Desperate Pastor Blog

Lenten Sketchbook

2012-02-24T11:50:00.003-05:00

This is just wonderful. I wish I could do this. But I am giving up jealousy and envy for Lent.

Seriously, as Tony Jones says, "One thing that I cannot recommend highly enough is that you journey through Lent with Paul Soupiset, as he sketches his thoughts each day. He’s been doing this for several years, and I can tell you it’s a rewarding journey."

Stop, Drop, and Pray

2012-02-24T09:18:00.000-05:00

Here's a great quote from a Mark Batterson blog post, reflecting on 7:14 experiment (based on 2 Chronicles 7:14):

We want to sow and reap instantaneously. We want to plant the seed and harvest it on the same day. No. If it was easy we wouldn’t even appreciate it. We’d probably mishandle the anointing, mishandle the blessing. This isn’t about what God does on day one, day ten, or even day forty. It’s about establishing a humility habit. We’re going to stop, drop, and pray. We’re going to hit our knees everyday! Our MO isn’t ASAP–as soon as possible. Our MO is ALAT–as long as it takes.

God's Will and Multiple Choices

2012-02-23T10:01:00.003-05:00

Years ago, when our children were not yet grown (but well on their way), my wife, the lovely Robin, and I would frequently use a phrase that was intended to encourage them on the path to adulthood. It was: “That’s a decision you can make.”

When they came to us for permission, we would often quiz them about what decision they would make if we gave them that freedom. We encouraged them to take not only responsibility, but leadership in decision-making situations, and they responded. We often offered suggestions, and when necessary warned them in no uncertain terms about the potential consequences of poor decisions, but we tried to leave the decision up to them as often as possible.

I think of that sometimes these days as I reflect on God's will for us. Many of us agonize over his will. We seek his will in who to date, where to go to college, what major to choose, who to marry, what job to accept, what church to join, and so on.

We tend to believe God has a Plan A for all those things, and we're headed for trouble if--however innocently--choose Plan B...or worse, Plan K. And, to be fair, in some cases, God DOES have a Plan A. His Word DOES say that his will is for us to give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It says his will is for us to be sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3). But nowhere does the Bible say we are supposed to sweat bullets or blood over his will in other, more specific matters. In fact, quite the contrary.

I think sometimes--often--God responds to our frantic searching for his Plan A with, "That's a decision you can make." I suspect he is often more interested in HOW and WHY we reach a particular end than he is with the end itself. I imagine he delights in us as a loving parent encouraging his children toward greater maturity on the path to teleos (completion, wholeness, maturity).

So is there a decision or a choice you're facing right now? Do you think God has a Plan A and a Plan B you're supposed to discern, or do you think he's saying to you, "That's a decision you can make?"

About This Thing Called Lent

2012-02-22T10:13:00.001-05:00

Walk With Me

2012-02-21T12:27:00.003-05:00

Regular readers of this blog (or my prayer blog: bobhostetler.blogspot.com) already know that the lovely Robin and I are enjoying a new addition to our family: Ryder Aaron McCane, born December 27, 2011. He's so beautiful, and we're so grateful. He's inherited his father's hair, his mother's face, his Mimi's disposition, and his Crappaw's table manners. Unfortunately, he has also, like his sister Calleigh, been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body, resulting in life-threatening lung infections and serious digestion problems. He and his sister must take synthetic enzymes with every meal or snack, do breathing and vest treatments several times a day to keep their lungs working properly, and their parents and others have to stay vigilant against infections and other complications. To increase their prospects for long and healthy lives, I participate in Great Strides, along with others in my family.

I want to invite you, my readers, to join my team and help to raise much needed funds to support cystic fibrosis research. You will also enjoy food, fun, music at the Great Strides event at the 2012 Hamilton - Joyce Park site on 06/09/2012! Great Strides is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's largest, most successful, and most important national fundraising event.

So many young lives depend on the vital, ongoing advances in CF research - to keep that momentum going, we need your help now! Walking in Great Strides is such an effective way to add tomorrows every day to the lives of those with cystic fibrosis. Your enthusiasm and fundraising efforts will help give more tomorrows to those with CF every day.

It's so easy to help - just visit my Great Strides Home page here. There, you can help in several ways:

1) click on "Join My Team!" Then follow the step-by-step instructions on how to register and begin your fundraising campaign for the June walk. My goal this year is for five friends to join me as walkers/fundraisers. The CF website will help you in creating your own fundraising page and enlisting others in this worthy effort. The website also has other useful, easy-to-use features to help your efforts, including fundraising tips, tools to monitor your progress, and easy ways to invite people to make online donations to support your goal! PLEASE consider joining my team.

2) click on "Click to Donate." If you're not able to join my team, perhaps you can make an online donation to show your support. Just click that button (at the top and bottom of my page). It's incredibly easy.

3) click "Send Page to Others." Doing this will create a short email you can send to your friends and associates, inviting them to give to this great cause. It takes seconds, but can be a huge help to me.

4) consider a business sponsorship. Your company can have a huge impact by adopting Calleigh and Ryder's cause as a company effort. Contact me for further information through this blog, and I'll walk you through the process.

Joining my Great Strides team is such a simple and effective way for you to show your support for this important cause. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those with CF!

Thank you so much for any support you can give. I'll report back on this blog with further news about those who join the team, and my progress toward my goals, as well as the larger effort of "McCane's Miracles!"

Church of the Week: Clifton UM Church, Cincinnati OH

2012-02-20T20:49:00.001-05:00

The lovely Robin had to remind me last week that we had both visited Clifton United Methodist Church on Clifton Ave. in Clifton (is that enough Cliftons for you?).

We were here for a funeral of a dear friend's mother some, I don't know, 25 years ago. The stately old church doesn't seem to have changed much since then. This photo was taken last Friday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My 119:11 Project, Pt. 7

2012-02-18T09:30:00.002-05:00

Wow, this was the roughest week yet in my Project 119:11. For some reason, I was extremely slow getting started this week, and this week's psalm (#7) was the longest yet. On top of that, while Psalms 1-4 are still fresh in my mind, I stumbled the last couple days reviewing Psalms 5 and 6. The task before me seems harder right now than at any point up till now. Still, it's good. I knew from the beginning this would be a huge challenge for me (especially since my fifty-three-year-old brain is not know for its mad memory skills). So this was the first of what I'm sure will be many gut checks.

So let's get on with it, and then I'll mention a couple things I'm learning through this process. Here's my Psalm 7, typed from memory, from the New Living Translation:

I come to you for protection, O Lord my God.
Save me from my persecutors--rescue me.
If you do not, they will maul me like a lion,
tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

O Lord my God,
if I have done wrong,
and am guilty of injustice,
if I have betrayed a friend
or plundered my enemy without cause,
then let my enemies capture me.
Let them trample me into the ground
and drag my honor in the dust.

Arise, O Lord, in anger!
Stand up against the fury of my enemies!
Wake up, my God, and bring justice.
Gather the nations before you.
Rule over them from on high.
The Lord judges the nations.
Declare me righteous, O Lord,
for I am innocent, O Most High.
End the evil of those who are wicked,
and defend the righteous.
For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God.

God is my shield,
saving those whose hearts are true and right.
God is an honest judge.
He is angry with the wicked every day.
If a person does not repent,
God will sharpen his sword.
He will bend and string his bow.
He will prepare his deadly weapons
and shoot his flaming arrows.

The wicked conceive evil.
They are pregnant with trouble,
and give birth to lies.
They dig a deep pit to trap others,
then fall into it themselves.
The trouble they make for others
backfires on them.
The violence they plan
falls on their own heads.

I will thank the Lord, for he is just.
I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Wow, very good, especially considering my late start. I missed one word: "and" instead of "or" in the second line of v. 3. I'll take it!

This was the first week I used a new mnemonic technique: I pasted up a "note" on my iphone and used it like flash cards, dividing the psalm into stanzas that made sense to ME and helped in the memorization. I am also growing still more frustrated with the NLT audio Bible I use on my phone; the narrator's cadence and emphasis is ALL wrong. There is absolutely NO good reason for him to emphasize the words he does, and it actually hampers rather than helps my memorization efforts.

Also, this psalm (as well as a couple of the previous ones) has been a blessing to memorize because of its correspondence to some of my struggles in recent years--but even more so because so many of the lines are a reminder of God's deliverance and faithfulness to me. Looking back, rejoicing, in his kindness is a great fringe benefit of my efforts.

Now I just need to work harder at reviewing this coming week, as I move on to the very familiar Psalm 8.

A Pastor's Failings, Pt. 5

2012-02-15T11:34:00.002-05:00

It's time for the latest installment in this recurring feature here on the Desperate Pastor blog, in which I confess some of my failings as a pastor and leader in the church and (I hope) by doing so, encourage other pastors not to feel alone and not to make the same mistakes. Or not to make them again. Or not to make them as BIG as I did.

In the four churches the lovely Robin and I have pastored in our short but eventful lifetimes, we never managed to achieve a healthy balance and rhythm between work and rest. This was partly because I never quite conquered the tendency to equate activity with accomplishment.

In every church we served, we worked very hard, added numerous programs and activities, and grew the church until the place was full on Sundays and the calendar was full throughout the week, with ministry happening Sunday through Saturday in one way or another. I confess to having published newsletters and calendars that displayed full schedules for all to see. I confess that I took some pleasure and pride in all that was going on in the Savior's name.

But I was a fool. Activity ≠ accomplishment. In fact, the more activity, the less focused my efforts--and the efforts of the church--became.

If I had it to do over again, I would have consciously pursued less motion and striven for more direction.

Close Enough to Hurt

2012-02-12T10:44:00.000-05:00

This meme is making the rounds, with versions for musicians, artists, etc. Here is one for pastors:

Best Preaching Conference Price Ever

2012-02-11T10:45:00.004-05:00

This FREE online conference on preaching looks awesome! Speakers include Andy Stanley, Perry Noble, Louie Giglio, and more. Oh, and did I mention it's free?

Sign up here.

119 Project: Pt. 6

2012-02-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

It's time to update the progress of my 119 Project (that's what I'm calling my three-year effort to memorize the book of Psalms, in their entirety, fifty psalms a year). This past week's psalm was Psalm 6, as I continue to review Psalms 1-5. So here it is, typed from memory, from the New Living Translation:

O, Lord, don't rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your rage.
Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak;
Have mercy, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
I am sick at heart.
How long, O Lord, until you restore me?

Return, O Lord, and rescue me.
Save me because of your unfailing love,
for the dead do not remember you.
Who can praise you from the grave?

I am worn out from sobbing.
All night I flood my bed with weeping,
drenching it with my tears.
My vision is blurred by grief.
My eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.

Go away, all you who do evil!
For the Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my plea;
the Lord will answer my prayer.
May all my enemies be disgraced and terrified.
May they suddenly turn back in shame.

Not bad....though I almost forgot verse 3.

Six down, 144 to go. I've begun reviewing them out of order this past week, as an added exercise. And I've noticed, too, that certain phrases (like Psalm 4:7, "You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine") are popping up in my prayers as well, which is cool.

Church Signs With Moveable Letters Should Be Outlawed (Pt. 7)

2012-02-10T08:49:00.002-05:00

Via EdStetzer.com:

A Pastor's Failings, Pt. 4

2012-02-08T11:56:00.003-05:00

It's time for yet another installment in this recurring feature here on the Desperate Pastor blog, confessing some of my failings as a pastor and leader in the church and (I hope) by doing so, encourage other pastors not to feel alone and not to make the same mistakes. Or not to make them again. Or not to make them as BIG as I did.

I'm beginning to have misgivings about the whole series. Primarily because it will never end. I think my faults and failings will outnumber the days I have left on earth to tell of them. Alas, and alack. Mostly alack. But with a little alas thrown in there.

Anyway, here's number four: my unbiblical tendency to believe the best about people and to expect the best from them. I've come to call it "pastoral naiveté."

I know, I know, that sounds a little like an answer to the interview question, "What's your greatest weakness?" "Oh, I guess I work too hard. And I tend to believe the best about people and to expect the best from them."

But I think I'm being totally honest here. See, I know the human heart is "deceitful above all things, and desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV), but despite my head knowledge of human fallenness, I have always tended to operate from a default position that expects people will be truthful, that friends--and brothers and sisters in Christ, especially--will be gracious and kind, faithful and loyal, not mean, petty, vindictive, fickle, back-biting, lying, and proud. I tend to think that, heck yeah, people will treat me fairly, and will not turn on me and my family (and faith family) after years of praying for them and with them, counseling them, sacrificing for them, supporting them, and seeking good things for them.

And, to be fair, some faithful souls distinguish themselves by actually rewarding my naive faith. But that's just it: they distinguish themselves, because they are the exceptions. I have been utterly and repeatedly shocked at people--and WHICH people--who have lashed out at me, who have lied about me and/or others, turned their backs not only on me but on my whole family, whom I thought they loved and valued! Literally the LAST people I would have suspected. But that's because I don't suspect ANYONE of being capable of such behavior, certainly not those I consider friends, colaborers, brothers and sisters.

And therein lies the source of my naiveté...my damaging naiveté. I don't want to become cynical or jaded, by any means. But if as a pastor I had done better in years past at remembering that hurting people hurt people--and we are all hurting--I think I might have been a much better pastor, a wiser leader. I would have spared myself a TON of hurt and heartache and, more importantly, might have spared the flock a lot of harm.

The good shepherd, like the Good Shepherd, is neither naive nor jaded...but is like him of whom it was said, "Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men....he knew what was in a man" (John 2:24-25, NIV).

My 119:11 Project, Pt. 5

2012-02-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

This week's 119:11 Project was the toughest yet, partly because I was on the road and teaching in the classroom all week. I also discovered, at mid-week, that I drew a complete blank in the process of reviewing the other four psalms. I reviewed Psalm 1-3 without trouble, but when I got to Psalm 4:6, I could not remember what came next. I knew there was a verse before "You have given me greater joy," but I just blanked out until I looked it up. I suppose that won't be the last time.

So here is Psalm 5, typed from memory:

O Lord, hear me as I pray.
Pay attention to my groaning.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
for I pray to no one but you.
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you
and wait expectantly.

O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness.
You cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
for you hate all who do evil.
You will destroy those who tell lies.
The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.

Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house.
I will worship at your temple with deepest awe.
Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.

My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul,
like the stench from an open grace.
Their tongues are filled with flattery.

O God, declare them guilty.
Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice!
Let them sing joyful praises forever!
Spread your protection over them,
that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
For you bless the godly, O Lord.
You surround them with your shield of love.

Looks like I nailed it. every word is correct. I'm learning to take special note of the "O Gods" and "O Lords," as it can be hard to keep track of them all.

But that makes five psalms so far committed to memory, and except for drawing a blank that one time, I continue to keep the previous psalms fresh by reciting them at least a couple times each day. In fact, I'll often review them in bed, as I try to disengage my brain from all the activity of the day or the impending activity of the next before going to sleep. It's a blessing.

It hasn't gotten old yet, not at all. I'm still enjoying it. And while I know it will get harder as I go along, I'm also expecting the blessings to multiply. It has already been amazing to see the correspondence between the psalm I am memorizing and what God is teaching me, telling me, or bringing me through at a particular time. "The entrance of thy words giveth light" (Psalm 119:130, KJV).

Simply God

2012-02-02T09:03:00.001-05:00

I was attracted to Rick Richards's book, Simply God, by the title and by its promise of delivering a radical new view of what it means to be a leader in Christ.

As I began reading it, I struggled to stay interested. The writing was, frankly, boring, and the design of the book (including the cover) was unattractive. The more I read, the more I thought, I can't believe a publisher actually accepted this for publication. I soon found out the mistake was mine; the book is a product of WestBow Press, Nelson's imprint for subsidy publishing. It shows.

There are some good things in the book, but they are buried under a pile of unnecessary words and unimaginative prose. There are few illustrations to enliven the author's points. No humor. No charm. And some rookie mistakes, such as claiming a level of inspiration for this book that is nowhere in evidence IN it. As a lover of God AND as a reader and writer, I sincerely believe God is far more interesting, creative, engaging, and exciting than the thoughts and words the author attributes to him.

Simply put, Simply God is simply bad.

__________________________

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”)

A Pastor's Failings, Pt. 3

2012-02-01T09:34:00.000-05:00

It's time for another installment in this recurring feature here on the Desperate Pastor blog, confessing some of my failings as a pastor and leader in the church and (I hope) by doing so, encourage other pastors not to feel alone and not to make the same mistakes. Or not to make them again. Or not to make them as BIG as I did.

So here's number three: pastoral prayerlessness. For large swaths of my first twenty years or so in ministry, I was a virtually prayerless pastor. I wanted to pray. I knew I should pray. I forced myself at times to pray. But I could not have said I was a man of prayer. I could not have called myself a praying pastor.

Obviously, I prayed quite often--at mealtimes, and in public gatherings, and so on. But that's not what I'm talking about. I was for most of my first two decades of ministry a non-resident of the prayer closet, a stranger to secret prayer, a toe-dipper in the deep waters of private prayer. All that changed a year or two prior to my last pastoral experience, the church my wife and I helped to plant twelve years ago in Oxford, Ohio. And it changed, not through determination, but through desperation and discovery. I became more desperate for God than ever before, and discovered the rhythms that transformed my prayer life from "ought to" to "want to," from a discipline to a dance.

All along, I knew the truth of Andrew Murray's words:

The indispensable thing is not preaching, not pastoral visitation, not church work, but fellowship with God in prayer until we are clothed with power from on high! To be prayerless is to be powerless.

I just didn't practice them. And I honestly have no idea how I managed to pastor, preach, counsel, plan, think, serve, or function without utter, constant, desperate dependence on God in prayer. I definitely know I couldn't do it today, that's for sure.

He's Smart Because I Agree with Him

2012-01-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

Ryan Huguley posted recently on the reasons he preaches from a manuscript, as opposed to an outline, or even extemporaneously. I think he's brilliant, partly because I agree:

Every pastor preaches with a slightly different style of notes.

Personally, I’ve experimented with almost every style I’ve seen, finding some more effective than others. While I’m fully aware that different preachers require different types of notes, I also believe that every preacher should cut their teeth on the discipline of some form of manuscript. I believe this for the same reason I believe guitar players should learn to play an acoustic prior to an electric: It helps you cultivate healthy habits.

It’s become some strange badge of honor to preach with no notes. People argue that preaching with a manuscript often leads to dry and boring sermons that sound like someone reading a seminary paper. And while that can be true, it’s equally unhelpful when a pastor goes into the pulpit and precedes to wander all over the world for an hour under the guise of being “lead by the Spirit” and unconstrained by his notes.

Unless you’re an experienced communicator with rare gifts, preaching with no notes often leads to sermons that suck far more than we’d like to admit. We end up with sloppy structures, little focus, and a sermon that simply will not end while the congregation silently begs us to “land the freaking plane!”

This is the way I preached the entire first year of our church plant and it was not pretty much of the time! So, I started to write word-for-word manuscripts every week. It was difficult, draining and tedious, but it has made me a more faithful, fruitful and helpful preacher.

Here are the top 3 reasons I continue to use a modified manuscript…

1. It helps me stay on topic

Is there anything worse than a preacher’s attempt to touch on every topic in his mind all in the course of one sermon? This type of preaching lacks clarity and leaves listeners confused and asking, “What was the point of all that?” The discipline of a manuscript forces me to stay fixed on the one big idea the original author is communicating and ensures that all my points connect to that same big idea.

2. It helps me transition clearly

The first pastor who trained me to preach once told me, “If you open strong, close well, and hit your transitions, your sermon will take care of itself.” It’s a bit more complicated than that, but I’ve found his advice to hold true. Am I the only one who finds it frustrating when a preacher says he has “X” number of points and then fails to call them out clearly leaving me with a confusing mess of disconnected and seemingly unrelated notes? While I no longer use a word-for-word manuscript, I do write my transitions word-for-word, restating the big idea as well as the point I’ve just communicated. This reminds people what I’m talking about and signals that we’re moving to something new.

3. It helps me control my time

I recently sat through a sermon where the pastor said, “I’m going to close with this,” three different times and then continued to talk – for 90 minutes! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE listening to good preaching and I’m all for spending the time necessary to preach a text faithfully, but NOBODY wants to hear you preach 90 minutes – other than you. I know that to be true because each time I preach too long I watch my church’s eyes glaze over and can hear them begging me to shut it down. Pastor Scott Thomas recently wrote, ”A good sermon may be long, but rarely is a long sermon good.” He’s 100% right and using a manuscript is teaching me to be more concise, to eliminate redundancy, and to GET TO THE POINT!

Understand, I’m not arguing for head down, zero passion, boring people to sleep, reading your notes kind of preaching. I’m arguing for prayerful, powerful, and palpable proclamation of God’s Word! The kind of preaching people leave thinking, “I heard GOD speak to me today!” So type them, hand write them, you can even finger paint them for all I care, but for the sake of those you preach to, internalize and utilize some form of notes.

I could add a few things (and have, here and here), but Huguley hits the high points, certainly. These are big for me. And right up there alongside these three would be "It helps me say things precisely." It's so easy to give the wrong impression, even to spout bad theology, when speaking off the cuff...using a manuscript helps reduce the number of times I say something stupid or ill-advised. It doesn't eliminate them, mind you, but reduces them. And that's something, at least.

Church of the Week: Beautiful Churches Around the World

2012-01-30T09:07:00.001-05:00

I haven't personally visited any of these churches, which is usually a qualification for the "Church of the Week" feature here on the Desperate Pastor Blog. But these are so beautiful, I will make an exception. And if anyone wants to send me off to visit any of these, I'd be game.

Potter's Ranch

2012-01-28T17:43:00.001-05:00

The lovely Robin and I had a lovely time last night with a lovely group of people.

The leaders of The Ridge church in Brookville, Ohio, gathered at Potter's Ranch in Kentucky for a leadership retreat, and it was my blessing to deliver a keynote for their weekend in the opening session.

Most stayed awake the whole time, as I spoke on "4 Questions for Leaders" from 1 Kings 19! And we had such a wonderful time of communion and fellowship afterward.

It was refreshing and restorative for us. It might even have been a help to them!

My 119:11 Project, Pt. 4

2012-01-28T08:52:00.001-05:00

Week four of my 119:11 Project, and it's still going very well. This week had some wrinkles, though. I memorized Psalm 4 fairly quickly, but then in reviewing the first four psalms, I found it easy to confuse parts of Psalm 3 and Psalm 4. Not only are they each eight verses long, but the flow and stanzas of the two psalms seem similar to me. But here's my Saturday attempt to type from memory Psalm 4, from the New Living Translation:

Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Rescue me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make groundless accusations?
How long will you continue your lies?

You can be sure of this:
The LORD has set apart the godly for himself.
The LORD will hear me when I call to him.

Don't sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight, and remain silent.

Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
and trust the LORD.

Many people say, "Who will show us better times?"
Let your face smile upon us, Lord.
You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Eesh. Not my best effort.

I can't believe I wrote "Rescue" in v. 1 instead of "Free." I ALWAYS recite that line correctly.

I see I also have been "King-Jamesing" verses 3 ("The Lord HAS set apart" instead of "The Lord set apart") and verse 6 ("upon us" instead of "on us"). I'll try to correct those as I continue reviewing this psalm with the others.

Even so, memorizing this psalm has been a wonderful experience. Reciting and reviewing it repeatedly has uncovered many possibilities to me. For example, I wonder if David (it IS a psalm of David) was advising others or himself in verses 4 and 5. The more I've meditated on this psalm, the more I've come to think verse 1 was addressed to God, verses 2-3 to his enemies, 4-5 to himself, and then, of course, the remainder of the psalm to God. If that's the case, then the word "Selah" (which the NLT translates "interlude") after verses 2 and 4 is probably a musical cue only, and not indicative of a change of voice or thought.

In any case, I'm excited to begin memorizing Psalm 5 tomorrow.

The End of Religion

2012-01-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

Bruxy Cavey's book, The End of Religion, is the best book I've read so far this year. And, while I know it's still January, I expect it to rank among the best I read all year. Also, while I know it's hard to put aside the question, "What kind of a name is Bruxy?," let's do our best to do that and answer instead the question, "What kind of a book is The End of Religion?"

It is a Biblical book. Cavey makes his case from Scripture, even as he shows how fundamentalism and evangelicalism have chosen bibliolatry--worshiping the Bible and exalting what is supposedly "biblical"--over following Jesus.

It is an irreligious book. Early on, Cavey states, "Much of what Jesus did and taught only makes sense when we realize that his stated goal of offering salvation to the world (see Luke 19:10) also include the abolition of religion as a competing system" (pp. 24-25). The author doesn't advocate (because Jesus didn't) the eradication of religious forms, but ruthlessly insists on seeing them as forms, or helps, and not as the substance of what it means to love God and follow Jesus.

It is a thought-provoking book. I highlighted this book more than most I have read. Cavey makes such delicious statements as:

Anyone who holds too tightly to his or her religious preconceptions will sooner or later become offended at Jesus (p. 35).

Jesus always--ALWAYS--puts the emphasis of his teaching on heart issues, not behavioral routines (p. 51).

Many Christian fundamentalists do not follow Christ, but have replaced his teachings with the prevailing conservative ethos of the day masquerading as religious dogma (p. 74).

Jesus critiques the Jewish leaders because they are religious, not because they are Jewish. And if we grab hold of that, we can see how his rebukes are transferable for all religions at all times (p. 82).

Transcend rules with love, and you are beginning to live like Jesus (p. 85).

In Christian circles, legalism is usually the result of human tradition being added to the Bible and passed off as scriptural teaching. I find the original teachings of Jesus completely freeing. Why would anyone want to deviate from that? (pp. 94-95).

The more admirable our religious roots, the more we will want to simply invite Jesus to join our religion (p. 127).

When sinful, broken, hurting people are pleasantly surprised at how accepting we are, and religious people are outraged at how accepting we are, there is a good chance we're starting to live like Jesus (p. 179).

The problem with organized religion is not that it is organized. The problem with organized religion is that it is religious....the antidote to organized religion is not disorganized religion, but organized irreligion (p. 187).

It is a well-written, interesting book. Once I started it (and I wish I had started it a long time ago), it was quickly and enjoyably read all the way to the end.

You can find out more at the "End of Religion" website. But read the book. It will be one of the best you read all year.

A Pastor's Failings, Pt. 2

2012-01-25T09:19:00.002-05:00

Last week I began a recurring feature here on the Desperate Pastor blog, confessing some of my failings as a pastor and leader in the church and (I hope) by doing so, encourage other pastors not to feel alone and not to make the same mistakes. Or not to make them again. Or not to make them as BIG as I did.

So here's number two. Titus 3:10-11 (NIV) says,

Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Ouch, right? Who does that? Sometimes it seems that the only pastors who do that are on a power trip, or equate disagreement with them personally with divisiveness in the church.

Still, one of my great failings as a pastor over the years has been failing to lovingly but firmly correct and warn divisive people in the church. I have repeatedly avoided conflict and let contentious people continue their divisive activities. And I have paid for it. So have the churches I have pastored. Lord, have mercy.

(photo illustration by Metassus)

Church of the Week: Taylor University Prayer Chapel

2012-01-23T09:22:00.001-05:00

While visiting and teaching at Taylor University last week, I spent some time in the Memorial Prayer Chapel on the Taylor University campus. The chapel was built to honor the memories of five members of the Taylor community who died in a traffic accident in 2006 along with each student, faculty, and staff member whose lives ended while they were associated with the University. The chapel was dedicated on April 26, 2008, the two-year anniversary of the tragic semitrailer-van crash on I-69 that claimed the lives of Taylor students Laurel Erb, Brad Larson, Betsy Smith and Laura Van Ryn, and staff member Monica Felver. The five died when the Taylor van in which they were riding was struck by a semitrailer rig near the 66-mile marker of I-69’s southbound lane. The crash drew international attention after it was discovered that Van Ryn, who died in the crash, and fellow student Whitney Cerak, a survivor, were misidentified while Cerak was still recovering from her injuries.

Cerak later recovered and returned to Taylor. The Van Ryn and Cerak families co-authored a bestselling book and made appearances on network television programs. Cerak graduated with her class in 2009.

A small chapel on one side is nicely furnished.

The cross in the room's decor is incorporated into a stone design outside the room, visible through the glass behind the podium.

Side chapels provide more intimate settings for private prayer, and are well used by the students.

From the open-air center of the structure one can look in four directions to the campus and beyond. It's a lovely, prominently-placed setting for prayer and contemplation in the midst of a busy campus.

119 Project: Pt. 3

2012-01-21T08:58:00.000-05:00

This week's 119 Project was Psalm 3 (the 119 Project is what I'm calling my three-year effort to memorize the book of Psalms, in their entirety (fifty psalms a year). As I continue to review Psalms 1 and 2, I have also now committed to memory Psalm 3. At least I think so. Here it is, typed from memory Psalm 2, from the New Living Translation:

O, Lord, I have so many enemies.
So many are against me.
So many are saying,
"God will never deliver him!"

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me.
You are my glory, the one who holds my head high.

I called out to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy mountain.
I lay down and slept,
yet I woke up in safety,
for the Lord was watching over me.
I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies,
who surround me on every side.

Arise, O Lord;
rescue me, my God!
Slap all my enemies in the face.
Shatter the teeth of the wicked.
Victory comes from you, O Lord.
May you bless your people.

So how'd I do? Comparing it now to the printed text, other than the punctuation and stanza grouping (which I'm not sweating), I nailed it. Yea!

So that's three weeks and three psalms down, 147 to go. Though, of course, I figure the longer psalms will take several weeks to memorize, so maybe more than that. But I feel good about the start I've made!

Books I've Read More Than Once

2012-01-19T09:02:00.000-05:00

I love to read, but generally speaking I don't read books more than once (unlike others in my family). I'm especially unlikely to re-read fiction, because if I know what's coming, I lose the thrill of discovery. However, over the years, there have been a number of books I have read more than once--some (indicated with an asterisk) more than twice. So I thought I'd take just a few minutes to list those books (not counting picture books, which I've read numerous times to my children and grandchildren--those may just be too numerous to list). I'm sure I've forgotten some, but the following are books I know I have read at least twice:

A Diary of Private Prayer (Baillie)*
A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare)*
All's Well That Ends Well (Shakespeare)
Ancient Prophets and Modern Problems (Brengle)*
Bird by Bird (Lamott)
Celebration of Discipline (Foster)
Guest of the Soul (Brengle)*
Hamlet (Shakespeare)*
Hand Me Another Brick (Swindoll)
Heart Talks on Holiness (Brengle)*
Helps to Holiness (Brengle)*
Henry V (Shakespeare)
Hinds' Feet on High Places (Hurnard)
In Shady Groves (Lehman)
Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)*
King Lear (Shakespeare)
Knowing God (Packer)*
Leadership Prayers (Kriegbaum)
Leap Over a Wall (Peterson)
Love's Labours Lost (Shakespeare)*
Love Slaves (Brengle)*
Macbeth (Shakespeare)
Mere Christianity (Lewis)*
Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare)*
My Side of the Mountain (George)*
My Utmost for His Highest (Chambers)*
On Writing Well (Zinsser)*
Othello (Shakespeare)
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (Dillard)
Prayer (Foster)
Ragman and Other Cries of Faith (Wangerin)
Resurrection Life and Power (Brengle)*
Riders of the Purple Sage (Grey)
Robinson Crusoe (Defoe)
Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare)*
Sit Walk Stand (Nee)*
Spiritual Leadership (Sanders)
The Call of the Wild (London)
The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life (Smith)
The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 vol. (Lewis)
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh (Milne)
The Contemplative Pastor (Peterson)
The Divine Hours, 3 vol. (Tickle)*
The Elements of Style (Strunk/White)*
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (Cleary)
The Pilgrim's Progress (Bunyan)
The Pursuit of God (Tozer)*
The Screwtape Letters (Lewis)
The Soul-Winner's Secret (Brengle)*
The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare)*
The Tempest (Shakespeare)
The Way of Holiness (Brengle)*
The Way of the Heart (Nouwen)
The Way to Power and Poise (Jones)
The Writing Life (Dillard)
Twelfth Night (Shakespeare)*
Walden (Thoreau)
When the Holy Ghost is Come (Brengle)*
With Christ in the School of Prayer (Murray)*

A Pastor's Failings, Pt. 1

2012-01-18T09:41:00.001-05:00

We all have failings and failures. Even pastors. Try not to look so shocked.

In 30+ years of active ministry, and through four churches I've pastored, I truly believe I have exhibited nearly every possible pastoral failing there is. So I thought I'd initiate a recurring feature on the Desperate Pastor blog, confessing those failings and (I hope) by doing so, encourage other pastors not to feel alone and not to make the same mistakes. Or not to make them again.

So here's number one. Many years ago, I read a statement by Rick Warren (I think in his book, The Purpose-Driven Church, but I could be wrong about that...among other things) that a pastor and preacher needs to cast vision every ninety days or less, or it will "leak." Maybe it was Bill Hybels, or maybe both. But SOMEONE said it.

My reaction over the years was, generally, "yeah, right." I mean, planning and executing a Spirit-driven preaching schedule is intimidating enough. There are of course all the special days (Easter, Christmas, etc.), and so many important emphases (prayer, outreach, etc.) to include in a year's time. Plus, I tried to include two or three book-of-the Bible series every year, as well as series that addressed the church's needs-of-the-moment. There were never enough Sundays in a year to thoroughly respond to what the Spirit was saying, accomplish intentional discipleship, emphasize communion, baptisms, child dedications, etc., and so on. So it always seemed that casting vision anew every ninety days was just too tough to squeeze in.

Wrong. It's so easy for vision to leak out, and for church folk to lapse into old habits, preferences, and expectations. A clear vision can even disappear among a church's membership--and even its leadership! So much so, maybe Rick (or Bill or whoever) was low-balling it. Not that a full-blown vision SERIES is called for every ninety days, and maybe not even a full message devoted solely to the church's vision. But looking back on thirty years and four churches, I would do AT LEAST that much.

That was one of my failings as a pastor and leader. I often had a clear vision of what I truly believed God wanted the church to be, and where he was calling us to go. But I failed to communicate it regularly enough that people couldn't help but hold onto it. Lord, have mercy.

Church of the Week: Rediger Chapel, Upland, Indiana

2012-01-16T09:04:00.000-05:00

Last week and this week, I've had the pleasure and privilege of visiting and teaching at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

While there, I've attended chapel with the campus population at Rediger Chapel.

Thrice-weekly chapel services are offered here, and are well attended.

A proficient worship band led singing, a student made some announcements and introductions, and a speaker gave a thirty-minute message.

The entryway to the chapel is adorned with two beautiful stained glass windows windows, under which all worshipers walk to enter the auditorium.

The chapel is named after Dr. Milo Rediger, who was professor of philosophy and religion, dean, and president at Taylor University.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My 119:11 Project, Pt. 2

2012-01-14T08:26:00.000-05:00

"Oh, the joys of those who...delight in the Law of the Lord!" That is my ongoing experience, as I continue my 119:11 Project (first mentioned in this post) to memorize the book of Psalms, in their entirety, over the next three years (fifty psalms a year). I continue to review Psalm 1, memorized last week, and am now ready to type from memory Psalm 2, from the New Living Translation:

Why are the nations so angry?
Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepare for battle,
the rulers plot together against the Lord
and against his anointed one.
"Let us break their chains," they cry,
"and free ourselves from slavery to God!"

But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
The Lord scoffs at them.
Then in anger he rebukes them,
terrifying them with his fierce fury.
The Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king
on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain."
The king proclaims the Lord's decree:
"The Lord said to me: 'You are my son.
Today I have become your Father.
Only ask and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
the whole earth as your possession.
You will break them with an iron rod,
and smash them like clay pots.'"

Now, then, you kings, act wisely.
Be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Submit to God's royal son or he will become angry,
and you will be destroyed in the midst
of all your activities.
For his anger flares in an instant,
but what joy for all who take refuge in him!

So fun. In case you haven't figured it out already, I'm not sweating the punctuation. I'm already finding that memorizing entire psalms (as opposed to a verse here and a verse there) uncovers new depths of meaning and understanding to me, almost without effort. The connections and context between one verse and another become much clearer as I repeat the words of the psalm and commit them to memory.

So that completes the first two weeks in my journey. I don't know if time will permit me to post like this every week (the next few weeks will be consumed with a teaching commitment in Indiana, away from home, so I don't know how much I'll be blogging). But I'll post updates when I can. I'd love it if some of the readers (both of you, even!) of this blog travel this road with me.

Tasks of the Senior Leader

2012-01-13T09:27:00.001-05:00

Ron Edmondson, on his excellent blog, says the following about four tasks the senior leader in an organization should perform:

Whether in the business world, in non-profits or churches, there are some things in any organization that must involve the top leadership.

Here are four things the senior pastor or, in a business sense, the “CEO” (Chief Executive Officer) must personally lead or play a major role in accomplishing:

Vision – The senior leader is the ordained caretaker of the organization’s vision. The vision may be pre-determined by a board, or in the church’s sense, by Jesus, but all leaders place his or her spin on implementing the vision. At the end of the day the senior leader is held responsible for seeing that the organization’s vision is attained.

Values – The senior leader must carry out, protect, or shape the culture of the organization. Much of the character of the organization will be determined or maintained by the way this person leads and lives his or her life.

Victories- Senior leader determine what matters to an organization. He or she ultimately defines a win by setting end goals. An organization cannot do everything and this individual’s leadership determines priorities, initiatives and major objectives to be accomplished.

Velocity –The Senior leader sets the speed by which the organization will operate. The lead person is in the role of balancing present tasks and future opportunities. His or her individual pace and expectations of others determines how fast the organization functions, changes, adapts, and responds.

Most organizations will have a board of directors, stakeholders or elders to oversee the organization, hire the senior pastor or CEO and hold title to the organization, but it is ultimately that person’s who daily carries out these four functions. A senior leader can delegate, form a great team environment, seek wise counsel, or even shirk his or her responsibility, but to fulfill the role of the senior leader effectively there are some responsibilities that rest solely with this position. Whether or not the senior leader consciously recognizes his or her role in accomplishing these tasks, by sheer position he or she is determining the way the organization performs in these four areas.

A Proverbs Driven Life

2012-01-11T08:47:00.001-05:00

A Proverbs Driven Life by Anthony Selvaggio promises "Timeless Wisdom for Your Words, Work, Wealth, and Relationships" in the subtitle. It delivers.

Selvaggio does a solid job of sorting and expounding on timeless principles from one of the most neglected books of the Bible, the book of Proverbs. He illustrates his points liberally and effectively with stories and passages from other parts of the Bible as well.

One of the passages I highlighted is found in chapter two, in which the author focuses on proverbs about speech, emphasizing that our words ought to be "thoughtful, timely and true." He writes:

When the book of Proverbs was written, two types of untruthful speech were strictly forbidden in Israel. Both focused on the matter of personal reputation. The first was false testimony, which had primary application to legal matters....The second type of untruthful speech forbidden in Israel was slander and gossip. Slander, by definition, is false information about someone else, while the rumors shared as gossip may be true or false. Yet the Bible classifies gossip as untruthful speech, and every bit as bad as slander, because it shares important characteristics of false testimony.

A Proverbs Driven Life will reward anyone who reads it with far more than information. If read and applied conscientiously, it will impart wisdom.

__________________________

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”)

Church of the Week: Bark Chapel, Mackinac, MI

2012-01-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

In 2006, the lovely Robin and I visited Mackinac Island during part of our stay in northern Michigan. While there, in Marquette Park (named for Father Jacques Marquette), we encountered a replica of an early missionary bark chapel of the kind first constructed in the seventeenth century by Jesuit missionaries.

Father Charles Dablon was reportedly the builder of the first birchbark chapel, recreated above, sitting below the fort on Mackinac Island.

My 119:11 Project, Pt. 1

2012-01-07T09:14:00.002-05:00

I mentioned in a post last week my plan to memorize the book of Psalms, in their entirety, over the next three years (fifty psalms a year), as one of my spiritual goals for 2012 and beyond (I set goals each year in five categories--professional, spiritual, physical, financial, and marriage/family--as well as in increments of one-year, two-year, five-year, and lifetime periods). Anyway, as I said in that earlier post, I also plan to update the readers of this blog every so often on how I'm doing, and how God is using the psalms in my life. So I thought I'd start right away.

The following is my typed-from-memory recitation of Psalm 1, from the New Living Translation, the first of my fifty psalms to memorize this year:

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the Law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.

They are like trees planted by the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither
and they prosper in all they do.

But not the wicked.
They are like worthless chaff,
scattered by the wind.
They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

I know it's a bare beginning, but it has been a joy--not ironically at all--to steep my mind in that psalm in recent days, reciting it in the car and in my prayer chair, meditating on it day and night, so to speak! I'm thoroughly looking forward to more and more blessings and benefits as I hide God's Word in my heart (Psalm 119:11) with a new memorized psalm each week over the course of the next three years.

The Well (Why Are So Many Still Thirsty?)

2012-01-06T09:21:00.000-05:00

Mark Hall's book, The Well, is a fine exploration of the "holes" many people substitute for "The Well" that is Jesus Christ, as he revealed himself to the Samaritan woman at the well. Unremittingly interesting, Mark (with coauthor Tim Luke) has a knack for storytelling, whether his subject is biblical or contemporary. He touches on such "holes" as "the hole of control," "the hole of talent," "the hole of entitlement," and others. He writes with self-effacing wit, charm, and vulnerability.

Though I listened to the audiobook, I'm told discussion questions are included at the back of the book for group use. I can envision some great discussions on each of these empty "holes" in a group setting.

Mark Hall is the lead singer and songwriter for Casting Crowns, and the book corresponds to the Casting Crowns CD, Come to the Well, released just a couple months ago.

Preaching with Flow

2012-01-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

Jacob Myers, adjunct preaching instructor at Candler School of Theology and Columbia Theological Seminary, suggests a musical approach to preaching:

What if we employed music to enhance the flow of our preaching?

Flow is everywhere; and yet, it often goes unnoticed. It pervades the wired world in which we live--show me a coffee shop that doesn't employ an eclectic array of dulcet tracks to facilitate conversation or leisurely study. Hospital waiting rooms, pubs, carnivals, department stores, even elevators, employ music to regulate the flow of life there, to encourage a certain kind of experience.

Read the rest here.

Red Like Blood

2012-01-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

Joe Coffey and Bob Bevington's book, Red Like Blood (Confrontations with Grace), was not what I expected. I'm not sure what I expected, but this wasn't it. And I'm glad.

It is a sometimes-gritty, always vulnerable, depiction of the Gospel, the story of God's grace as shown through the lives and experience of two men, the authors, as well as many others whose stories they tell in compelling fashion. The honesty and frankness of the book may offend some readers at times, but it shouldn't. The content is always to-the-point, and helpful in getting the message across to the reader.

One of my favorite parts of the book was in chapter twelve, where the authors talk about "the pleasure spectrum." They write:

When God created human beings he gave us a wide range of things that were intended for our pleasure. We have the capacity to get pleasure from viewing a sunset on a cloudless day. We can get goose bumps from listening to the beauty of music. Don't even get me started on taste and touch. Just today I held a bag of freshly ground coffee up close to my face and closed my eyes and inhaled like my life depended on it. The spectrum is very, very wide.

But something interesting happens as we get older...

You'll have to read the book to get the full benefit of that insight. But take my word for it: it's worth it.

The book has spawned a dynamic website, referred to late in the book, as a place to continue the experience.

__________________________

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”)

Church of the Week: Queen of Peace, Millville, OH

2012-01-02T09:07:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity this past weekend to attend Mass at Queen of Peace Church in Millville, just a few miles from my home, with my brother-in-law.

The lovely Robin and I have passed this church (and school) countless times over the past 15 years or so, and yet I had never been inside the church, let alone attended worship there.

The sanctuary was nearly full for the 4:30 p.m. Saturday Mass. I hear that most Queen of Peace services are well attended. I liked the warmth and beauty of the worship space. The service was well-lit and well-amplified. A small choir (7 or 8 voices?) led the singing, accompanied by the organ.

Queen of Peace dates to 1941 as a parish church. The church seems to be very well-supported by its members (Father Jeff even thanked the congregation for their generous Christmas offerings!). The four-page weekly bulletin reflects a full schedule and a busy membership.

Queen of Peace is located at 2550 Millville Avenue just east of downtown metropolitan Millville, and a few miles west of Hamilton.

Thoughts on a New Year

2012-01-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of year again. I love the process of reviewing last year and looking forward to the next, some of which I have been sharing on this blog. As Samuel Logan Brengle wrote,

It seems impossible that a year could have passed so swiftly, and yet the return of this day assures me that once more the earth has run her wondrous race through lanes of light, and vast voids of space, and deep abysses of the night, amid the silent pomp and splendor of star-strewn heavens, completing another of her ceaseless cycles around the sun, ending another year and bringing us to this day.

When I was a little boy on the sun-bathed prairies of southern Illinois, a year seemed interminable. It moved forward on leaden feet, but now the years pass me like the flash of sunlit bubbles on wind-tossed waves, as though they must hasten and lose themselves in that eternity when time shall be no more. And yet what an unspeakable gift of God is a year! Who can compute its value or estimate its worth? We give and receive our little gifts and rejoice, but how paltry they are compared to God’s gift of a year of days!

He has given me one more year, and I praise Him. It has been a good year. He has crowded it with mercies. He has crowned it with blessings. He has kept me from sin. He has not permitted me to fall. He has not let my enemy triumph over me. He has directed my paths, He has ordered my steps. He has given success to my labors. He has kept my heart and mind in peace, and in loving-kindness has opened to me the gates of another year, through which I enter with trust, and yet with trembling. I do not fear that I shall fall, though I know I must watch and pray lest I fall; but I trust unfalteringly that my watchful Keeper—my Good Shepherd—who has guarded me with such sleepless care through these many years, will hold me up (from Resurrection Life and Power, chapter 10).

Well said. Happy New Year.

My 2012 Reading Plan

2011-12-31T09:28:00.002-05:00

It's time once more for me to plan my reading for the year. As I've posted about here and here, I devise a reading plan at the beginning of every year, to help guide my reading in the months to come (it usually turns out that half or more of my reading is spontaneous, so my plan is plenty flexible). So here are some of the books I hope to get to in the course of 2012:

Memoir:
The Bread of Angels (Saldana)
The Hiding Place (ten Boom)

Biography:
Splendor of God (Morrow)
The Autobiography of George Muller (Muller)
A Man Called Peter (Marshall)

Classics
Les Miserables (Hugo)
Bleak House (Dickens)
Gulliver's Travels (Swift)

Writing:
How to Be A Writer (Baig)
Hooked (Edgerton)
The Virginia Woolf Writer’s Workshop (Jones)

History:
The Gifts of the Jews (Cahill)
Desire of the Everlasting Hills (Cahill)
How the Irish Saved Civilization (Cahill)

New authors:
Possession (Byatt)
Wolf Song (Fergusson)
The Corrections (Franzen)
A Soldier of the Great War (Helprin)
I, Elizabeth (Miles)
Libra (DeLillo)
Amos Walker: The Complete Stories (Estleman)

Poetry:
Writing the River (Shaw)

Favorites:
Code of the West (Grey)
Chancy (L’Amour)
The Cherokee Trail (L’Amour)

Christian:
The Naked Life (Banks)
The Power of a Whisper (Hybels)
The End of Religion (Cavey)
The Challenge of Jesus (Wright)
Just Think (Nordenson)
Seeing the Unseen (Hunt)

Related books; (read in order):
Les Miserables (Hugo) & Cosette (Kalpakian)
Something Rotten (Fforde) & Gertrude & Claudius (Updike)

International and inter-cultural:
The Bread of Angels (Saldana)

Contemplative/Devotional:
The Next Chapter After the Last (Tozer)
Introduction to the Devout Life (de Sales)
With Christ in the School of Prayer (Murray)

Friends:
In Shady Groves (Lehman)
Lonestar Sanctuary (Coble)
Solitary (Thrasher)

Mule-choker:
Les Miserables (Hugo)
A Soldier of the Great War (Helprin)

Books about books:
For the Love of Books (Shwartz)
My Reading Life (Conroy)

Other:
84 Charing Cross Road (Hanff)
The Last Dickens (Pearl)
11/22/63 (King)
How to Stay Alive in the Woods (Angier)

That’s 46 (some are listed more than twice because they fit multiple categories)…probably the most realistic ratio of planned reading to total reading in a few years. Considering how many free books I read on my iPad these days, downloaded on a whim, I think that’s a pretty do-able list.

Top 10 Books of 2011

2011-12-30T09:22:00.005-05:00

Of the 101 books I read in 2011, which I listed yesterday on this blog, ten stand out from the rest as the most enjoyable and most memorable to me.

Three novels. Two memoirs. Three history. Three from Christian publishers. One classic. One audiobook (marked with an asterisk).

If you would like to know more about why a particular book is on the list, those marked with a † have been reviewed on this blog. Simply search for the title, or go to the category sidebar and click on "Book of the Week" to display all the book reviews and just scroll down until you find the one you're looking for. Also, each book's title is linked to the Amazon listing for that title, so you can learn more, read reviews, or purchase the book online.

1. One Thousand Gifts (Voskamp) †

2. Thirteen Moons (Frazier)

3. Hannah Coulter (Berry)*

4. Love Is an Orientation (Marin) †

5. The Swiss Family Robinson (Wyss)

6. Hellhound on His Trail (Sides)

7. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer (Swanson)

8. No Ordinary Time (Goodwin)

9. A Walk in the Woods (Bryson)

10. I Am a Follower (Sweet)

2011 in Books

2011-12-29T09:10:00.004-05:00

A year-end practice of mine for many years has been a review of the books I have read in the previous year. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I assemble a reading plan at the beginning of each year, and that guides roughly fifty percent of my reading through the year. Then, at the end of the year, I look over the books I've enjoyed, looking for balance and patterns, etc.

So here's a quick look back on last year’s reading, sorted by category (an asterisk indicates an audiobook):

Memoir:
A Rope and a Prayer (Rohde/Mulvihill)
In the Presence of My Enemies (Burnham)*
Decision Points (Bush)*
Going Rogue (Palin)
Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant (Grant)
I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This (Newhart)*
A Walk in the Woods (Bryson)
The Pastor (Peterson)

Biography:
Martin Luther King Jr. (Frady)
The Heavenly Man (Hattaway)*

Classics.
The Life and Death of King John (Shakespeare)
The Swiss Family Robinson (Wyss)
Julius Caesar (Shakespeare)
Two Gentlemen of Verona (Shakespeare)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (Wiggin)
Ben Hur (Wallace)*

Writing:
A Dangerous Profession (Busch)

History:
Hellhound on His Trail (Sides)
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer (Swanson)
Rawhide Down (Wilber)
Contested Will (Shapiro)*
The Fall of Rome (Lafferty)
No Ordinary Time (Goodwin)

New authors:
Cosmopolis (DeLillo)*
Arthur & George (Barnes)
Hard Eight (Evanovich)*
God Save the Mark (Westlake)
The Sense of An Ending (Barnes)
The Score (Stark)

Poetry:
Nox (Carson)
Evidence (Oliver)
Prayers from the Ark (de Gasztold)
What Can I Give Him? (Rossetti/Gliori)

Favorites:
Finding Our Way Again (McLaren)
The Pastor (Peterson)

Christian:
The School of Obedience (Murray)
Trusting God (Bridges)
One Thousand Gifts (Voskamp)
Imaginary Jesus (Mikalatos)
The Holiness of God (Sproul)
Extraordinary (Bevere)
A Collection of Wednesdays (Hayes)
Last Light (Blackstock)
Heaven is For Real (Burpo)
Enemies of the Heart (Stanley)
No More Christian Nice Guy (Coughlin)
Day of War (Graham)
Churched (Turner)
Velvet Elvis (Bell)
Love Is an Orientation (Marin)
Mere Churchianity (Spencer)
Close Enough to Hear God Breathe (Paul)
Ancient Prophets & Modern Problems (Brengle)
The Guest of the Soul (Brengle)
Think (Piper)*
The Soul-Winner’s Secret (Brengle)
Seven Life Lessons from Noah’s Ark (Levine)*
Heart Talks on Holiness (Brengle)
When the Holy Ghost is Come (Brengle)
Gods and Kings (Austin)
Love Slaves (Brengle)
Resurrection Life and Power (Brengle)
The Way of Holiness (Brengle)
A Time to Embrace (Johnson)
The Training of the Twelve (Bruce)
The Joy of Christmas (Bianchi/Manser)
Red Like Blood (Coffey/Bevington)
The Well (Hall)

Ministry/Leadership:
Our Iceberg is Melting (Kotter/Rathgeber)
The Principle of the Path (Stanley)
Spiritual Leadership (Sanders)
Beyond Talent (Maxwell)
I Am a Follower (Sweet)

Related books:
Martin Luther King Jr. (Frady) & Hellhound on His Trail (Sides)
Arthur & George (Barnes), Sherlock Holmes and the Dog in the Nighttime (Cohen) & The Sherlockian (Moore)
Love Is an Orientation (Marin) & A Time to Embrace (Johnson)

Children’s:
Love You Forever (Munsch/McGraw)
Quiet LOUD (Patricelli)
I Love You This Much (Hodges/Buchanan/Brunelle)
Heaven is Having You (Andreae/Cabban)
If I Ran the Zoo (Seuss)
Everyone Poops (Gomi)
Bartleby’s Book of Buttons, vol. 1
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (Joyce)
Prayers from the Ark (de Gasztold)
Just For You (Mayer)
Garbage! Monster! Burp! (Watson)
What Can I Give Him? (Gliori)

Re-read:
Helps to Holiness (Brengle)

Contemplative/Devotional:
When the Trees Say Nothing (Merton)

Friends:
Listen (Gutteridge)
All Through the Night (Bunn)
The Brotherhood (Jenkins)

Other:
Stalina (Rubin)
The Heritage of the Desert (Grey)
Damp Squid (Butterfield)
Do the Work (Pressfield)
The Bag Lady Papers (Penney)*
Thirteen Moons (Frazier) *
Hannah Coulter (Berry)*
Grendel (Gardner)*
Way off the Road (Geist)*
Water for Elephants (Gruen)*
The Gathering (Kienzle)
The Great Typo Hunt (Deck, Herson)

Mule choker:
Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant (Grant)
No Ordinary Time (Goodwin)
Ben Hur (Wallace)*

That’s 101 books, 31 more than last year (some are listed in multiple categories). More memoirs than I’ve ever read in a year. And fewer ministry/leadership books than in recent years. Twenty-three novels. Six classics. Six history, which is a bit surprising. Pleasantly so. Three plays. I think 26 or so were read as ebooks. And 15 or so as audiobooks. I’m sure both of those numbers are the most ever for me. And some surprising twists and turns, but altogether a wonderful year of discovery and enjoyment.

Tomorrow I'll post my ten favorite books of the year.

My Favorite Things in 2011

2011-12-28T08:43:00.002-05:00

For Julie Andrews (as Maria Von Trapp), it was raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, among other things. But neither of those made the list of my 100 favorite things of 2011 (all of which should be prefaced with “By God’s grace"). After the first few, they're only very generally in any order of priority or preference. So don't get all worked up about the order; they're all my favorites, okay?

1. The birth of our fourth grandchild, Ryder McCane
2. The lovely Robin accepting a new job
3. Re-establishing and again enjoying a writing ministry
4. Making enough money to live, after resigning a generous salary at the end of last year
5. Feeling my faith grow and deepen
6. Taking a wonderful vacation with the kids and grandkids on Old Mission Peninsula
7. Climbing the climbing dune at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
8. Having all our kids and grandkids for Christmas dinner
9. Watching my kids with their kids
10. Creating and enjoying more margin in my life
11. Seeing my son become a worship leader
12. Lunches with Aaron
13. Lunches with Calleigh and Aubrey
14. Coffee at Starbucks with Aaron
15. Easter Sunday at Cobblestone Community Church
16. Signing the Quit Going to Church book contract
17. Signing the Take Time to Be Holy book contract
18. Signing the How to Fall in Love with God book contract
19. Writing The Quest
20. Writing Quit Going to Church
21. Writing Take Time to Be Holy
22. Writing twelve sermons for publication
23. Publishing Jordan River Anthology as an ebook
24. Preaching 24 messages
25. Praying with a first-time attender to church to receive salvation
26. Performing two weddings
27. Exercising regularly at Bever Fitness Center
28. Giving away 12% of our income
29. Visiting the Cincinnati Zoo with the kids and grandkids
30. A lovely anniversary stay at The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls
31. Introducing our grandkids to s’mores
32. Tuesdays with Calleigh
33. Mia’s second birthday party
34. Miles’s fourth birthday party
35. Calleigh’s second birthday party
36. Taking the grandkids to see the Christmas lights
37. Taking the grandkids to the Krohn Conservatory Christmas show
38. Two Gentlemen of Verona at Cincinnati Shakespeare Theater
39. The Life and Death of King John at Cincinnati Shakespeare Theater
40. Seeing The Compleat Wrks of Wm Shakspr at the Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta
41. Visiting with Rick and Glenn in Atlanta
42. Sweet prayer times in my prayer chair
43. Posting more than a prayer a day on my prayer blog
44. Having time to mow the lawn myself and accomplish some things around the house
45. Aubrey’s thirtieth birthday party at Jessica’s house
46. Updating (and re-releasing) Don’t Check Your Brains at the Door
47. The June Great Strides walk
48. Our family gathering in Wisconsin for Vince & Amanda’s wedding
49. The Friends of the Lane Library annual book sale in May
50. A MidSummer Night’s Dream at Seasongood Pavilion in Eden Park
51. Leading J__ B_______ in a prayer of salvation in my study
52. The visit of Norah and the boys in August
53. The visit of Don and Arvilla in September
54. Taking the grandkids to the Chick-Fil-A playland
55. Taking the grandkids to McDonald’s playland
56. Lunch with Don and Christie in December
57. Playing at Hanover Township Park with Calleigh
58. Dinner at The Grand Finale with the lovely Robin
59. Staying at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane
60. Dinners at Walt’s Barbecue
61. Julius Caesar at Cincinnati Shakespeare Theater
62. Dinners at Paesano’s
63. Having my kids and grandkids living 15 minutes away
64. Having my kids and grandkids living across the street from each other
65. Swimming in the pool with the grandkids
66. Jane Eyre with Robin at the Mariemont Theater
67. Visiting the Bakers in Denver
68. Reuniting with Dorothy, Vernon, Warren, and Bill Maclean in April
69. Enjoying fires in the fireplace with the lovely Robin
70. Lunches at Ryan’s Tavern with Tim
71. Getting books from Lane Library
72. Getting new iPhones for me and Robin
73. Getting ebooks and audiobooks on Overdrive
74. Having more time to spend with the people I love most
75. Reading One Thousand Gifts (Voskamp)
76. My fifty-third birthday dinner with Robin, the kids, and the grandkids
77. Reading Thirteen Moons (Frazier)
78. Watching Royal Pains and Castle with the lovely Robin
79. Reading Hannah Coulter (Berry)
80. Saving hundreds (thousands?) of dollars in groceries
81. Reading Love Is an Orientation (Marin)
82. Reading Quiet LOUD to the grandkids
83. Reading The Swiss Family Robinson (Wyss)
84. Reading Hellhound on His Trail (Sides)
85. Anniversary drive with Robin through Ross Co., and walk through Chillicothe Corps
86. Reading No Ordinary Time (Goodwin)
87. Reading A Walk in the Woods (Bryson)
88. Reading Ben Hur (Wallace)
89. Reading I Am a Follower (Sweet)
90. Reading The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant (Grant)
91. Re-reading the books of Samuel Logan Brengle
92. Hiking in the Hocking Hills
93. Selling hundreds of dollars worth of stuff on Amazon
94. Watching Sherlock Holmes: The Game of Shadows with Robin
95. Watching White Christmas with Robin
96. The privilege of voting
97. Publishing articles in Priority!, Seek, The War Cry, The Lookout, Direction, Christian Standard, etc.
98. Praying at the General Session of the Ohio Statehouse
99. Preaching at The Salvation Army Center Hill Corps
100. Reading Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer (Swanson)

I Am a Follower

2011-12-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

I am a Len Sweet fan. In my opinion, Sweet, the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew University (as well as Distinguished Visiting Professor at George Fox University), is one of the most innovative and influential thinkers in the Church today.

So I was excited to read his newest book, I Am a Follower (The Way, Truth, and Life of Following Jesus). I was not disappointed. The book skewers the modern church's success-worshiping, corporate-obsessed "leadership" fixation, and contrasts it with the example and message of Jesus--what Sweet calls "followership culture." He says, "Leadership is an alien template that we have laid on the Bible." And then he goes about showing us the more excellent way of Jesus, in his typically colorful, thoughtful, biblical, and entertaining style.

After the prologue (don't skip it), the book is divided into three sections, characterized by four Latin words: Vece (the place), Via (the way), Verita (the truth), and Vita (the life). It features "Interactives," suitable for individual and group use, in which the author offers questions for discussion and more content for further application. The text is enriched with quotes from a diverse spectrum of voices--from Wendell Berry and Dietrich Bonhoeffer to Hunter S. Thompson and Tom T. Hall. It is a delight to read and a spur to thought.

My Bible for 2012

2011-12-26T09:21:00.001-05:00

For the last ten years or so, I have enjoyed and benefited from the practice of using a different Bible each year as I read through the Bible. In this way, I've discovered and become familiar with the English Standard Version, the Complete Jewish Bible, The Message, the Narrated Bible, and more.

I'm very excited about my Bible for 2012. It's The Mosaic Bible, a new NLT edition from Tyndale House Publishers. Besides the fact that it is an absolutely gorgeous book, with color illustrations that incorporate the best of modern and ancient, traditional and contemporary, it offers a devotional component that walks the reader through the Church Year, beginning (of course) with Advent and proceeding through the seasons of the liturgical calendar. The weekly readings are deep and meaningful, and incorporate voices from a wide spectrum--or mosaic--of Christianity. The volume also includes a helpful introduction, Tyndale's NLT Word Study System, key words, and an NLT dictionary and concordance.

Since the Church Year begins with Advent, I've already begun using The Mosaic Bible, and will continue through Advent next year. I also plan to use the NLT in my three-year plan to memorize the Psalms, in their entirety, fifty psalms a year. I hope to update the readers of this blog every so often on how I'm doing, and how God is using the psalms in my life.

You can preview The Mosaic Bible online, here.

A 1,625-Year-Old Christmas Message

2011-12-25T09:56:00.000-05:00

A Christmas Day tradition here on the Desperate Pastor blog is the following, the earliest Christmas sermon still extant. It was written and delivered in A.D. 386 by John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople:

BEHOLD a new and wondrous mystery. My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. The Archangels blend their voice in harmony. The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The Seraphim exalt His glory. All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised.

Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of justice. And ask not how: for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed, He had the power, He descended, He redeemed; all things yielded in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is Born; and He Who is, becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became He God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassability, remaining unchanged.

And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.

Since this heavenly birth cannot be described, neither does His coming amongst us in these days permit of too curious scrutiny. Though I know that a Virgin this day gave birth, and I believe that God was begotten before all time, yet the manner of this generation I have learned to venerate in silence and I accept that this is not to be probed too curiously with wordy speech. For with God we look not for the order of nature, but rest our faith in the power of Him who works.

What shall I say to you; what shall I tell you? I behold a Mother who has brought forth; I see a Child come to this light by birth. The manner of His conception I cannot comprehend.

Nature here rested, while the Will of God labored. O ineffable grace! The Only Begotten, Who is before all ages, Who cannot be touched or be perceived, Who is simple, without body, has now put on my body, that is visible and liable to corruption. For what reason? That coming amongst us he may teach us, and teaching, lead us by the hand to the things that men cannot see. For since men believe that the eyes are more trustworthy than the ears, they doubt of that which they do not see, and so He has deigned to show Himself in bodily presence, that He may remove all doubt.

Christ, finding the holy body and soul of the Virgin, builds for Himself a living temple, and as He had willed, formed there a man from the Virgin; and, putting Him on, this day came forth; unashamed of the lowliness of our nature’. For it was to Him no lowering to put on what He Himself had made. Let that handiwork be forever glorified, which became the cloak of its own Creator. For as in the first creation of flesh, man could not be made before the clay had come into His hand, so neither could this corruptible body be glorified, until it had first become the garment of its Maker.

What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now bound by an infants bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His Goodness.

For this He assumed my body, that I may become capable of His Word; taking my flesh, He gives me His spirit; and so He bestowing and I receiving, He prepares for me the treasure of Life. He takes my flesh, to sanctify me; He gives me His Spirit, that He may save me.

Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been ‘in planted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels.

Why is this? Because God is now on earth, and man in heaven; on every side all things commingle. He became Flesh. He did not become God. He was God. Wherefore He became flesh, so that He Whom heaven did not contain, a manger would this day receive. He was placed in a manger, so that He, by whom all things arc nourished, may receive an infant’s food from His Virgin Mother. So, the Father of all ages, as an infant at the breast, nestles in the virginal arms, that the Magi may more easily see Him. Since this day the Magi too have come, and made a beginning of withstanding tyranny; and the heavens give glory, as the Lord is revealed by a star.

To Him, then, Who out of confusion has wrought a clear path, to Christ, to the Father, and to the Holy Ghost, we offer all praise, now and for ever. Amen.

A Christmas Eve Classic, Revitalized

2011-12-23T09:48:00.000-05:00

Last-Minute Christmas Giving Opportunities

2011-12-21T11:10:00.001-05:00

Done with your Christmas shopping? Every gift bought? Good to go?

Congratulations. Well done. But many of us neglect the kind of gift-giving that may be most pleasing to God and most reflective of the spirit of Christmas: giving to the poor, the lonely, the neglected, those outside our own families.

In my tiny brain and heart, Christmas isn't truly celebrated unless I give generously, not only to my family and friends, but also to the types of people God made sure to include in the first Christmas: foreigners, despised, poor, forgotten, old people. If you are of a similar mind and heart, I'd be tickled if this post encourages you to give a Christmas gift to one of my favorite causes:

The Salvation Army Online Red Kettle

WEGO Peru, the missionary enterprise of our friends Don and Christie Latta

Harvest of Hope, through which you can buy nutrition for a slum child or a goat, cow, or chicken for a family

Samaritan's Purse, which offers an online "gift catalog" from which to choose

Christmas Revelations

2011-12-20T11:08:00.004-05:00

Sunday, while the lovely Robin and I were being blessed by Sunday morning worship and a fine sermon on Luke 2, I enjoyed a flurry of new questions and thoughts regarding the account of Joseph and Mary's Bethlehem experience.

I've often said that I am amazed at how the Bible continues to speak to me, and reveal new things to me, no matter how many times I have read, studied, or preached a passage. And so it does.

I'm sure that, to many of my erudite friends (who know what erudite even means), the following will be thoughts they've already thought. Long ago, even. Well, that just shows that I am still a babe in the woods when it comes to biblical scholarship. No one ever claimed otherwise. The bright side is that I find questions like these immensely fun and rewarding.

For example, Luke 2:4-5 says,

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

How many times have I read, studied, and preached that? But yesterday I was taken aback by the realization that here, approximately nine months after the angel Gabriel's appearance to Mary (and also to Joseph), she was not yet "his wife," but "his betrothed." This probably indicates that, despite the unexpected (and, to all the world, scandalous) pregnancy, they apparently followed the customary twelve months of betrothal before the bridegroom claimed his bride from her father's house. Maybe moving the wedding feast to an earlier date would have been more scandalous than the pregnancy and the baby's arrival before a wedding feast. Or, maybe there was no point to moving faster, if the pregnancy affected Joseph's plans (or his family's) to cancel or downgrade the wedding feast. Maybe it shows a godly disregard for the pressures of society and the opinions of gossips. Or maybe none of the above.

A second thought occurred to me about that scenario. Joseph was traveling with Mary, "his betrothed." But according to first century Jewish custom, Mary's place was at home with her mother and father until the bridegroom came to claim her and carry her away at the start of the wedding feast. But there she is, in Luke 2, traveling a hundred miles from home with her betrothed. While the betrothed parties were considered husband and wife after the betrothal took place, and only divorce or death could then separate them, they did not live together as husband and wife until after the wedding feast. But they apparently traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem as husband and wife, and when they found lodging, they lodged together, rather than Mary with her parents. Unless, of course, Mary and Joseph were part of a larger traveling party that included her parents--maybe her parents likewise counted Bethlehem their ancestral home and were simply unmentioned members of the traveling party. Maybe they even stayed in the nativity cave with Joseph and Mary--though all the above conjecture seems pretty unlikely. So maybe there was some special dispensation for Joseph and Mary's peculiar situation.

Another thought. Verses six and seven say:

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

So familiar. We all have read and heard those words bajillions of times. I've preached on that text, of course, numerous times. We may infer that all their relatives' homes (and it's reasonable to believe that Joseph had many relatives in Bethlehem) were booked solid. But even so, for family to turn them away would probably have been unthinkable in that culture, even if there was no room. Right? So, why an "inn," or khan? Was the "innkeeper" family? Or was the inn simply on the route into Bethlehem...when labor hit, and they had to find lodgings immediately? Admittedly, the wording of the phrase, "While she was there, the time came" seems to indicate that she was NOT in labor when they arrived at the inn, but settled into their digs for the night and then labor began. But if that's the case, it is still curious that they found no lodging with extended family. Even strangers, in that culture, would have considered it shameful to turn away someone in need of shelter. So it all still makes me wonder--or at least think it possible--that Jesus may have been born in a cave and laid in a manger because labor came on before the family quite arrived at their intended destination. That scenario suggests many new wrinkles to the story, to me, at least.

And, finally, when the angel told the shepherds (in verse 12), "this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger," why was that all the directions given to those shepherds? Couldn't the angel have added, "in the khan, on Route 27?" Or something like that? But the angel said only to look for a baby in a manger. Were there more and better directions given that just aren't recorded in Luke's account? Or was the purpose of the scant directions to create a "buzz," as the shepherds asked around and looked everywhere (the preacher pointed out yesterday that the wording of verse 16 in the original Greek indicates a thorough search)? Or perhaps to require some effort on the shepherds' part?

Intriguing questions, and of course they can't be answered with anything approaching certainty. I'm sure I'll learn more as I study more. But as I said before, I'm amazed at the depth and reward the Bible offers, time and time again, to the inquisitive seeker.

Church of the Week: Veritas Church, Liberty Twp, OH

2011-12-18T19:17:00.002-05:00

The lovely Robin and I, with our dear friend Phyllis, enjoyed a fine morning worship experience today at Veritas Church, just off Cin-Day Road in Liberty Township, east of Hamilton.

We were welcomed warmly immediately upon entering, and were quickly met by the pastor, Chris Russell, his wife Leigh, and a mutual friend of some of our dearest friends, from waaaay back.

The worship took us to God's throne. Only after the service did we learn that the worship leader, Ernie, was unable to sing due to a bout of laryngitis.

The message of the morning, "Nothing Too Hard for God," from Luke 2, was quite good. It inspired many new thoughts and had me writing repeatedly in my iPad Bible.

Veritas is a Christian and Missionary Alliance church, which we know well (Robin's BA degree is from Nyack, a CMA school) and with which we feel an affinity.

It was a warm and refreshing worship experience, and we're grateful for the warmth and enthusiasm of the fellowship.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Church Signs With Moveable Letters Should Be Outlawed (Pt. 6)

2011-12-14T09:34:00.002-05:00

(via the Jesus Needs New PR blog)

In Which "Elf" Provokes Deep Theological Thought

2011-12-12T09:31:00.000-05:00

This excellent post makes a great point about why the "Stopped believing in Santa/stopped believing in God" parallel doesn't work, logically, for atheists, though it does for believers in God. It's written by C. Michael Patton, from the Parchment and Pen blog of Credo House Ministries.

One of my all-time favorite movies is “Elf.” Our family probably watches it three or four times every Christmas season. The child-like naivety of “Buddy” the elf is more than enough to make anyone smile. He believes in Christmas. He most certainly believes in Santa. It takes us back to the time when we, who’s parents introduced us to the Jolly man, anticipated his coming every Christmas and defended his existence on the playground. There is one scene in Elf that I really love (okay, there are a hundred that I really love!). It was when Buddy was being told by Santa that many people did not believe he existed. An astonished Buddy does not know how to respond (as if it is the first time he ever considered that people might not believe in Santa). First he wonders who they think brings all the gifts. After Santa says that there is a rumor that it is the parents, Buddy says, “That’s crazy. What about Santa’s cookies? I suppose parents eat those too?” Don’t be too hard on Buddy. He is just trying too find a sufficient explanation for the presents and cookies.

Many times when I am talking to atheists about the Christian faith they bring up their graduation ceremony from believing in Santa. As they graduated from a belief in Santa, so they say, they have also graduated from a belief in God. While this has an emotional appeal and seeming parallel, it does not really work. In fact, it works in favor of theism more than atheism.

The reason why people believe in Santa is not simply because their parents tell them he is real, but because parents tell them that Santa is the explanation for a phenomenon that happens every Christmas morning. Santa is the one who brought the toys and ate the cookies. When the kids wake up Christmas morning and see all the new toys (at my house the ones from Santa were unwrapped) and ask, “Who got me this?”, they are asking a very reasonable question. They are seeking to find the cause behind the presence of their new toys. It’s the whole cause and effect thing. If the new toys were not there, there would be no reason to ask such a question. Therefore, the presence of Santa is invoked by a need to find causation for their Christmas morning joy associated with the toys.

Therefore, Santa is, by definition, the cause behind the effect of the toys and cookie crumbs. When people quit believing in Santa, they don’t quit believing in a cause, they just change the association behind the cause. It is not as if one day kids come of age and realize that the toys magically appear every Christmas morning with no explanation. It is not as if they believe that given enough time, chance will produce a situation where every year on December 24th you can place a plate of cookies by the fireplace and expect that they will be gone the next morning without explanation. You see, Santa just changes names. No one quits believing in the agent (whatever the name may be) responsible for the presents and the cookies. They just no longer believe that the agent’s name is “Santa.” Therefore, in a very real sense, no one quits believing in Santa (the cause of the toys and eaten cookies).

When it comes to God, the situation is the same. Existence itself demands a causal explanation. We are an effect, looking for the cause. God, by definition, is that cause. Just as we cannot say that there is no cause for the toys under the tree Christmas morning, you cannot say that there is no cause for all of existence. That is why R.C. Spoul has said that the best argument for the existence of God is this: “If something exists, God exists…Something does exist, so God does exist.”

“If toys are under the tree, somone must have put them there…Toys are under the tree, so someone put them there.”

Considering this, while we could not say that the parallel between God and Santa works for atheists (for it is simply a slight of hand illustration), it does work for theists because it illustrates that effects always need an explanation. Just changing the name of the explanation does not in any way do away with the need for a cause. Santa (the cause behind the toys) is still needed. God (the cause behind existence) is still needed. No one graduates from either, even if they change their names.

Even if his conclusion is misplaced, Buddy’s logic was sound: “That’s crazy. Who do you think is responsible for eating the cookies?” Who do you think is responsible for existence? Whatever your answer, that is your God.

Church of the Week: Park Avenue UMC, Hamilton

2011-12-11T09:07:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of performing a wedding this weekend at Park Avenue United Methodist Church in Hamilton, Ohio.

It is a venerable old church with strong and deep roots in the community. The lovely Robin and I were so honored to partner in ministry with the Reverend Barbara Dafler, the pastor of the church, in marrying a couple of dear friends.

The church, located at 801 Park Avenue in the Highland Park neighborhood on Hamilton's west side, is warm and welcoming in architecture and in spirit. The sanctuary is striking and the acoustics very nice. They hold a 9 a.m. "traditional" service and an 11 a.m. "contemporary" worship service on Sundays.

While this was not my first time inside the church, it was my first worship experience there, and it was one I hope to remember for a long time to come.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Biggest Shortcoming as a Pastor

2011-12-09T10:07:00.000-05:00

I have had and still have many, many shortcomings as a pastor. But clearly one of the biggest--perhaps THE biggest--is that I've never had a "soul patch." Like (from top to bottom) pastors Pete Wilson, Steven Furtick, Clint Archer, and Richard Baxter.

An Advent Lesson from Our Grandchildren

2011-12-07T21:53:00.003-05:00

My wife, the lovely Robin, and I were excited to introduce our three grandchildren to the new "Little People" nativity set we recently bought, as a fun tool for teaching them the story of Christmas.

The set included adorable figures representing Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, three Magi, a camel, a sheep, a donkey, a cow, and an angel (we had to order a shepherd and extra sheep separately). So we set it up and at the first opportunity, told the story, letting them help us act it out, and then set them loose to play with the set.

Later that evening, after the grandchildren had gone home, we set to the task of putting the house back together, and discovered a nice little Advent message waiting for us.

Sometime during the course of that evening, one or more of the grandkids had added to the set from other figures in the playroom. A horse. A deer, I think. And, most striking of all, a pig. A pig.

Of course, they have no awareness that a pig in the scene would have been anomalous that first Christmas (I'm pretty sure they don't even know what "anomalous" means). But no matter. Neither do they know (yet) that the shepherds themselves would have been a shocking addition to the first "nativity scene," despised as they were in first century Jewish society. But even if they knew, they wouldn't care. And I'm glad. I'm glad my grandchildren found a place for a pig and a horse and a deer among the figures around the manger. It was--and is--a reminder to me that Advent and Christmas--and the Kingdom itself--is more inclusive than we tend to think. Maybe more so than we like to think, or are able to think.

Come, let us adore him.
Let us ALL adore him...Christ, the Lord.

The Heavenly Man

2011-12-05T14:46:00.006-05:00

The Heavenly Man tells the riveting story of Brother Yun (Liu Zhenying), a Chinese house church leader who began to follow Jesus Christ as a teenager in China's Hunan Province.

His story reads like a modern day Acts of the Apostles, complete with a miraculous delivery of a Chinese Bible to young Yun, a miraculous (and Acts 12-like) escape from prison, explosive growth of the Chinese church amid persecution, and more. It is written in a straightforward, matter-of-fact style that enhances the credibility of this remarkable testimony.

This excellent book is not a missionary story (though one chapter presents a Chinese-born missionary vision that ought to challenge--maybe even shame--the Western Church), but a compelling story that will engage and encourage everyone who reads it. Brother Yun taught me much about commitment, mission, prayer, Bible reading and memorization, and loving and following the Lord one step at a time. His testimony of faith and faithfulness in spite of poverty, persecution, arrest, imprisonment, beatings, and torture will challenge readers to re-evaluate their own faith...and seek God anew.

12 Ways Facebook Helps Pastors

2011-11-30T10:47:00.005-05:00

As a followup to yesterday's post, I offer the following, which--though originally composed and posted a couple years ago--details and amplifies Ron Edmondson's point about social media and pastors. While I am no longer pastoring for a living (see this post), much of the following still holds true:

Facebook has made me a better pastor. I joined the social networking site a while ago, but never used it for some time. Then, just a few months ago, I became an avid user (my friend Jae Hess claims I need an intervention, but so far I’ve managed to avoid anything so extreme). Since then, I’m becoming more and more aware of the benefits of Facebook to me as a pastor:

1.Facebook helps me connect with more people in the church. Last Sunday, I was able to greet someone with a followup to a statement they had made on Facebook! We enjoyed a short conversation and a laugh that might not have gone beyond “good morning” otherwise. And it allows me to make connections with people at their convenience, without intruding into a busy schedule or hectic home.
2. I send daily birthday greetings to members of my flock who are on Facebook. It only takes a few seconds, but it’s such a blessing to have that brief connection. I can’t help but believe it means something to send those greetings.
3. I’m in the loop. Through Facebook, I’ve been much better informed about the lives of my brothers and sisters: who’s on vacation, who’s having surgery, who’s having a bad day, and so on.
4. I pray via Facebook. I have had multiple opportunities to include a short prayer for a member of the church, and I’ve linked my daily prayer blog to my profile page, so my church family can gain a sense of what I’m praying each day.
5. It makes me “normal.” As normal as a pastor can be, that is. People can see on Facebook if I share an interest of theirs, or keep up with the semi-normal pursuits of my daily life.
6. It extends my example when I mention that I’m on a date night with my wife, or “sabbathing,” or “complining before bedtiming,” for example.
7. It helps me learn names. I have actually studied photos of people in the church whom I’ve “friended” on Facebook to try to improve my recollection when I see them at church. And just yesterday we got a program tab with a newcomer’s contact info on it, and I wasn’t sure of the last name...until that person asked me to “friend” her on Facebook!
8. It has increased my photo library of church things. Last week, after a child dedication on Sunday, a friend posted photos of her child’s dedication and “tagged” me in the picture. I copied those photos to my own files.
9. Facebook gets the word out. A few months ago, my church got a donation of brand new white boards. We installed those we needed and had one left over. I saw a ministry friend’s update on Facebook saying he was shopping for a white board. I sent him a message and a few days later he had a brand new board at no cost.
10. It encourages me and invites prayer for me. A while back, I was having a really crummy day, and said so in my update. Within minutes, a bunch of friends assured me they loved me and were praying for me. For a guy whose tendency is to suffer alone, that’s a huge benefit.
11. It makes me laugh. With all the stresses that come with public ministry, having an occasional friend poke fun at me---or me at them---makes the load a little lighter.
12. It makes me look cooler than I really am. At least, cooler than pastors who aren’t on Facebook, right?

I’m sure I’m forgetting or overlooking a few more ministry advantages to Facebook. Feel free to add your own in the comments. And, by the way, it’s not as time-consuming as most people think. I keep my Facebook page open in the background and check it a few times a day, max. Honestly. Seriously. No, really. No kidding. I’m being straight with you. Oops, just got a message on Facebook. Gotta go.

Social Media and Pastors

2011-11-29T16:09:00.005-05:00

Blogging pastor Ron Edmondson is right in offering "7 Words Why You Need Social Media as a Pastor Today":

You

want

to

reach

people

for

Christ

That’s all there is to it. Of course, you want more explanation if you’ve questioned it so far. Let me just say this: If you want to reach people, you have to go where people are…

Any questions?

He's right. You may PREFER to be a Luddite. You may not LIKE social media. But maybe Paul wasn't a big fan of Mars Hill, either. But he went where the people were, So must we. Period.

Wrong Decisions

2011-11-25T11:23:00.002-05:00

Wrong Way, a photo by aturkus on Flickr.

Jeff Goins, guest-posting on Michael Hyatt's leadership blog, writes the following. It's excellent. Read the whole thing:

I once heard Dave Ramsey share the secret to his effective leadership and decision-making strategy: ”I make a decision, and if it’s the wrong one, I make another one.”

Here was my thought process in reaction to that statement:

That’s ludicrous.
That’s reckless.
That’s… genius.

At the time, Dave knew something about leadership that I was just beginning to learn....

Like I said, read the whole thing.

Church of the Week: Two Cincinnati Churches

2011-11-21T10:00:00.001-05:00

The church of the week today is actually two churches. And neither is the actual church, but a replica found in this year's lovely holiday floral show at Krohn Conservatory, "Trains, Trestles, and Traditions."

Above is the historic Salem United Church of Christ, located on Sycamore Street in the Over-the-Rhine area of Cincinnati. It was built in 1867. To the left is the Mount Adams Incline, which no longer exists. But the church does, and still operates in its historic location, also hosting the Know Theater of Cincinnati.

The other church featured in the display is the Church of the Immaculata, or Immaculata Church, a Roman Catholic church atop Mt. Adams. Located at 30 Guido Street, it allows a breathtaking view of the Ohio River below from one of the highest points in Cincinnati. It was built in 1859, and since 1860 has served as a pilgrimage church, where on Good Friday the faithful ascend eighty-five steps (many on their knees) to the church's front door from the neighborhood below while praying the Rosary.

These are two great selections (among many that could have been included) of historic churches that are part of Cincinnati's rich tradition.

Biblical Fiction

2011-11-19T10:04:00.002-05:00

Of all the book reviews I've featured on this blog (more than 100), I don't think I've ever said much about Biblical fiction, a genre I have long enjoyed and from which I have benefited (unless you count The Book of God, which doesn't quite fit, in my opinion). So I thought I'd take a little time to list some of my favorite pieces of Biblical fiction.

So I looked over my reading record (yes, I've kept a record for decades now), and I was honestly a little surprised at how many Biblical novels I had read. Listing them all would be way too work-intensive. So I will choose what I consider, off the top of my head, to be the most memorable among them (though that's an unfair standard for those I read more than a few years ago...but then again, more than half the list are in that category, so I don't feel too bad). Here they are, in the order of the Biblical eras or events they describe

Son of Laughter (Frederick Buechner)
The story of the biblical patriarch Jacob...as told by Jacob. An accomplished, memorable work of Biblical fiction.

Naomi and Her Daughters (Walter Wangerin)
The story of Naomi, and Ruth...and Boaz. I loved this book.

Day of War (Cliff Graham)
An amazing first novel, the first in the Lion of War series on the Biblical story of King David.

The Rebel Prince (Henry W. Coray)
A 1975 novel about Absalom, the rebellious son of King David.

Elijah (William H. Stephens)
Though I read this story of the prophet Elijah many years ago, I remember being engrossed in it.

Gods and Kings (Lynn Austin)
The story of King Hezekiah, Book 1 of Chronicles of the Kings. This story brought to life for me the interplay between the kings and prophets (such as Isaiah and Micah, among others) in the years before the Exile.

Pontius Pilate (Paul L. Maier)
This is also one I read many years ago, which has also stuck with me in my memory (as have the next three).

Dear and Glorious Physician (Taylor Caldwell)
It's appropriate for Caldwell to make this list twice. She probably deserves all ten listings. This novel of the New Testament author Luke is first-rate.

Great Lion of God (Taylor Caldwell)
The story of Paul the Apostle. As only Caldwell could tell it.

Letter to Philemon (Winthrop and Frances Neilson)
Out of print now, I remember this novel bringing to vivid life the story of Philemon--the subject of the short New Testament letter that now bears his name. Utterly fascinating, as I recall.

Pastoral Weight Lifting

2011-11-18T12:11:00.003-05:00

Paul spoke of bearing "every day the load of my concern for all the churches" (2 Corinthians 11:28, NCV). Jared Wilson says something similar here:

The work of a pastor is difficult. Very few Christians lose sleep over the state of their church, the spiritual health of the body, the collective faithfulness or unfaithfulness of the congregation. But pastors do. This is something very few people who aren’t pastors can understand, isn’t it? While pastors carry the weight of their own struggles, and likely the weight of the struggles of their friends and family, they also carry the weight of the struggles of an entire church. They are responsible for more; they are accountable for much (Jared Wilson, Gospel Wakefulness, p. 192).

Forgive how this may sound, but I truly believe those who are not or have not been pastors can't understand this burden pastors carry every day.

The Wrong War

2011-11-17T09:53:00.003-05:00

Out of Ur posted a gripping interview yesterday with Tullian Tchividjian, who succeeded the late James Kennedy as pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He tells about the internecine warfare he and his church faced over the last several years. There was even a petition drive to remove him as pastor (which he survived). The full interview appears at LeadershipJournal.net.

I've experienced some of the things he talks about, but it's still shocking. Far too often, church people fight the wrong war. We engage in gossip, innuendo, character assassination, and power struggles.

I have at times beaten up myself that churches I have pastored weren't bigger than that, that the people in one of my churches hadn't been discipled beyond such blindness, stupidity, and sin. But the people (and some leaders and former leaders) of Coral Ridge weren't any better, and they had the estimable James Kennedy as their pastor for many years. And, of course, some first-century churches that Paul planted were pretty messed up, too. So of course it can happen to any church.

I recommend this interview to you, along with the Biblical admonition, "May it not be so among you" (Matthew 20:26). May it never be so. It is a (literal) shame to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and a shocking transgression against the Holy Spirit.

Prayer As Barometer and Thermometer

2011-11-16T09:03:00.000-05:00

This is spot on:

Prayer is essential for the Christian, as much for what it says about us as for what it can do through God. The simple act of getting on our knees (or faces or feet or whatever) for 5 or 50 minutes every day is the surest sign of our humility and dependence on our Father in heaven. There may be many reasons for our prayerlessness—time management, busyness, lack of concentration—but most fundamentally, we ask not because we think we need not. or we think God can give not. Deep down we feel secure when we have money in the bank, a healthy report from the doctor, and powerful people on our side. We do not trust in God alone. Prayerlessness is an expression of our meager confidence in God’s ability to provide and of our strong confidence in our ability to take care of ourselves without God’s help.

Read the whole thing here. Thanks to Jeremy Carr, on whose blog I found this.

Gospel Authorship

2011-11-15T08:35:00.000-05:00

The "Ehrman" Dr. Kruger refers to in this video is, of course, Dr. Bart Ehrman, a scholar and author who has become quite accomplished in questioning the reliability of the Bible:

Church of the Week: Gingerbread House of God

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't seen it in person, but I read about it on the excellent Deacon's Bench blog here. You can read all about it there, too.

Characteristics of the Anointed Preacher (Pt. 4)

2011-11-13T09:05:00.003-05:00

These past few days I've been sharing parts of Samuel Logan Brengle's chapter on the Apostle Paul as a preacher in his book, When the Holy Ghost is Come, with the readers of the Desperate Pastor blog. Here's the final part, in which he says, speaking of Paul:

5. He was not vain-glorious, nor dictatorial, nor oppressive. Some men care nothing for money, but they care mightily for power and place and the glory that men give. But Paul was free from this spiritual itching. Listen to him: “Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome” (or “used authority”) “as the Apostles of Christ.”

Said Solomon, “For men to seek their own glory is not glory,” it is only vain-glory. “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” asked Jesus.

From all this Paul was free, and so is every man who is full of the Holy Ghost. And it is only as we are thus free that with the whole heart and with a single eye we can devote ourselves to the work of saving men.

6. With all his boldness and faithfulness he was gentle. “We were gentle among you,” he says, “as a nurse cherisheth her children.”

The fierce hurricane which casts down the giant trees of the forest is not so mighty as the gentle sunshine, which, from tiny seeds and acorns, lifts aloft the towering spires of oak and fir on a thousand hills and mountains.

The wild storm that lashes the sea into foam and fury is feeble compared to the gentle, yet immeasurably powerful influence, which twice a day swings the oceans in resistless tides from shore to shore.

And as in the physical world the mighty powers are gentle in their vast workings, so it is in the spiritual world. The light that falls on the lids of the sleeping infant and wakes it from its slumber, is not more gentle than the “still small voice” that brings assurance of forgiveness or cleansing to them that look unto Jesus.

Oh, the gentleness of God! “Thy gentleness hath made me great,” said David. “I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. x. 1), wrote Paul. And again, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness” (Gal. v. 22). And as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are gentle, so will be the servant of the Lord who is filled with the Spirit.

I shall never forget the gentleness of a mighty man of God whom I well knew, who on the platform was clothed with zeal as with a garment, and in his overwhelming earnestness was like a lion or a consuming fire; but when dealing with a wounded or broken heart, or with a seeking soul, no nurse with a little babe could be more tender than he.

7. Finally, Paul was full of self-forgetful, self-sacrificing love. “So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.”

No wonder he shook those heathen cities, overthrew their idols, had great revivals, that his jailer was converted, and that his converts would have gladly plucked out their eyes for him! Such tender, self-sacrificing love compels attention, begets confidence, enkindles love, and surely wins its object.

This burning love led him to labour and sacrifice, and so live and walk before them that he was not only a teacher, but an example of all he taught, and could safely say, “Follow me.”

This love led him to preach the whole truth, that he might by all means save them. He kept back no truth because it was unpopular, for it was their salvation and not his own reputation and popularity he sought.

He preached not himself, but a crucified Christ, without the shedding of whose blood there is no remission of sins; and through that precious blood he preached present cleansing from all sin, and the gift of the Holy Spirit for all who obediently believe.

And this love kept him faithful and humble and true to the end, so that at last in sight of the martyr’s death, he saw the martyr’s crown, and cried out: “I am now ready to be offered,... I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day.”

He had been faithful, and now at the end he was oppressed with no doubts and harassed with no bitter regrets, but looked forward with eager joy to meeting his Lord and beholding the blessed face of Him he loved. Hallelujah!

“Have you received the Holy Ghost?
’Twill fit you for the fight,
’Twill make of you a mighty host,
To put your foes to flight.

“Have you received the Holy Power?
’Twill fall from Heaven on you,
From Jesus’ throne this very hour,
’Twill make you brave and true.

“Oh, now receive the Holy Fire!
’Twill burn away all dross,
All earthly, selfish, vain desire,
’Twill make you love the Cross.”

Characteristics of the Anointed Preacher (Pt. 3)

2011-11-12T09:02:00.002-05:00

3. He was without guile. “For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile; but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

He was frank and open. He spoke right out of his heart. He was transparently simple and straightforward. Since God had honoured him with this infinite trust of preaching the Gospel, he sought to so preach it that he should please God regardless of men. And yet that is the surest way to please men. People who listen to such a man feel his honesty, and realise that he is seeking to do them good, to save them rather than to tickle their ears and win their applause, and in their hearts they are pleased.

But, anyway, whether or not they are pleased, he is to deliver his message as an ambassador, and look to his home government for his reward. He gets his commission from God, and it is God who will try his heart and prove his ministry. Oh, to please Jesus! Oh, to stand perfect before God after preaching His Gospel!

4. He was not a time-server nor a covetous man. “Neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness,” he adds.

There are three ways of reaching a man’s purse: (1) Directly. (2) By way of his head with flattering words. (3) By way of his heart with manly, honest, saving words. The first way is robbery. The second way is robbery, with the poison of a deadly, but pleasing, opiate added, which may damn his soul. The third reaches his purse by saving his soul and opening in his heart an unfailing fountain of benevolence to bless himself and the world.

It were better for a preacher to turn highwayman, and rob men with a club and a strong hand, than, with smiles and smooth words and feigned and fawning affection, to rob them with flattery, while their poor souls, neglected and deceived, go down to Hell. How will he meet them in the Day of Judgment, and look into their horrorstricken faces, realising that he played and toyed with their fancies and affections and pride to get money, and, instead of faithfully warning them and seeking to save them, with flattering words fattened their souls for destruction!

Not so did Paul. “I seek not yours, but you,” he wrote the Corinthians. It was not their money, but their souls he wanted.

But such faithful love will be able to command all men have to give. Why, to some of his converts he wrote: “I bear you record, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me” (Gal. iv. 15). But he sought not to please them with flattering words, only to save them.

So faithful was he in this matter, and so conscious of his integrity, that he called God Himself into the witness-box. “God is witness,” says he.

Blessed is the man who can call on God to witness for him; and that man in whom the Holy Spirit dwells in fullness can do this. Can you, my brother?

Characteristics of the Anointed Preacher (Pt. 2)

2011-11-11T08:58:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm sharing parts of Samuel Logan Brengle's chapter on the Apostle Paul as a preacher in his book, When the Holy Ghost is Come, with the readers of the Desperate Pastor blog. Here's part two, in which he says, speaking of Paul:

2. He was a bold preacher. Worldly prudence would have constrained him to go softly at Thessalonica, after his experience at Philippi, lest he arouse opposition and meet again with personal violence; but, instead, he says: “We were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much contention.” Personal considerations were all forgotten, or cast to the winds, in his impetuous desire to declare the Gospel and save their souls. He lived in the will of God, and conquered his fears. “The wicked” are fearful, and “flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

This boldness is a fruit of righteousness, and is always found in those who are full of the Holy Ghost. They forget themselves, and so lose all fear. This was the secret of the martyrs when burned at the stake or thrown to the wild beasts.

Fear is a fruit of selfishness. Boldness thrives when selfishness is destroyed. God esteems it, commands His people to be courageous, and makes spiritual leaders only of those who possess courage (Joshua i. 9).

Moses feared not the wrath of the king, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and boldly espoused the cause of his despised and enslaved people.

Joshua was full of courage. Gideon fearlessly attacked one hundred and twenty thousand Midianites, with but three hundred unarmed men.

Jonathan and his armour-bearer charged the Philistine garrison and routed hundreds singlehanded.

David faced the lion and the bear, and inspired all Israel by battling with and killing Goliath.

The prophets were men of the highest courage, who fearlessly rebuked kings, and at the risk of life, and often at the cost of life, denounced popular sins, and called the people back to righteousness and the faithful service of God. These men feared God, and so lost the fear of man. They believed God, and so obeyed Him, and found His favour, and were entrusted with His high missions and everlasting employments.

“Fear thou not, for I am with thee,” saith the Lord; and this Paul believed, and so says, “We were bold in our God.” God was his high tower, his strength and unfailing defence, and so he was not afraid.

His boldness toward man was a fruit of his boldness toward God, and that, in turn, was a fruit of his faith in Jesus as his High Priest, who had been touched with the feeling of his infirmities, and through whom he could “come boldly to the Throne of Grace, and obtain mercy, and find grace to help in every time of need.”

It is the timidity and delicacy with which men attempt God’s work that often accounts for their failure. Let them speak out boldly like men, as ambassadors of Heaven, who are not afraid to represent their King, and they will command attention and respect, and reach the hearts and consciences of men.

I have read that quaint old Bishop Latimer, who was afterwards burned at the stake, “having preached a sermon before King Henry VIII, which greatly displeased the monarch, was ordered to preach again on the next Sunday, and make apology for the offence given. The day came, and with it a crowded assembly anxious to hear the bishop’s apology. Reading his text, he commenced thus: ’Hugh Latimer, dost thou know before whom thou art this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch, the king’s most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But, then, consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest? Upon whose message thou art sent? Even by the great and mighty God, who is all-present, and who beholdeth all thy ways, and who is able to cast thy soul into Hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliver thy message faithfully.’”

He then repeated the sermon of the previous Sunday, word for word, but with double its former energy and emphasis. The Court was full of excitement to learn what would be the fate of this plain-dealing and fearless bishop. He was ordered into the king’s presence, who, with a stern voice, asked: “How dared you thus offend me?” “I merely discharged my duty,” was Latimer’s reply. The king arose from his seat, embraced the good man, saying, “Blessed be God I have so honest a servant.”

He was a worthy successor of Nathan, who confronted King David with his sin, and said, “Thou art the man.”

This Divine courage will surely accompany the fiery baptism of the Spirit.

What is it but the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that gives courage to Salvation Army Officers and Soldiers, enabling them to face danger and difficulty and loneliness with joy, and attack sin in its worst forms as fearlessly as David attacked Goliath?

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord.”

“Shall I, for fear of feeble man,
The Spirit’s course in me restrain?
Awed by a mortal’s frown, shall I
Conceal the word of God most high?
Shall I, to soothe the unholy throng,
Soften Thy truth, or smooth my tongue?

“How then before Thee shall I dare
To stand, or how Thine anger bear?
Yea, let men rage; since Thou wilt spread
Thy shadowing wings around my head;
Since in all pain Thy tender love
Will still my sure refreshment prove.”

Eight Traps of Church Leadership Teams

2011-11-10T12:41:00.000-05:00

Wow, this is a GREAT post (even more than his usual great-post-edness) by Tony Morgan:

Over the last few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with over 50 churches. There are many, many healthy situations when it comes to senior leadership teams. Healthy leaders are, of course, in the best position to lead healthy churches. Along the way, though, I’ve identified some traps that can create challenges for both leaders and the ministries they lead.
As we continue this series on senior leadership teams, here are eight mistakes to avoid:
Adding a family member without considering their capacity or counting the cost. To improve the chances for success, let others make the hiring decision and provide leadership to that family member. And, frankly, I think it’s best if both family members are not on the senior leadership team together.
Hiring personality rather than leadership capacity. There are lots of good people (fun people!) who aren’t necessarily the best leaders. There are roles for those folks, but it may not be on your senior leadership team.
Elevating seniority over leadership capacity. I’ve been friends with some people for 20 years or more. The length of our relationship, though, doesn’t necessarily mean they are best positioned to serve in leadership with me. Just because you’ve served with someone for 20 years doesn’t mean they’re the right person for your leadership team either.
Hiring to fill roles. Think leadership capacity before job titles. You need the right people rather than the right positions.
Giving someone leadership responsibilities before they’ve proven they have the capacity for the role. This is a biblical principle. “Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader” (1 Timothy 5:22, NLT).
Allowing complainers to stay too long. You want healthy conflict — that’s part of healthy teamwork. Constant complaining from someone who doesn’t fully embrace the vision, values, strategy and authority of the church, though, is never healthy.
Failing to empower the other leaders. This includes leaders on the senior leadership team and leaders in other staff and volunteer roles in the ministry. When we try to control people, we’re denying them the opportunity to fulfill God’s mission for their lives and God’s plan for the church.
Meeting too often and too long. As I’ve mentioned before, the best resource you can read on this topic is Death by Meeting by Patrick Lencioni. We need less talk and more action.
Some of you read that list and thought: “I have a problem.” Being in ministry, this is obvious, but your first step is to begin praying about that situation. God wants healthy leaders and healthy churches as well. He’ll answer that prayer.
Secondly, you need to engage the tough conversations. Don’t delay.
Start by asking questions. What’s working? What’s not? Are you fulfilled? Don’t be surprised if they open the door to the issues you were avoiding.
State your clear expectations for the role. Be honest. Be clear. Explain what success looks like for the person in the role.
Provide coaching. Offer training resources or experiences. Outline mentoring opportunities.
Establish a timeline. When will you check-in? When will you consider next steps?
Follow up. Follow up in writing with what you’ve discussed. Follow up with conversations to make sure appropriate progress is happening.
These tough conversations will not always lead to resolution of the issue, but many times they will. In other instances, you may have to follow tough conversations with tough decisions — that’s leadership.

Characteristics of the Anointed Preacher

2011-11-10T08:52:00.001-05:00

Lately I've had the immeasurable joy of reading the books of Samuel Logan Brengle, in connection with a writing assignment I'm undertaking. His writing has renewed my soul and fed my spirit in countless ways, and I thought I'd share some of that blessing with the readers of the Desperate Pastor blog (I hope before long to share it in another way in book form, but more about that later).

Brengle's chapter on the Apostle Paul as a preacher in his book, When the Holy Ghost is Come, is exceptional. I'll share it in parts, a day at a time, and hope it speaks to you as it has to me:

Since God saves men by “the foolishness of preaching,” the preacher has an infinitely important work, and he must be fitted for it. But what can fit a man for such sacred work? Not education alone, not knowledge of books, not gifts of speech, not winsome manners, nor a magnetic voice, nor a commanding presence, but only God. The preacher must be more than a man—he must be a man plus the Holy Ghost.

Paul was such a man. He was full of the Holy Spirit, and in studying his life and ministry we get a life-sized portrait of an anointed preacher living, fighting, preaching, praying, suffering, triumphing, and dying in the power and light and glory of the indwelling Spirit.

In the second chapter of the First of Thessalonians he gives us a picture of his character and ministry which were formed and inspired by the Holy Spirit, a sample of His workmanship, and an example for all Gospel preachers.

At Philippi he had been terribly beaten with stripes on his bare back, and roughly thrust into the inner dungeon, and his feet were made fast in the stocks; but that did not break nor quench his spirit. Love burned in his heart, and his joy in the Lord brimmed full and bubbled over, and at midnight, in the damp, dark, loathsome dungeon, he and Silas, his comrade in service and suffering, “prayed and sang praises unto God.” God answered with an earthquake, and the jailer and his household got gloriously converted. Paul was set free and went at once to Thessalonica, where, regardless of the shameful way he had been treated at Philippi, he preached the Gospel boldly, and a blessed revival followed with many converts; but persecution arose, and Paul had again to flee. His heart, however, was continually turning back to these converts, and at last he sat down and wrote them this letter. From this we learn that—

1. He was a joyful preacher. He was no pessimist, croaking out doleful prophecies and lamentations and bitter criticisms. He was full of the joy of the Lord. It was not the joy that comes from good health, a pleasant home, plenty of money, wholesome food, numerous and smiling friends, and sunny, favouring skies; but a deep, springing fountain of solemn, gladdening joy that abounded and overflowed in pain and weariness, in filthy, noisome surroundings, in loneliness and poverty, and danger and bitter persecutions. No earth-born trial could quench it, for it was Heaven-born; it was “the joy of the Lord” poured into his heart with the Holy Spirit.

The Mystery Worshiper

2011-11-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

The Mystery Worshiper is a recurring feature of the "Ship of Fools" Christian satire website. They send anonymous worshipers to churches all around the world, asking the really important questions: How long was the sermon? How hard the pew? How cold was the coffee? How warm the welcome? And more. It's often funny, often sad, but always interesting.

What if the Mystery Worshiper came to YOUR church and asked such questions as:

How full was the building?

Did anyone welcome you personally?

Was your pew or seat comfortable?

How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?

What were the exact opening words of the service?

What books did the congregation use during the service?

What musical instruments were played?

Did anything distract you?

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?

Exactly how long was the sermon?

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?

In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?

Which part of the service was like being in heaven?

And which part was like being in... er... the other place?

What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?

How would you describe the after-service coffee?

How would you feel about making this church your regular place of worship (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?

Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?

It might not be a bad idea for pastors and church leaders to periodically commission a friend or acquaintance who is not a member of their church to pay a visit and answer questions like these.

Ministering to Ministers

2011-11-08T09:01:00.000-05:00

I've learned recently of the Ministering to Ministers Foundation, based in Viriginia. The Foundation was created in 1994 by a group of ministers who had experienced involuntary separation from their congregations.

Today, the foundation serves individual ministers, their families, and church organizations.It is an advocate for ministers and their families in all faith groups who are experiencing personal or professional crisis due to deteriorating employment or congregation-minister relationships. It works as a mediator to reunite minister and congregation when resolution of issues is needed. They also conduct "Wellness Retreats," produce educational materials, and publish periodic newsletters entitled The Servant and The MTM Messenger.

The foundation is also hosting a free concert by Ken Medema in Holland, Michigan on November 19. A love offering will be taken at the concert to benefit the work of the foundation.

Time to Plan Your 2012 Preaching Calendar

2011-11-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

Starting tomorrow, Nelson Searcy is offering a series of FREE WEBINARS for pastors called “Planning Your 2012 Preaching Calendar” (I have found an annual preaching calendar a crucial discipleship tool in my pastoral ministry, and I fervently recommend it).

Nelson will walk you (by phone and on your computer) through the 2011 calendar during the course of a 75 minute webinar and help you plan what you’re going to preach over the next year.

You can register now at this link:

www.ChurchLeaderInsights.com/preachingwebinar

Each of these webinars will walk you through:

* When, specifically, to plan your 2012 Big Days (and when not to plan them).
* The pitfalls and possibilities built into the 2012 calendar
* How to make the most of people’s natural seasonal patterns.
* The best times in 2012 for each of the 3 different types of sermon series (attraction, growth & balance).
* How to make Easter in 2012 more effective than ever at your church.
* Which days you can expect fewer people and how to best use those days.
* Plus much more!

You can register now for one of the following four times:

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2011
2:00pm – 3:15pm Eastern
1:00pm – 2:15pm Central
12:00pm – 1:15pm Mountain
11:00am – 12:15pm Pacific

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2011
7:00pm – 8:15pm Eastern
6:00pm – 7:15pm Central
5:00pm – 6:15pm Mountain
4:00pm – 5:15pm Pacific

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011
2:00pm – 3:15pm Eastern
1:00pm – 2:15pm Central
12:00pm – 1:15pm Mountain
11:00am – 12:15pm Pacific

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011
2:00pm – 3:15pm Eastern
1:00pm – 2:15pm Central
12:00pm – 1:15pm Mountain
11:00am – 12:15pm Pacific

Be Here

2011-11-06T09:13:00.000-05:00

This is a wonderful video, a beautiful synthesis of image, sound, movement, and message:

BE HERE NOW from blaine hogan on Vimeo.

And, while I don't want to distract from actually being "here," from anyone entering fully into the message of the video, I can't help thinking and commenting that THIS is more like what modern preaching ought to be like. Creative. Effective. Carefully thought out. A synthesis of image, sound, movement, and message (and, when possible, touch and smell, too).

Setting Boundaries with Difficult People

2011-11-05T09:08:00.000-04:00

I've just received an advance copy of my friend Allison Bottke's newest book, Setting Boundaries with Difficult People, and I just couldn't wait to recommend it to the readers of the Desperate Pastor Blog.

Allison's "Setting Boundaries" series, and its helpful steps to restoring SANITY to our lives, is a Godsend. Literally. I've already mentioned (here) on this blog that her Setting Boundaries with Adult Children is a book I buy multiple copies of to give away. It's that helpful, and the need for it is that widespread.

I think the same is true of Setting Boundaries with Difficult People. EVERYBODY deals with difficult people. Angry people. Unhappy people. Demanding, cynical, critical people. And the more such people populate (and perhaps pollute) your life, the more Allison's book can help you preserve--or restore--your sanity.

Jordan River Anthology

2011-11-04T09:04:00.000-04:00

A number of years ago, I got to thinking about all the people--unmentioned or unnamed in the Bible--who must have crossed paths with Jesus during his earthly life of thirty-three years or so. The midwife who helped deliver him on that first Christmas night. The census taker in Bethlehem. A childhood sweetheart, maybe. A cousin. The village gossip. Judas's mother. Peter's mother-in-law. And more.

So I started writing short poems, in the manner of Edgar Lee Masters's wonderful Spoon River Anthology, to give voice to those people. To imagine what they might have seen, how they might have reacted to Y'shua of Nazareth who is now worshiped around the world as Savior and Lord. I've since collected ninety-three of those poems into a collection I call, Jordan River Anthology that is now newly available as an ebook (here).

Here's one of them, entitled, "A Servant at Cana":

The Servant at Cana

With my own eyes I saw,
Or I would not believe.
When the wine ran out,
At his direction,
We filled the vessels,
Thirty gallons each,
With water.

I lowered the ladle
(Again at his word)
Into the brimming liquid
And momently
The ruby smell
Of rich wine
Reached my senses.

I bore the once-water
To the master of the feast
And watched,
Wondering,
As he and the guests
Drank ignorantly
Of water turned to wine.

And I thought,
If he can do that with water,
What might he do with me?

I'd love it if you'd check out Jordan River Anthology. I'd love it even more if you buy it; it's only 99 cents, and it can be read on an eReader (such as iPad or Kindle) or on a computer! And I'd love it, too, if you'd share it with your friends and family, on Twitter, Facebook, email, and even in actual conversation.

Church Signs With Moveable Letters Should Be Outlawed (Pt. 5)

2011-11-03T10:35:00.000-04:00

The Book of God

2011-11-02T10:12:00.000-04:00

In The Book of God, Walter Wangerin does a magnificent job with this effort to write the broad scope of the Bible, from the call of Abraham to the birth and development of the Christian church, in a refreshing, gripping way. Wangerin's command of the language--prose and poetry alike--is no surprise, but I must confess to surprise and delight at his ability to make the old, familiar, oft-read accounts of Scripture seem eye-openingly new.

It's not quite "The Bible as a Novel," as the subtitle has it. While Wangerin is an artful novelist, I suspect even he would admit that the book's structure and plot represent a compromise between the Biblical narrative and the novelist's tasks. But it is an admirable achievement, nonetheless.

The Book of God's 850 pages seem short, and familiar and less-familiar passages ring with music and intrigue...a magnum opus of an already accomplished author.

Insecure Leaders

2011-10-29T09:47:00.000-04:00

Pete Wilson recently posted this on his blog. He's right. Though I have to say that, judging from the list below, insecurity looks pretty indistinguishable from lack of character. Is it possible to have character and let insecurity rule you?

While I won’t argue that lack of character has brought down more good leaders than just about anything, I would say insecurity runs a very close second. An insecure leader is a dangerous leader.

Insecurity can torment the most gifted of leaders. It will make you…

doubt instead of trust

criticize instead of praise

protect instead of risk

assume the worst instead of the best

talk instead of listen

micromanage instead of empower

control instead of surrender

In the end it will erode your effectiveness and leave you useless and powerless. Your worst nightmare will become a reality as you look around to discover that no longer is anyone following you.

What does your insecurity look like when it raises its ugly head?

21 Skills of Great Preachers

2011-10-28T08:57:00.001-04:00

I came across the following list by Keith Roberts a few days ago on the site Preaching Points. Like the author of the post, I am amazed to think back over the great preaching I've heard over my short lifetime (short compared to Methuselah, at least), which I will soon post about on my prayer blog (here). And as I look over Keith's list of twenty-one skills of great preachers, I'd have to say that the great ones in my experience shared these traits as well:

The one thing most of us would rather do than preach, is hear another great preacher. I mean a “Great” preacher. I’ve learned plenty from hearing the best preachers, especially in a live setting. For most of my life, when sitting under a great preacher, I’ve taken dual sets of notes, including content on one list, and a separate set of notes on their communication skills. What have I discovered in these 40 years worth of notes? Here’s my summary:

1. Content:
All of my “Great Preachers” had something to say. Even as “great communicators,” they didn’t substitute style for substance.

2. Passion:
The best Preachers I’ve heard had a passion for what they said which seemed to spring from a general spiritual burden for people, which is different from just loving to preach. Messages are easier to love than people.

3. Credibility:
Great Preachers practice what they preach — they live it.’ “Great Communicators” might get away with all kinds of private sin, but not truly “Great Preachers.” I’ve had to downgrade some of my “Great Preachers to “Great Communicators” over the last few decades.

4. Prepared:
Great Preachers don’t “wing it” — even if the people couldn’t tell. (They can.)

5. Notes:
Most Great Preachers limited their use of notes. Thanks to TV, preachers can no longer read to a crowd with their nose buried in their notes.

6. Simple:
Great Preachers have a way of bringing high truths down to the bottom shelf, yet without compromising the greatness of truth. In this they are like Jesus. People don’t leave a truly great preacher saying, “Boy He’s smart!” They say, “Now I understand!”

7. Short:
While Great Preachers are able to hold your attention in a preaching marathon, most were able to also preach a great sermon in 30 minutes or less. (I don’t know about you, but I’ve discovered that 30 minutes is plenty of time for a preacher to give a sermon, except in the few instances when I myself am the preacher.)

8. Convicting:
People hear God prick their conscience when Great Preachers preach. They give more than a “sermon” or “talk” — they deliver a “message” from God.

9. Self-revealing:
Great Preachers know how to tell personal stories on themselves. They become real to their listeners. Yet they do this while avoiding the ego-centric self-absorption of many pop preachers who make themselves the subject of the sermon instead of God.

10. Confidence:
Great Preachers don’t seem scared. Maybe they are, but they never seem to show it.

11. Tone:
While the great preachers of the past often thundered out salvos like a giant cannons, the Great Preachers of today almost all use a conversational tone of voice. They know that people today don’t listen to speakers who shout.

12. Story-telling:
All Great Preachers through history have this trait in common: they are good story tellers. That goes for both telling story illustrations and direct Bible stories.

13. Prop:
I’ve noticed that some Great Preachers use an object or prop to get their truth across — usually an ordinary thing like a salt shaker, a packet of yeast, or a glass of water.

14. Humor:
Many Great Preachers are funny, though not all of them. The humorous preachers are able to “get them back” after they’ve been on a roll, so that the message can stay central, not the humor. Those who can’t keep the message central are merely “Great Communicators” or “Christian Humorists,” not “Great Preachers.”

15. Pace:
Evan fast-paced Great Preachers use pauses where you can catch your breath. The listener then can digest their last few bites of truth without bolting the whole meal down undigested. Many Great Preachers follow the traditional Afro-American pace in the poem: “Begin low; Continue slow; Rise up higher; Catch on fire; Sit down in the storm.”

16. Eyes:
Great Preachers keep their eyes glued to their audience. Each person in the congregation feels the preacher is “looking right me.”

17. Fast-on-feet:
Most Great Preachers are able to work in the surprises in a service like thunder, scratching on the roof, sirens etc.

18. Intensity:
The Great Preachers I’ve heard varied their intensity — sometimes they were louder, then they’d get as soft as a whisper, sometimes they’d be so intense that my own stomach would ache, then they’d drop back and adopt a tender or even chuckling style.

19. Movement:
Most Great Preachers I’ve heard used their bodies to preach along with their words. They seemed to intuitively know that a congregation is getting a full 55% of the communication from their facial gestures and body movement.

20. Decision:
My Great Preachers never gave a message and walked away. They called for my specific and personal decision in response to God’s truth. They preached for decision, not for entertainment or education. Perhaps I call them “Great” partially because God changed me under their influence.

21. Landing:
All the really Great Preachers I’ve heard were able to land their message on the first pass. Most lesser preachers circle the airport several times before bringing it in, or (worse still) do several “touch-and-Go’s” before landing. You know, it’s a funny thing… I can always see when the other guy should land his sermon, better than knowing when to bring my own message down on the runway.

So what about you? What would you add? Subtract? Etc.?

Jesus Body

2011-10-27T09:21:00.000-04:00

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this was NOT what Jesus meant when he said, "This is my body."

(via the Jesus Needs New PR blog)

Three Lessons from Harold Camping

2011-10-26T09:04:00.000-04:00

In case you missed it, the rapture was supposed to happen last Friday, October 21. Again. According to Harold Camping, the radio preacher who most recently said it would happen on May 21, and who you think would have learned by now. But his latest unfulfilled end times prediction has its benefits, if we care to learn from him. Here is a good post by Keith E. D. Buhler, which I read on Mere Orthodoxy:

In religion, as in sports, the truism holds true: we learn better from the failures than the successes.

As thousands of Harold Camping followers put the pieces back together—of their hearts, their faiths, their life savings—again, many are enjoying mocking his second failed attempt to predict the Rapture.

Avoiding both the snide laughter of cynicism and fraught tears of depression (two twin faces of despair), we should redeem all things and focus on what is pure, honorable, and good. Here are three quick lessons, then, we can extract from the last few months’ embarrassing events:

#1. Knowing church history can save you time, money, and pain.

G.K. Chesterton succinctly said that Christian orthodoxy was ‘practical as potatoes.’ Traditional Christianity is a wealth of wisdom, not only the timeless doctrines, but the timeline of experiences.

It’s just plain helpful to know what the church has done in the (distant and recent) past.

Even if tradition is not always right, it can help us intelligently set our bets for good odds. Evangelical Christians are rightly wary of Tradition with a capital “T”, lest it dare to usurp God’s Word. But all Christians can and should be nourished by church history, just as they learn last week’s news, or the history of the United States, or of Europe, Rome, Greece, and the world.

The past may not determine the future with certainty, but it does often help us predict it with accuracy. The history of the church may not be devoid of errors, but we can learn a lot from the errors that people made — and that people are likely to make again.

Since the 1700s, dramatic shifts in Protestant thinking about end-times have led to several bouts of “date-setting” (calculating the return of Christ). After the Reformation encouragement to ‘take up and read’ the Scriptures, some Christians conceived idiosyncratic interpretations that, full grown, became false prophecies. Emanuel Swedenborg, the Millerites, Charles Russell, and many more have indulged in guessing (divining?) when Christ would return. They have all been, thus far, wrong.

Date-setters of years past have almost all responded to their incorrect prophecies by either returning to their calculations and date-setting again (like an alcoholic returning the bottle) or “spiritualizing” their prediction. Camping chose both. Many people act surprised that he didn’t “apologize.” To be fair, it should have been expected.

An awareness of the past would notify us, firstly, that Camping will probably turn out to be wrong, and secondly, that he will probably date-set again. He was indeed mistaken about May 21 being “an invisible” day of judgment. Which brings us back to lesson one: We knew he’d probably be wrong about October 21, 2011.

#2. Even if some man knows the day or hour Christ will return, I personally (probably) don’t.

The second lesson we can learn from the Camping situation is not to be too sure, lest our surety leave us under-prepared for the second coming.

The traditional view about the second coming (to say nothing about pre-trib, post-trib, etc.) is that Jesus’ return will be unmistakable. Now, the first coming was not very obvious. After all, it took some of his disciples months to recognize that he was the Christ. So I wonder whether I can be absolutely certain whether the second coming will be frighteningly, startling, undeniably easy to recognize. I’d like to play it safe and remind myself that “many will be deceived” so I can be on my best guard.

The elephant in the room is when Jesus says, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24).

Maybe someone can wiggle out of the immediate interpretation of this verse and say that no one knew back then, but now we know, somehow. So let’s give that argument a hearing: if some brilliant prophetic man learns the day and the hour, what makes me think I will be able to tell he’s right? With so many boys crying wolf, how will a non-prophet like me know who to trust?

A dose of healthy doubt is probably the best bet. Unless I can personally check his math (Camping’s math remains deeply inscrutable to me) I have to go on the latest date-setter’s word. With history and tradition on my side I know they’re probably wrong, but even if they aren’t, it would be prideful of me to assume I know which date-setter is right. So the second main lesson is that, for all practical purposes, we should live as if no man knows the hour.

#3. Be prepared!

Without personally knowing the hour, without being ignorant of church history, the only conclusion is this: I must be prepared daily. That’s the beginning and end of this Harold Camping madness. The next date will and there will be another swell of emotion, fear, laughter, hope, anger, cynicism, and many dollars spent–or maybe Jesus will return tonight.

James reminds us not to say ““If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” To do otherwise is to “boast in arrogance” (James 4). So Camping’s next day may not arrive. Either way, Maranatha!

When the next false prophet arises, I think we can thank God for another reminder that he may return today. He is coming quickly! I must repent, believe, forgive others, pray without ceasing. The vigilance that the “end is near” has kept the church awake and alert since the day Jesus ascended, and so it must continue.

The rule to stay alert and be prepared applies equally well to non-Christians, by the way, for whom death must inevitably come. For Christians, Jesus may return today. For non-religious folk, the Christians may be right. Either way, my personal death will be my own Last Judgment, and when that day comes, is there any difference?

“See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5).

Keith E. D. Buhler is a speaker, writer, and classical educator at the Torrey Academy with Biola University. He can be contacted at keithedbuhler@gmail.com.

Think (The Life of the Mind and the Love of God)

2011-10-25T09:29:00.000-04:00

John Piper's book, Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God, promises to help readers think about thinking and about how the heart and mind glorify God together.

In its depth and thoroughness, in its reliance on Scripture, and in its unapologetic dogmatism, it is pure Piper.

I love books about thinking, and have enjoyed many, from Moreland's Love God With All Your Mind to Blamire's The Christian Mind and Maxwell's Think for a Change. Piper's Think is unlike all the above; in fact, early in the book, he takes pains to distinguish it from those books and others. I was glad he did.

Think confines itself to thinking-as-reading, and particularly to thinking-as-Bible-reading. Piper more or less acknowledges that it is possible to think apart from reading, but he sees reading and thinking as nearly interchangeable.

His Biblical exposition, as usual, is thorough and engaging. As a Bible reader, student, and preacher, I found these sections--particularly chapter four--the most interesting in the book.

I must admit, however, that I was somewhat disappointed in the book as a whole, primarily because Piper's agenda--and his approach--didn't always hit the mark with me. He is such a thorough thinker and teacher that he generally takes great pains to prove things I don't need him to prove to me. And his perspective is so thoroughly Modernist as to frequently leave me cold.

But I'm glad I read the book. And if you have any interest at all in thinking-as-reading, or solid Biblical hermeneutics, or the follies of relativism, you will be, too.

Church of the Week: Believers Christian Fellowship Church, Dayton, Ohio

2011-10-24T09:15:00.000-04:00

The lovely Robin and I enjoyed a wonderful morning of worship yesterday at Believers Christian Fellowship Church in Dayton, Ohio, located at 1516 Salem Avenue.

We were warmly welcomed and deeply honored by the members and leaders of this church. The atmosphere from beginning to end was warm and loving and celebratory.

We knew a little about the church before entering, because Robin works with fellow counselor Lynn Harris in Middletown, and a sweet friendship has grown between them for the last several years; Lynn's husband, the Rev. Dr. William Harris, is the senior pastor at Believers Christian Fellowship Church. The church is just over six years old, having been started in May 2005.

We also knew that this Sunday would be "Youth Sunday" at BCFC, a fact Lynne had mentioned to Robin on Friday. We were so blessed by the youth choir, that led worship singing and presented a stirring special song.

We also loved the participation of the children, who sang several songs in worship.

And Rev. Bill Harris's sermon on Luke 17:5, was simply outstanding; I loved every minute of it. And there were a lot of minutes of it! But there was a lot in it to love: excellent insights into the text, humor, effective illustrations, passion, and more.

Lynn was so kind to sit with me and Robin, and Bill was so gracious to honor me by allowing me the privilege of a pastoral prayer and a final "word" after his sermon. We couldn't have felt more welcomed and I couldn't have been more honored.

Will Christian Schlock Never End?

2011-10-22T09:25:00.000-04:00

I ask you.

Fair Warning

2011-10-21T08:52:00.000-04:00

Going Deep

2011-10-20T09:08:00.001-04:00

Gordon MacDonald is one of my favorite authors, and his latest book, Going Deep (Becoming A Person of Influence), revisits the fictionalized format he employed in Who Stole My Church? The book uses a series of e-mails and discussions with friends and church members to portray a pastor and a church that learn to intentionally cultivate spiritually deep people.

The book is filled with MacDonald's signature depth, insight, vulnerability, affability, and maturity. And, while the format does succeed in taking the reader on a journey, I found myself wishing that it was shorter and more to-the-point. It needed both an editor's knife and a novelist's flair for the dramatic. Along those lines, it would have profited tremendously from a more realistic depiction of how change occurs in a church; it seldom happens as smoothly and good-naturedly as MacDonald's fictional church managed it.

Having said all that, however, I would like to see every pastor and church leader read the book, learn from its wisdom, and chart a similar path for intentionally cultivating deep people and solid church leaders.

__________________________

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”)

Top 10 Preaching Mistakes

2011-10-18T09:10:00.000-04:00

David Murray lists what he considers the top ten mistakes preachers make on the HeadHeartHand Blog:

1. Cramming: Squeezing all you have ever studied about the Bible over the years into 30 minutes.

2. Skimming: Taking too many verses and simply skimming over the surface of the text, teaching nothing that someone with average intelligence would not have themselves have got from the text.

3. Floating: The preacher says many things that relate to the text, floating or hovering above the text, but fails to show how they are anchored in the text.

4. Proof-texting: Including lots and lots of texts from all over the Bible, and sometimes diverting hearers by expounding the proof texts as much as the sermon text.

5. Quoting: Too many quotes from commentators, theologians, and other preachers from the past and the present.

6. Lecturing: It’s difficult to define the difference between preaching and lecturing, but you know it when you see it/hear it. It’s about passion, eye-contact, persuasion, urgency, etc.

7. Assuming: Our own over-familiarity with the text results in us assuming that our hearers know the background of the text, the meaning of basic key words and concepts, etc. May also result in Mach 7 preaching speeds. And don’t assume your hearers are all converted either.

8. Confusing: Hearers are left confused usually because of a lack of structure or too complicated a structure (main points, sub-points, etc.); or sometimes there is a good structure, but it’s not sufficiently highlighted and emphasized so that hearers know where they’ve been, where they are, and where they are going.

9. Spraying: Lots and lots of data, but no single dominant thought; it’s the difference between a shotgun and a rifle.

10. Complicating: Instead of explaining the text, a preacher can actually make it more obscure. Usually involves words too big, sentences too long, concepts too abstract, language too philosophical/theological.

He's right. Those are common mistakes. I would add a few more, that I think are prevalent:

11. Failing to connect with the listeners' needs. In the first few minutes of any sermon, the speaker has the listeners' attention, if only out of courtesy. That attention will quickly disappear, however, if the preacher doesn't quickly--in one way or another--connect with a felt need, and help the listener expect that the sermon will answer that need.

12. Neglecting a practical application. Many, many sermons end with me longing for a practical application to my life, my habits, my situation, my practice. An attentive preacher will give me at least one practical way to apply the text, something to do, something to pray...SOMETHING.

13. Regurgitating. This is related to #2, above, but a good sermon will make it clear that the preacher himself (or herself) actually discovered something new, something exciting, some new insight or application in the text, during his or her study for the sermon. Too often, the sermon simply features information the preacher has known since seminary (or VBS, even!), rather than fresh interaction with the text, and the Spirit who illuminates it.

I could go on, of course, but that's a baker's dozen of mistakes I have made myself, and mistakes we preachers too often make. But we can do better. And we must.

An Infallible Sermon

2011-10-14T09:27:00.003-04:00

This should not be a rarity, but should be done regularly in our churches. It doesn't even have to be from memory, as this is, but could be convincingly and profitably accomplished with notes, cue cards, teleprompter, etc. And not just with the book of Hebrews, either. But watch it. It's awesome to see Hebrews PREACHED, in its entirety, as a sermon:

Hebrews Recited from Covenant Fellowship Church on Vimeo.

(The title of this post was basically stolen from Jacob at The Strasbourg Inn)

A Diary of Private Prayer

2011-10-13T11:35:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I talked to an old friend. We hadn't seen each other or talked in years, but he and his family are as dear to me as ever. He asked me to recommend a book for his men's group to read and discuss together, preferably one that would give them daily readings and enough content to fuel lively conversations.

A book came to mind immediately: John Baillie's A Diary of Private Prayer. It is a collection of morning and evening prayers for thirty-one days, concluding with a morning and evening prayer specifically for Sundays. They are personal, warm, honest, and deep. Prayers of adoration, confession, repentance, thanks, and petition.

I explained to my friend that this volume is not a book ABOUT prayer. It is a book OF prayer. Each prayer should be not only read, but prayed as well. My edition even provides a blank page facing each prayer for the reader's own reflection and notation.

It is a wonderful book. I couldn't more highly recommend it.

God Is Our Treasure

2011-10-12T09:51:00.000-04:00

Exactly!

What about you? Do you use God? Is he a means to an end for you? Or is HE the end?

The Dysfunctional Church

2011-10-11T09:27:00.003-04:00

Every person in the world is dysfunctional. Sinful. Fallen. Broken. Messed up in one way or another. It's natural and universal. A consequence of the Fall. Part of what it means to be "human."

That reality extends to every family. Some families appear less dysfunctional than others, but we all have our issues.

Alas, that reality also extends to every church. Churches are made up of humans. And human families. Thus churches (small "C") are dysfunctional as well. Some more than others. Some more obvious than others. But they're all dysfunctional in one respect or another.

Churches tend to reflect the personality--and pain--of their leaders. For better or worse. As Jesus said, students do not surpass their teachers, but become like them as a result of their training (Luke 6:40). Churches tend to reflect their leaders. Churches as a whole (and as individuals) tend to become more and more like their leaders as time and training progress. They take on the personality and preferences--and, unfortunately, dysfunctions--of the leadership.

As a result, some churches are codependent. They define love in unhealthy ways, and tend to behave in overly passive or excessively caretaking ways. They need to be needed. They try to please everyone. They use blame and shame to manipulate others (and themselves). They pretend a lot, and fake a lot. They learn to hide negative emotions in the hope that others will like them.

Some churches are passive-aggressive. I've already written a little about this here. Dr. Daniel Hall-Flavin says, "Passive-aggressive behavior is a pattern of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them." A passive-aggressive person or church will not practice Matthew 5:23-24 or Matthew 18:15-18, but will try to manipulate others behind the scenes through gossip, rumor, shunning, stubbornness, resentment, sullenness, etc.

Other churches are obsessive-compulsive, displaying perfectionism, excessive devotion to work, rigidity, stubbornness and dictatorial tendencies. The OCD church prefers things it can control and categorize, and can't tolerate messiness. This kind of church will be impatient with things--and people--in process. It will often reflect an elitist and legalistic attitude, approving people and programs that are extremely structured and predictable, while avoiding or condemning those that aren't.

A narcissistic church will display grandiosity, a self-focused lack of empathy for others, and a self-righteous and self-promoting attitude (toward the church, movement, denomination and, sometimes, toward a powerful, often famous pastor or program). This church must increase while others decrease--in numbers, reputation, influence, etc.

Some churches reflect a Histrionic Personality Disorder, marked by pervasive attention-seeking behavior, including shallow or exaggerated emotions. These churches (and their leaders) are always up-in-arms about something, always jumping on new bandwagons, and always exciting. They can give the appearance of a "Spirit-filled" church, because they appear vivacious and dynamic, but tend toward self-aggrandizement (or exalting a particular experience or "manifestation") rather than glorifying God.

A church may also tend toward Borderline Personality Disorder, which is characterized by extreme and variable moods. Borderline churches see things in black and white. They either love you or hate you. They can be generous, giving, helping churches, but if a person or organization doesn't live up to their expectations, they will quickly turn the opposite direction and will have no trouble vilifying or persecuting those they previously put on a pedestal.

Unfortunately, these are not all the possible dysfunctions of a church. And, of course, God is capable of compensating for, overcoming, or healing every dysfunction (though we must cooperate with him in that process, which is sometimes a problem for us). But we may be assured that a church will not exceed its leaders in any of these areas. If I, as a pastor, do not let God deal with my obsessive-compulsive tendencies, for example, I should not be surprised to see those traits arise in my church, and even hinder its progress (which is yet ANOTHER good reason for a pastor or elder to regularly see a capable counselor, which I blogged about here).

On the other hand, maybe one of the reasons God raises us up as leaders and draws like-minded (and" like-dysfunctioned") people to each other is so we can help each other and learn from each other as he heals us and conforms us more and more to the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Church of the Week: First Presbyterian Church, Spokane, WA

2011-10-09T09:09:00.000-04:00

On my recent trip to Spokane, Washington, I had the opportunity to join in the Sunday evening worship at Spokane's historic First Presbyterian Church.

The church dates back to 1883 (before Washington was a state). The oldest portion of the current church facility dates to 1910. The educational wing stretching west along Fourth Avenue was completed in 1951, and the most recent addition, which houses the fellowship hall, the gym and the preschool in the basement, was finished in 1995.

I was welcomed warmly shortly after entering, and enjoyed the contemporary worship led by the three-member worship team in a library/anteroom off the main sanctuary. The Sunday evening gathering welcomed a new pastor for this evening service, which was attended by about fifty people of varying ages. The group was beginning a study of the book of Ruth.

Before the service began, I was allowed to take a peek into the main sanctuary, which was spacious and beautiful. I tried not to be too disappointed that we didn't worship in the sanctuary...but I didn't succeed.

Busted

2011-10-08T10:23:00.000-04:00

Here's a photo I took of the back row at the recent officers' councils (pastors' retreat) of The Salvation Army's Northwest Division:

Every. Seat. Taken. Long before the start of the service. So, next time your pastor complains about people sitting in the "sinner's row," you might ask where he or she sits when given the chance!

Less Is More

2011-10-07T12:12:00.000-04:00

Great (and short) TED presentation by Graham Hill:

Life's Change Agent

2011-10-06T09:25:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs died yesterday. The internet has been filled with comments and reflections. I took some time last night to reflect on Steve's own comments about his impending death, in 2005 in his the Stanford commencement address. His words are worth pondering, even meditating on:

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart....

Death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent.

The Pastor

2011-10-04T08:59:00.000-04:00

If I were Eugene Peterson, I might have counted a book like Leap Over a Wall as my "life work." Or, certainly, The Contemplative Pastor. Or, say, his pastoral trio of Under the Unpredictable Plant, Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work, and Working the Angles. Or--come on, now--The Message translation of the Bible, his translation of the Old and New Testaments into "American."

Given the accomplishment and success he has enjoyed as a writer (not to mention his respected stints as professor in several institutions of higher learning), he might be excused if he titled his memoir something else. But he called it The Pastor. Because, he explains, his calling and vocation are "pastor," through which his writing and teaching run.

Parts of The Pastor ring with familiarity, as he has related much of his story in earlier works. But it's all interesting and insightful, and informative for anyone with an interest in pastoral ministry. I especially appreciated these lines from chapter 36:

You are at your pastoral best when you are not noticed. To keep this vocation healthy requires constant self-negation, getting out of the way. A certain blessed anonymity is inherent in pastoral work.

Like most of Peterson's writings, The Pastor is an absorbing and thought-provoking book.

Three Colleagues

2011-10-03T10:31:00.001-04:00

Eugene Peterson, in his memoir, The Pastor, writes:

Two or three months [later], I removed all of my academic diplomas from the wall of my study and replaced them with the framed portraits of three men whose company I wanted to keep as I lived into my newly realized vocational identity [as a pastor]....My picks for mentors were John Henry Newman, Alexander Whyte, and Baron Friedrich von Hugel--the company I would keep to stay in touch with the conditions in which I was now working. The three, though long dead, were no strangers--I had been in prayerful conversation with them for a long time--but now I embraced them as colleagues, not just as admired ancestors.

As Peterson often does, he got me thinking. Who would I choose as co-travelers, colleagues, in my life as a pastor. Three people occurred to me almost as soon as I asked the question:

Peter Marshall. I first discovered the great Scottish-American preacher, Peter Marshall, when I was a boy. I remember being entranced by the movie, A Man Called Peter, on our black-and-white Sylvania television. He was the much-admired pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., and U.S. Senate Chaplain in the late 1940s. I must have been a teenager when I read the book on which that movie was based, and in my late teens (I think) when I first discovered a book of his sermons: Mr. Jones, Meet the Master. That collection, and others I soon acquired and devoured, probably influenced my preaching--then and now--more than any other single influence. His flair for dramatic narrative, his formatting, his way of approaching a text or a topic, are models to me, to this day.

Samuel Logan Brengle. I also discovered The Salvation Army's "prophet of holiness" in my teens. He died twenty-two years before I was born, but I became acquainted with him through his writings and the writings of others about him. As a teenager, I read Clarence Hall’s inspiring biography of Brengle, Portrait of a Prophet, and as a result began systematically reading his books. By the time I was twenty, I had read them all: Helps to Holiness, Heart Talks on Holiness, When the Holy Ghost is Come, The Soul-Winner’s Secret, Resurrection Life and Power, The Way of Holiness, The Guest of the Soul, Ancient Prophets and Modern Problems, and Love-Slaves. His Helps to Holiness is one of six books I reread every three years (two each year). Perhaps more than any other person, living or dead, Commissioner Brengle taught and guided me as a young man, and his influence remains with me to this day.

Thomas Merton. In contrast to Marshall and Brengle, I didn't discover Thomas Merton in my teens. And I list him here as a fellow traveler and colleague not primarily because of his writings (which have blessed me), but mainly as a representative of his monastery, The Abbey of Gethsemani, in Kentucky. Merton entered the monastic community of the Abbey of Gethsemani in December 1941 and lived there the rest of his life (he died in 1968). Roughly thirty years later, I visited the abbey for the first time, on a weekend silent prayer retreat. God used that place to open to me a new life of prayer that has sustained, deepened, and guided me ever since (I've written a little about that here and here and here).

So, if I were to choose, like Eugene Peterson, the portraits of three "mentors" or colleagues to frame and place in my pastor's study, so to speak, it would be these three men. I would want my ministry to be characterized by the preaching depth and sensitivity of Marshall, the personal holiness of Brengle, and the contemplative prayer life of Merton and the monks at Gethsemani.

Church of the Week: Valley Assembly, Spokane Valley, WA

2011-10-02T15:59:00.002-04:00

I had the blessing this morning of worshiping with my friends Eleonore and Reg Forder at Valley Assembly just a stone's throw from our lodgings and venue for Friday and Saturday's ACW Conference.

Soon after entering the broad vestibule, I found the coffee service (no surprise there) and--be still my heart--biscuits and gravy bar. My kinda church.

I snapped a pic of the auditorium about 20 minutes before the service started:

Right on time, the worship team assembled, with musicians (including saxes, trumpet, and trombone) on one end of the stage...

And a large group of singers in choir on the other end.

The worship was lovely, a blessing. I LOVED hearing the trumpet adding glosses from time to time!

The speaker was missionary Stan Drew, from Swaziland, who spoke from the feeding of the 5000 in Mark 6, very nice job.

After church, Reg and Eleonore dropped me off at my hotel downtown (which I'll blog about on Hither & Yon). So glad to have worshiped with them...and my brothers and sisters at Valley Assembly.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Church Signs With Moveable Letters Should Be Outlawed (Pt. 4)

2011-09-30T09:08:00.000-04:00