Danger. Pandemic. Economic chaos. Unemployment. Medical supplies. Government over-reach or is it under-reach? I saw some sidewalk chalk art on a driveway this week. Whatever kids lived there, I had never seen kids there, must have gotten bored with on-line education, playing video games or snap-chatting. And with no organized soccer games to go to, a working-from-home mom or dad […]
As a pastor you should have a wide range of interests. Some new. Some old. A smattering of lots of things will provide a treasure house for ministry. One of the things that you should have a smattering of is Latin. There is nothing like a Latin phrase to help sell a point. Lay people appreciate a well spoken and […]
Talk about a week of great significance! I must have made about 100 different decisions to figure out how to move forward in congregational ministry given the impact of the virus crisis. (I refuse to use the scary name it has been given because that just drives fear.) One of the things that was clear right away was that we […]
Wear nice ones. This is especially important for Holy Communion services. When people come forward to receive the Sacrament, they are not quite sure where to look. Many think it is too proud to look up, even if they are looking up to the cross. They won’t close their eyes for fear of missing the Sacrament as the celebrant distributes […]
Beginning this week on Fridays I plan to share something particularly significant from the week as it draws to a close. Shouldn’t be hard to find something this week!
Read lots. Reading is to the brain what eating is to the body. One of the best ways to read lots is to read a little everyday. Over the course of a forty-five year ministry if you read a little bit every day it will add up to lots! Read the Bible. Aggressively. Plan to make it through the entire […]
This post follows both logically and necessarily the last two topics. Use this tool carefully. But use it. Sometimes good enough is. Sometimes you must let some things go. You cannot attend every meeting. You cannot make every visit that could be made. You cannot read every book or journal. You cannot do it all. You cannot. You are a […]
As stated before, being a pastor is hard work. Wise men approach hard work by working hard. Also as stated before, if you are looking for a forty hour a week job that can be left at the office each evening, you should look for something else. Through the years I have attended many “church growth” conferences and read plenty […]
I don’t know for sure because I have never had another one, but a pastor’s job looks to be one of the hardest jobs there is. So far as I have observed the only tougher one may be a homemaker! It used to amuse me when people would say to me, “Boy, I would not want your job.” Now it […]
In your seminary training you learned deep and weighty truths. You studied serious and challenging topics. This topic might not seem to fit in those categories. But it does. It is a deep and weighty truth. I am serious about it, and it is challenging. Smile. God really does love you. Really. Yes, you have a lot going on. Plenty […]