous trust placed in me by so many. Again I felt a strong depth of sorrow for the people … again, I’m so sorry that those things had happened.

Not long after those thoughts came new ones; I began thinking about the great cloud of witnesses from Hebrews 11. While scripture doesn’t seem to be super clear about how much these witnesses are able to observe right now, it’s at least possible that they may indeed be watching us. (The angels are certainly looking into spiritual things, and are present at our gatherings.) At the very least, they will be welcoming us upon our entrance into eternity. Are they praying for us? Are they rooting for us? I suddenly had the very strong sense that the way I’m living my life right now has amazing implications and ramifications. I found myself, for a moment at least, in touch with eternity. I was being motivated!

So back to the main question: what keeps us pastors going?

Here are a few important truths for me. Maybe you can add your own as part of this discussion. Let’s encourage one another to love and good works.

…I’m motivated by my calling into ministry. (I love to remind myself often of the specifics.) For me, it was very supernatural.

…I’m motivated by the main thing, and the challenge of doing it. The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing. And the main thing of the Great Commission is discipleship. What a challenge to actually do it!

…I’m motivated by my peers in ministry. When I get close to other pastors and hear their stories, there are so many great things that I see that are encouraging.

…I’m motivated by the 2nd Coming of Jesus, and by the fear of the LORD.

…I’m motivated by the cloud of witnesses.

Etc. (here’s where you can add your own)

Thanks for reading.

Beyond Bible Study

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For 21 years I’ve grown up in, been discipled under and now served within a movement of churches that is dedicated to verse by verse exposition of the scriptures. Prior to attending Calvary, my family attended an Episcopal church for several years and a fairly charismatic Pentecostal fellowship for a short time while living in London. Calvary has remained our home due largely to the fact that the scripture, and the teaching of them, has always been central. Expositional bible study is certainly not unique to Calvary, but “Simply teaching the word of God simply” has been something of a mission statement for the Calvary Chapel family of churches; may that never change.

Being raised up under such a model, and ordained a pastor within such a movement, I’ve always elevated bible study highly. I mean, the bible is God’s word, right? And God has exalted His word above His name; shouldn’t we therefore exalt it in bible study too? Of certain that has been the logic I’ve often employed and encountered; and not only within Calvary. The centrality of bible study within many evangelical churches is good, even great. Yet there is a downside I’ve observed, especially since becoming a senior pastor.

In my church and others, many believers find their Christian experience to be summed up by bible study. If asked to describe their Christian walk it is often boiled down to the bible studies they attend or are involved with. Planning to have a group of believers meet together in your home? It’s a home bible study. A coffee shop meeting, it’s a bible study. We have men’s bible study, women’s bible study, youth, college, young adults, mid-week, Friday night… The list could go one and on. If you say, “We’re going to start a Saturday night meeting,” the question comes, “What will you be studying.”

This was all the more evident to me more than a year ago when we put our men’s and women’s bible studies on hold for the fall, while we focused our attention on the Perspectives On The World Christian Movement class. I received more than a few notes and emails from people saying things like, “You’re taking away our bible study.” Some of them very dramatically said things like, “This is going to be catastrophic for many people in our church.” It wasn’t. Then again several weeks ago when we announced to our fellowship that we would no longer be having a mid-week bible study in the new year. Several people approached me with real concern. “What will I do with out the Wednesday night bible study?”

Please don’t miss understand. Bible study and a knowledge of the scripture is certainly important. But I’ve realized in the last year that I’ve often weighed my success as a pastor by whether or not the people under my oversight are good students of the bible and not by the exercise of spiritual discipline or bearing of spiritual fruit in their lives. I think, in part that this arises from the fact that we tend to make little to no distinction between the pastor-teacher role we find in Ephesians 4:11.

Many pastors, myself included, look to Ephesians 4:11-12 as those verses that describe their very calling. I have taught them and heard them taught many times.

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Ephesians 4:11-12

These verses unfold for us what has been oft referred to as the “fivefold ministry” within the church. Here we are presented with five roles or offices (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher) that many evangelicals believe to be – in some way – still active within the church today. There are certainly different ways in which these roles are defined (especially apostles and prophets), but I think few would say they’ve completely disappeared. However, some question, whether it should be a fivefold ministry or four, as there is some reason to connect the roles of “pastors and teachers” into one office of “pastor-teacher.” The wording in the Greek makes it possible to connect pastor-teacher while separating apostles, prophets and evangelists. Yet, I believe the roles should be separate, albeit overlapping.

I could get real technical and delve into Granville Sharp’s rule, in which I’m convinced I could make the case for separate, but overlapping offices; for the sake of this article, I will not. Needless to say, I think it’s important to recognize that not all pastors are called to teach, and not all Christian ministry should be wholly bible study oriented. There is a real need in our day for pastoral leadership that aids in the development and encouragement of spiritual disciplines and fruitfulness in every area of the Christian’s life (i.e. church, home, work, school, recreation, etc…). Our Christianity must needs extend beyond bible study.

These realities are incredibly important for modernistic western Christianity to grapple with as our own culture continues to move beyond postmodern and Christianity persists in it’s push through the global south. Perhaps we would do well to consider how Christianity grows and flourishes in these settings. In such environments discipleship is more relational than informational. Narrative based discovery of the biblical texts take precedent over expositional exegesis. The applications of the biblical narrative overflow in intentional missional outreach; and churches are planted through spontaneous multiplication and not demographical manipulation.

 

Recommended Reading – “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement Reader“

Looking Back, Looking Up and Looking Forward

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I wrote this for the folks at Crossroads Community Church. Since this is the start of a new year, I thought it was apropos.

So in just a few days, we will be turning the page on the year 2011. It is amazing to think how quickly this year has flown by. When I was at Crossroads last week, I had the pleasure of sharing God’s word with the church at our Sunday morning gatherings. What an amazing time! But I was also overjoyed to share a short devotion with the Crossroads and Cornerstone staffs at our Christmas party. I shared about looking back (to 2011), looking up (in the present) and looking forward (to 2012). I thought that the main points would be worthy of consideration for all of us as we prepare for a new year.

God bless you all and we cannot wait to join you all in the Pacific Northwest in just a few days!

LOOKING BACK (the past)

1) Embrace the lessons/disappointments
2) Own your part (and don’t forget to give God His glory)
3) Repent for your failures and your successes
4) Cast it upon Jesus, trusting Him

LOOKING UP (the present)

1) It’s about God and you (mind your passion)
2) Take some time to rejoice, enjoy the step that you are on
3) Make a gracious but honest self-assessment of where you are presently
4) Acknowledge God’s prevenient grace – you are here now for His foreordained plans

LOOKING FORWARD (the future)

1) Tell God that you believe but to help your unbelief for 2012
2) Ask for a God sized vision for your life, your specific ministry, our shared work at Crossroads
3) Please make some action plans to change what needs to be changed
4) Let’s travel this path together with unity, love and joy with a lot of laughter

THE PERFECT BRIDE?

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“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Revelation 19:7-8

 

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them [and be] their God. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:2-4

 

If there is a day on which a bride appears nearly in a state of perfection it is  her wedding day.  She isn’t wearing old and tattered clothing.  Whatever perceived flaws of skin and appearance are covered.  For many brides the joy of being united to their groom in marriage subdues even the most negative dispositions or would-be sources of discouragement on that day.  Little things that would seem monumental on any other day seem to fade away into insignificance at the joy of how she looks, feels, and what she is experiencing.

 

So it will be with the Bride of Jesus Christ (the church) in a similar way on her wedding day, yet her perfection will be entirely literal.  The scars she now bears will be utterly healed.  Her struggle with sin and unfaithfulness will be transformed and redeemed.  Her vulnerability to deception and discouragement will vanish.  God’s Word goes so far as to tell us that every tear will be wiped from her eyes.  Death will hold no threat in her life anymore.  And the greatest of all gifts is that she will never be separated by time, space, or sin from her glorious Groom, Jesus Christ!

 

The Bride

In the Bible the Bride is symbolic of the  church.  She represents all of Jesus’ people who are His through faith in the biblical gospel.  If you know that you’ve offended God in your behavior, thought-life, and attitude toward Him, there is good news! God came to earth as the Man Jesus Christ on a rescue mission of love for you.  Knowing you could never live a truly righteous life from the inside out, Jesus fulfilled that requirement for you.  He lived a perfect human life in your place never acting unrighteously at the level of thought, desire, emotion, or behavior for you.  He took the penalty you deserve to undergo because of sin.  The Bible tells us the wages of sin is death and Jesus died in your place for yours sins on a roman cross some two-thousand years ago.  Further, while on that cross He became a propitiation for you.  This means He soaked up the wrath of God the Father which was directed at your sin like a sponge soaks up water.  And victory of victories, He rose from the dead conquering satan, sin, demons, death, and hell on your behalf.  His offer of love is that if you understand your sin and trust in all He did for you to be a sufficient remedy to your sin and a bridge between you and the God from whom you are separated, He will forgive you.  He will clear your spiritual record forever.  He will consider you His perfect child, and part of His perfect Bride, in spite of your enduring imperfections in this life.

 

Already/Not Yet

Faith in this gospel brings the believing person into an already/not yet relationship to individual perfection.  Positionally, because of our faith in the gospel, we are already considered perfectly righteous because our proverbial spiritual bank account has been credited with the very righteousness of Jesus.  This is due to what Martin Luther called the Great Exchange.  At the cross Jesus took all of my sin. At the moment I trusted in the gospel Jesus credited me with all of His righteousness.  This Great Exchange makes us positionally perfect in this life.  And yet, practically and experientially we are not yet literally perfected until we as the Bride are united to Jesus our groom in the age to come.  Until that time we still sin, struggle, and wander at times.  But even in the hardest of times we have hope because we know that “He who began a good work in (us) will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6)

 

Application

What the already/not yet reality of the Bride of Christ means for us today can be looked at from at least two ways:

1. Pastors need to keep working toward a perfect church with perfect Christians, but stop looking for a perfect church with perfect Christians prior to the wedding day.  Lately I’ve found myself dealing with a lot of heart-breaking sin in the lives of God’s people.  Fornication, adultery, marital conflicts, sectarianism, and other things seem to abound.  At times I’ve found myself wanting to think that somehow our church is disturbingly special in our consistent experience of these things.  But when I surveyed the writings of the New Testament recently what I saw was that nearly every book contained words of necessary rebuke and exhortation to sinning Christians, and an imperfect Bride.  Pastor, the reason that letters containing rebuke about sexual sin, relational sin,and  rebellion are the letters God saw fit to govern His Bride for all time is that those problems would persist in ALL generations of her stay on earth, including ours.  If you really seek to be the church and lead the people to holiness we should expect dealing with an imperfect bride in our hearts and churches to be the norm.  The reason we as people need pastoring is that we are not yet a heavenly people, though we will be one day.  Keep working toward spiritual growth and maturity in yourself and the body, but don’t think you and your church are special because you don’t hit that mark before the wedding of the Lamb.

 

2. Christians need to keep working but stop looking for a perfect church with perfect Christians on earth as well.  One of the most common and saddening things I see in the church is people quickly leaving their local church when they’ve been offended by another sinner.  God’s call to us is to hold each other accountable and be willing to be held accountable.  If we continue to simply go find another group of Christians to hang out with at every little offense we face we will never learn how to pursue reconciliation with others through the gospel, our offenders will never grow because of a lack of loving but firm accountability in their lives, and we will continue to bounce from church to church as we are let down by the reality of offenders causing offenses in every house of prayer we enter.

 

Exhortation

The Bride of Christ is already perfect positionally, but we have a long way to go practically.  Let’s all look forward in eager anticipation of that day of perfection when we meet Jesus together face to face, and let us practice the grace of the gospel toward one another in the meantime as the Holy Spirit trains us together in this life for that final and only true utopia.

Beginning Again…

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“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

I have only God to thank
And Only God to praise
Beholding all before me
From ashes He has raised.

A prodigal, a wretch
I squandered life He gave
And as I die down in the ditch
He rescued from the Grave.

Undeserv-ed Grace
And overwhelming Favor
Made white as snow, and white as wool
Purged by Blood-My Savior’s.

Redeemed, Betrothed, Been given gifts
A Glory to Behold
Asked to Steward, to “Occupy”
To follow Christ The Bold.

Time goes by, days turn to years
Service becomes rote
Tired of walking on the waves
Longing for the Boat.

“Depart from me! A sinful man!
“Unworthy!” is my cry
Overcome again, For I see His hand
His miraculous supply.

A New Year springs up
A still small voice I hear
“He must increase, I must decrease.”
This is my aim this year.

Blind Spots And The Default Setting

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I have blind spots.  I am always surprised to discover them.  I usually feel a great disappointment when they are revealed.  I wonder how long others have noticed my blind spots.  How long have my obvious shortcomings been clearly seen by others, and not seen by me?

My blind spots are usually revealed to me through circumstances that don’t go as well as they should have, or that have gone really badly.  Sometimes (not usually) the faithful comments of a friend bring them to light.  Sometimes they are discovered through the stinging barbs of an enemy.  Either way, it is good to finally see those blind spots.

In a parallel fashion, I have a default setting.  As a man, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a pastor, and a friend, there are certain things that I easily and regularly gravitate to.  I’ll just reference the good things at this point, and will do so without pointing them out in detail.  There are some good things that I regularly and easily do as a pastor.  They are not hard for me to do.  I don’t have to convince myself to do them.  I don’t have to remember to do them.  They come naturally, and part of the gifting that God has placed upon my life.

That being so, (the default setting), the other side of the default coin is that there are many things I don’t naturally do.  I forget to do them, they are unpleasant for me, they don’t come easy, and I will put them off as long as possible, if I am fortunate enough to even remember that they need to be done.

New trajectory of thought…

As a pastor, I have noticed that sometimes, when our churches need a change…when things are stagnant…when the people are unmotivated…when church life seems sleepy…that we as pastors will do more of what comes natural to us, and we will miss what we ought to be doing differently. We will end up doing more of the same, instead of a different thing that is needed.

The scholar will study more and determine to teach better than ever, when in reality, mobilizing saints might be what is needed.  The evangelist will decide that what is needed is a new harvest to bring excitement into the church, when in reality, the saints need some good Bible teaching.  The relational pastor seeks more relationships, instead of realizing that some administration would go a long way.  The type A guy comes in earlier and stays later, while not realizing that the people in his church would just love to have lunch with him.

We tend to not discover our blind spots easily, and when change is needed, we often resort to our default setting, instead of doing something new and different.

I agree that…

We ought to staff to our weaknesses.  We ought not to be too hard on ourselves about some of these things.  No one has every gift, and that is what the Body of Christ is all about.

THAT being so…

How can we as pastors discover our blind spots and avoid going to deeper into our default setting?  How can we avoid the ruts that the old corrupt nature falls into?  How can we seek to enrich our churches with whatever is needed, when in fact, we can’t supply all those needs on a personal level?

Rather than suggesting those answers…let’s hear from the collective. How have you guys made progress in these areas?  Let’s share our testimonies.

 

Enjoying His Grace, Extending His Glory

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Pastor Miles DeBenedictis

Psalm 9:1-2
Enjoying His Grace, Extending His Glory

 

 

 

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