My mother liked straight pictures. When I painted for her through the years, the worst part of the job was rehanging all the pictures. We had to measure. Mark. Compare the mark to the next picture. Re-measure. Hang. Put the level on it. Take it back down. Re-measure again. Try a new nail over 1/8th of an inch. Hang. Move […]
The less time you spend trying to be what you are not, and even more so, the less energy you spend forcing your congregation to be what it is not, the better. Don’t underestimate the significance of this insight. God gives some gifts to all people. He does not give all gifts to all people. He has dealt you some […]
As a pastor somewhere, somehow you have gotten stuck. Maybe you could never quite get the sermon you were working on to come together. Maybe there is a project that hasn’t quite gotten off the ground. Maybe you have not quite hit a stride in a particular area of ministry. Try turning things upside down. For instance, if you have […]
Pastors are notorious for being lone rangers. They are, unfortunately, notorious for being narcissistic. We fall far too easily into the sinfully silly notion that we are the show; we are not. That it is about us; it is not. We must WORK at the recognition that we are in the ministry together with lots of other people. We must […]
Plan to stick with this for a while. Being a pastor is a complicated Calling. The more trips you make around the block the more effective you should be—as long as you don’t always go around the same block in the same way! Serving as a pastor is one of those things that is more art than science. Rome wasn’t […]
Never let anyone or anything steal your joy. This is significant day in and day out. You are a child of the Most High God! You have the hosts of heaven helping you and the gates of heaven waiting for you. Your sins, faults and failures are washed clean. God is with you and for you. Of course, you also […]
I heard it twice this week. Once from “the left.” Once from “the right.” Both on news shows.* “No pun intended.” Here is what is odd. For both of them the pun was intended. It was scripted, crafted, prepared, maybe even tele-prompted. If that is not intended, what is? It was a blatant falsehood—from both sides, both of which claim […]
Should pastors wear a robe and a clerical collar? Should they wear khakis and a sport shirt? What about jeans and a tee shirt? Many have spent much time discussing this. Isn’t that kind of a funny question? Of all the issues that we can talk about, how in the world can it matter how a pastor dresses?!? But it […]
If you are going to serve as a pastor, you better learn to juggle. You have multiple responsibilities: child of God, husband, father, son, pastor, community member, churchman. As a pastor you have multiple tasks: PreachLeadWorship planningStrategic planningFinancial planningTeach adultsTeach young peopleTeach children (these three are dramatically different)Grief counselingPre-marriage and marriage counselingEnd of life counselingBossScholarOccasional plumbing and electrical workLawn mowing […]
What’s the point of not doing your best? What’s the point of not trying to get better? Scripture has some choice words about being a sluggard. Check out Proverbs 6:9-11. There are two schools of thought. One says to work hard on your weaknesses to minimize them. The other says to work hard on your strengths to maximize them. Why […]