Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
THE PASTOR AND JOB SATISFACTION
This comes by way of Monday Morning Insights
I received an email this morning from a friend passing on an old article written by Eugene Peterson. This first appeared almost ten years ago in Leadership Journal, but its insight and advice is great for a day just like today. Peterson writes…
"Being a pastor who satisfies a congregation is one of the easiest jobs on the face of the earth?if we are satisfied with satisfying congregations. The hours are good, the pay is adequate, the prestige considerable. Why don’t we find it easy? Why aren’t we content with it?…
In a interview in Vision Magazine, Bob Coy, the senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale tells of when he was about ready to quit his church plant after two years because not much seemed to be happening. Bob said he called one of the people that was overseeing him and said, "Here's what's happening: I have only 40 or 50 people attending, it's been two years here, I am not appreciated or respected for what I have accomplished, and I'm thinking about going back to Las Vegas." The person on the other end of the phone asked him, "Well, do you not want to be there?" Bob's reply was, "Well, ministry is becoming a burden." The response back in his ear was, "If it's a burden, then you need to leave. Representing the work God has given you as a burden is not the Lord; His burden is light. I think you ought to leave. There are some college students here that would love and care for those people." Bob said that this was not really what he was expecting to hear, and it caused him to get a little 'fiesty' in heart. Bob said he thought to himself, "No young college student is going to come here and care for these people. These are my sheep and I'm gonna love them."
Bob Coy continues, "It was a strange thing, because what happened was God was testing me to find out where my heart was at. Was I just looking for a big thing? Was I just looking for the success of a ministry or did I really care about sheep? The beauty of that was that I came back to church the following week, I think, a different man, and I cared more about discipleship, more about love, and cared about taking these people and really investing in their lives." Bob was able to change his mindset from having a 'job' to having a 'profession'.
Where are you at today? Have you had a similar experience (moving from a 'job' to a 'profession')?
The Pastor and Job Satisfaction
"Being a pastor who satisfies a congregation is one of the easiest jobs on the face of the earth?if we are satisfied with satisfying congregations. The hours are good, the pay is adequate, the prestige considerable. Why don’t we find it easy? Why aren’t we content with it?…
Because we set out to do something quite different. We set out to risk our lives in a venture of faith. We committed ourselves to a life of holiness. At some point we realized the immensity of God and of the great invisibles that socket into our arms and legs, into bread and wine, into our brains and our tools, into mountains and rivers, giving them meaning, destiny, value, joy, beauty, salvation. We responded to a call to convey these realities in Word and sacrament. We offered ourselves to give leadership that connects and coordinates what the people in this community of faith are doing in their work and play with what God is doing in mercy and grace.
In the process, we learned the difference between a profession, a craft, and a job.
A job is what we do to complete an assignment. Its primary requirement is that we give satisfaction to whomever makes the assignment and pays our wage. We learn what is expected, and we do it. There is nothing wrong with doing jobs. To some extent, we all have them; somebody has to wash the dishes and take out the garbage.
But professions and crafts are different. In these, we have an obligation beyond pleasing somebody. We are pursuing or shaping the very nature of reality, convinced that when we carry out our commitments, we benefit people at a far deeper level than if we simply did what they asked of us."
Bob Coy continues, "It was a strange thing, because what happened was God was testing me to find out where my heart was at. Was I just looking for a big thing? Was I just looking for the success of a ministry or did I really care about sheep? The beauty of that was that I came back to church the following week, I think, a different man, and I cared more about discipleship, more about love, and cared about taking these people and really investing in their lives." Bob was able to change his mindset from having a 'job' to having a 'profession'.
Where are you at today? Have you had a similar experience (moving from a 'job' to a 'profession')?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
ED STETZER ON LANGUAGE IN THE PULPIT
Ed Stetzer posted this excellent article on his blog one year ago today.
Over the past couple of years there has been a lot of passionate discussion about inappropriate language in the pulpit. Of course some preachers do use language they shouldn't when preaching the word, while others aren't using language they should (maybe we'll make another post on that one).
I hope we can agree that God does care about the words we use. Positively, we are called to speak the truth with grace, correcting and reproving one another when needed, and encouraging one another as the day of the Lord draws near. On the negative side, God forbids the misuse of words by way of blasphemy, heresy, lies, gossip, slander, and flattery. These are, I think, relatively easy to spot and most of us would agree such speech has no place on the tongues of God's people.
But, I think more needs to be said. In fact, more has been said. Unfortunately, it has often been little more than spoof texting without real dialog. I'd like us to consider a few of the popular passages that are relevant to this issue and find some direction.
Corrupting talk is rotten, worthless, and unfit for use. The word is being used in contrast to words that are useful for building up and extending grace to others. In a practical sense we must not use words that needlessly tear others down, or encourage others to sin.
Filthiness is ugly, immodest, and inappropriate language. This is largely contextually determined. Some things are entirely appropriate for a conversation between my wife and me, but would be inappropriate between a us and a child. I can speak one way to a man, but would choose my words differently when talking with a woman. Filthiness is ugly talk that is "out of place." Foolish talk is unwise, unprofitable speech, and crude joking is a quick wit (a good thing) used for nothing more than fruitless joking (get over yourself).
Obscene talk is shameful, and perhaps abusive speech.
Paul's point regarding godly and ungodly speech is not that some words are never to be used, but that the spiritual and social impact of our words matter, and we must use our words for the glory of God and the good of people.
Now some people use these verses to call words they find distasteful out of bounds. Others ignore these verses and speak without much serious thought about the context or true usefulness of their words. I'd like to offer a little pastoral advice to all Christians, especially those who labor in teaching and preaching.
My advice is simple. Be careful with your words. You only have so many to use in your upcoming sermon, so choose them wisely. Those words may comprise your very last sermon. Have you considered that? What words will be most useful in communicating truth, and the gospel? What words will help you best uncover man's hypocrisy, stubbornness and idolatry while pointing them to the hope of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus? Your words should be appropriate for your audience and context, they should clarify truth, expose error and exalt Jesus. If you are a teacher, then you are not a child, so don't speak like one. Be thoughtful, provocative, and clear. Know your audience. Do not use words that will interfere with the message you are called by God to communicate, but do not neglect to use words that will arrest their attention and display the significance of the message.
Of course, I welcome your thoughts on the subject in the comments. Stick to the issue, my friends. Choose your words wisely, and make the discussion profitable.
I hope we can agree that God does care about the words we use. Positively, we are called to speak the truth with grace, correcting and reproving one another when needed, and encouraging one another as the day of the Lord draws near. On the negative side, God forbids the misuse of words by way of blasphemy, heresy, lies, gossip, slander, and flattery. These are, I think, relatively easy to spot and most of us would agree such speech has no place on the tongues of God's people.
But, I think more needs to be said. In fact, more has been said. Unfortunately, it has often been little more than spoof texting without real dialog. I'd like us to consider a few of the popular passages that are relevant to this issue and find some direction.
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Eph 4:29
Corrupting talk is rotten, worthless, and unfit for use. The word is being used in contrast to words that are useful for building up and extending grace to others. In a practical sense we must not use words that needlessly tear others down, or encourage others to sin.
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Eph 5:4
Filthiness is ugly, immodest, and inappropriate language. This is largely contextually determined. Some things are entirely appropriate for a conversation between my wife and me, but would be inappropriate between a us and a child. I can speak one way to a man, but would choose my words differently when talking with a woman. Filthiness is ugly talk that is "out of place." Foolish talk is unwise, unprofitable speech, and crude joking is a quick wit (a good thing) used for nothing more than fruitless joking (get over yourself).
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
Col 3:8
Obscene talk is shameful, and perhaps abusive speech.
Paul's point regarding godly and ungodly speech is not that some words are never to be used, but that the spiritual and social impact of our words matter, and we must use our words for the glory of God and the good of people.
Now some people use these verses to call words they find distasteful out of bounds. Others ignore these verses and speak without much serious thought about the context or true usefulness of their words. I'd like to offer a little pastoral advice to all Christians, especially those who labor in teaching and preaching.
My advice is simple. Be careful with your words. You only have so many to use in your upcoming sermon, so choose them wisely. Those words may comprise your very last sermon. Have you considered that? What words will be most useful in communicating truth, and the gospel? What words will help you best uncover man's hypocrisy, stubbornness and idolatry while pointing them to the hope of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus? Your words should be appropriate for your audience and context, they should clarify truth, expose error and exalt Jesus. If you are a teacher, then you are not a child, so don't speak like one. Be thoughtful, provocative, and clear. Know your audience. Do not use words that will interfere with the message you are called by God to communicate, but do not neglect to use words that will arrest their attention and display the significance of the message.
Of course, I welcome your thoughts on the subject in the comments. Stick to the issue, my friends. Choose your words wisely, and make the discussion profitable.
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