monday morning pastor

a good pastor cooperates with others

One of the attributes that makes a good pastor is his willingness to cooperate with others.

A good example of this is the part a pastor plays in his community gathering of pastors.  Such a group is composed of all the pastors/ministers serving churches in the community.  I have been a part of some good ones over the years.  What makes or breaks the effort is the willingness of pastors to cooperate with one another and to make the times of visioning and prayer a priority.

Although each pastor differs some from the others in what he believes about God and His Word, the group chooses, despite their differences, to work and pray together toward the common good of their community.  This can only happen when the pastor is willing to cooperate with others.

Where does this spirit of cooperation come from anyway?  I believe it comes from God Himself.  Nothing about cooperation comes naturally.  It has to be taught, modeled and learned. 

How do we pick up and learn this thing called cooperation?  It is taught to us by others, usually our parents and teachers.  When parents encourage their children to get along and play together, they are teaching cooperation for the good of everyone involved.  When we learn those lessons as children I believe they help us to get along with others for the rest of our lives. 

I like the picture above.  I would venture a guess that some parents are close by encouraging their kids to share and work together in building that sand castle.  Were the picture a 30 minute video I am sure we would see a few problems and lots of good illustrations as to why cooperating together is the better option.

Through the years, I have noticed that for some pastors community cooperation does not come naturally.  It is a chore to be a part of a group outside the boundaries they have set for themselves.  As a result, they are not comfortable doing things outside their own church family.  This is a tough one for those of us who are naturally outgoing and think all should cooperate at the same level we have chosen. It's hard for us to accept someone who stays to themselves.  But we should!

Sometimes, especially when a pastor is new to the community, he might need someone who can come alongside him, invest in him and help him know others in the community.   Still, some will not want to do that no matter what.  That does not make them bad or wrong, just different from you maybe.

Cooperation is a hallmark among churches here in the south.  This was not always the case.  We have seen a change as our churches have begun to emphasize Kingdom goals and efforts over solely those of one local church.  We should want to cooperate in getting the Lord's work done. 

I thank God for those who have gone before me and who have taught me the value of cooperation in both life and in ministry. 

 

 

 

 

 

the other pastor's study

 

People without a personal knowledge of the life of a pastor have little idea of the amount of study required to prepare a message of 25 to 30 minutes in length two or three times a week. 

For the average person the only way I know to describe it would be to refer them back to their days in high school when everyone had to do a research paper.  Some will remember the agony that those would cause every year.  Those papers were usually due at the end of the semester. 

 Preparing a sermon would be similar to that in many aspects except for two things, (1) it is a spiritual endeavor, and (2) you don't have all semester to finish.  Come what may, Sunday rolls back around once every seven days.  That means, if you have any integrity, you either learn how to prepare and deliver good sermons or you look for something else God might have you to do.  And many have.  Not everyone can stand up under the demands.

Thinking back over my years as a pastor I remember struggling with sermon preparation.  It was ever demanding.  It called for a "stick-to-it-ness" and I stuck with it for many years.  That's not to say I didn't considered giving up a time or two.  I believe most preachers have considered that option more than once.

During those times I was very tired and felt like I needed a break I can still remember coming home after church some Sunday evenings and closing my eyes for a few minutes.  I would usually in those moments thank God for the day and His help.  With an amen to that prayer would sometimes come the thought, now, three more!  Meaning, between now and next Sunday evening I would need to prepare and deliver three more sermons and or Bible studies.  (Hey, I'm being honest here!)

Sermon preparation can and will be all what you make it. 

• It can and should begin with confession of sin.  Don't serve your guests living water poured from a dirty vessel.  Take adequate time to seek God's forgiveness and to ask for His mercy and help.
   

• It can and should be a delightful spiritual discipline. God will honor your time in His Word and will bless you in the process.  Joy and satisfaction should be a by product.
  

• It can and should be a time of worship.  Long before the people hear the message on Sunday the pastor's heart has been searched and tried again and again.  As glorious truths mined from God's Word come to fruition the pastor worships God.
  

• It can and should be given priority in your life.  Some try and run from study and claiming that God will give them a message in due time.  But, after a few months of that, people will tire of the well worn phrases said to produce easy and cheap amens.  You must learn how to study to preach each week.  If you have never learned, stop and learn before going any further!

  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) 

read the classics - mere christianity

 

 An atheist until he was 30, Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. 

He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year.

C. S. Lewis was the most popular and best-selling theologian of the entire Twentieth Century, an amazing fact considering that technically, he wasn't a Theologian at all, but an Oxford Professor of English Medieval and Renaissance literature.

His books include  The Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series and his science fiction Space Trilogy.  Both series are must reading for all Christians interested in these genres.  His most famous book among non-Christians is The Screwtape Letters.

Theologian Trading Cards by Norman Jeune III

Zondervan’s Theologian Trading Cards offer an incredibly novel way to learn theology and church history. Creator Norman Jeune III came up with the idea to imitate baseball cards at seminary while listening to students discuss theologians as if they were baseball players.

The result is 288 trading cards featuring important figures in church history including heretics and philosophers.

Five Reasons Why You Should Consider Making “Abraham: Following God’s Promise” Your Next Bible Study

Recently I was invited to review the new Bible Study series entitled, Abraham: Following God’s Promise for Logos Bible Software.  It is part of the Studies in Faithful Living Series.

Allow me to quickly list for you five reasons why I believe you should consider it for your next small group or Sunday school Bible study.

1. Because it is digital, it is always available to you on the device or computer you are using.
2. Both leader and student editions can be used as stand-alone products or together.
3. Questions in both editions are forward looking, that is, seeking help with today’s issues from principles learned from the Biblical text.
4. The multimedia features included greatly enhance real learning and help maintain interest.  Each lesson comes with an introductory video as well as many slides and maps.
5. It is written with both scholarship and downhome faithfulness to the Word of God.

Take a look for yourself -

Abraham: Following God's Promise - $14.95

http://www.logos.com/product/20466/abraham-following-gods-promise 

or

Abraham: Following God’s Promise: Complete Church Curriculum for Leaders and Pastors - $99.95

http://www.logos.com/product/20888/abraham-following-gods-promise-complete-church-curriculum-for-leaders-and-pastors

how to prepare a topical Bible study

Pastors who have practiced their calling for a few years will invariably use different techniques in their preaching and teaching.  Granted, most will favor one over the other.  However, it is good to have knowledge and experience in preparing and delivering several different kinds of sermons and Bible studies.

via jimmydsmith.typepad.com

essentials in ministry part 1

What are the essentials in doing ministry?

That is a good question, the seriousness of which demands a thoughtful answer. Whatever we may put on our list, building and maintaining good relationships must be close to the top. Without good relationships our days will be numbered where we are.

I wish I could tell you that this is always easy. It is not. There are some people we do not care for personally. And there’s the rub. As pastors our very calling demands we relate well to everyone. We don’t get to pick and choose. We must ask God to help us love and serve all the sheep he has placed in under our care.

Relationship building comes naturally for some but is difficult and almost awkward for others. God does not expect us to be perfect in all of this, but he does expect us to try. Are we trying to build better relationships in our churches and communities?

Let me know what you think. What might be holding us back?

The Radio, Television, and Facebook: How Technology is Competing with Spiritual Formation

(I love discovering new blogs for pastors. Check this one out by Hal Seed. Thanks, Hal, for your permission to post this here)

Hal Seed:

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and I’ve love to hear your thoughts.

In 1917 the American Radio and Research Corporation began radio broadcasting and within a few years Americans were bent over little boxes almost every night of the week. Television came in the 1940’s, and within a decade our habits shifted from listening to speakers to watching screens for hours on end. Then Al Gore invented the internet, and soon AOL, then MySpace, then Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest began competing for our evenings.

A little more than a hundred years ago, the American frontier family huddled around candles at the kitchen table after dark. While mom and grandma sewed and mended, kids played quietly and dad read Scripture – out loud – for an hour or more each evening.

Read the rest of this blog via halseed.typepad.com

read the classics - the imitation of Christ

The Imitation of Christ is said to be the most influential spiritual works in Western Christendom other than the Bible itself. This fresh contemporary translation from the 15th Century Latin edition makes the timeless wisdom of this classic available to modern readers in easily understandable language, while retaining the austerity, simplicity and beauty of the original.

Meant to be read in small portions, the Imitation is truly a guide for discovering personal holiness. Although written from the perspective of a medieval monastic, The Imitation contains classic advice for every individual who wishes to develop and grow in faith and personal spirituality.

pastors…read and get out of your office!

“Get out of your offices and get into your studies. Quit playing office manager and program director, quit staffing committees, and even right now recommit yourselves to what you were ordained to do, namely the ministry of Word and sacraments. Pick up good theology books again: hard books, classical texts, great theologians. Claim the energy and time to study for days and days at a time. Disappear for long hours because you are reading Athanasius on the person of Jesus Christ or Wesley on sanctification or Augustine on the Trinity or Calvin on the Christian life or Andrew Murray on the priesthood of Christ. Then you will have something to say that’s worth hearing” (44).

via mattcapps.wordpress.com

Thanks, Matt! Great word for pastors!