We love to be able to choose between different options. In such situations you can pick one or more from a number of alternatives. It offers a wonderful feeling of being in control.
There comes a time when the power to choose is snatched from us. I think of frail elderly people who once had the power of making decisions for not only themselves but maybe hundreds or even thousands of other folk besides. Now they are dependent. If your carer has compelling reasons why you would be better off being moved from the chair to the bed, you have little choice but to go along with it.
Most of Jesus' first followers lost the power to choose what would happen to them in the end. In John 21:18-19 Jesus gives Peter the disquieting message, "I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
Then we read, "Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, 'Follow me!'"
For years I have had to accept particular work situations because there was no other option. This time I prayed that the Lord would give me a choice because it would be good, for once, to say to Him, "Lord, there are several options this time. Give me the discernment to choose the right one". Maybe - whisper it softly - this prayer has been answered in the affirmative. This would be welcome but it can also be quite scary! Lord, give me choice, but far be it from me to demand to be in control.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Ambition
The discussion at a recent Bible study turned to ambition. The disciples in Mark 9:34 were arguing about who was the greatest. Jesus replied that the first must be last.
Ambition in the ministry is usually connected with the numbers game. I remember hearing of ministers who were known for asking for "a significant appointment" - one in a large and lively church which was easy to make larger. Such men are eager to get on, and don't want to find themselves in a dead-end situation where they can't be seen to make progress.
One of the most frustrating questions from prospective churches is, "How big was the congregation in your last church?" If I reply, "Quite small", that goes against me. But if my last church had been big and doing well, why would I be looking for a new pastorate anyway?
True, the early church rejoiced mightily in growing numbers. Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, is pleased to announce that 3000 were added to the church in one day (Acts 2:41). I believe that is not boasting nor propaganda. It is simply joy that 3000 new people were acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord - which is what He deserves to receive from every human being on earth.
Most of us will never duplicate the results of that glorious day, but we still need some ambition to drive us. I am ambitious to be where I can serve the Lord Jesus who loved me and gave Himself for me; I am ambitious to keep the faith, to raise up more servants and to finish my course well.
Ambition in the ministry is usually connected with the numbers game. I remember hearing of ministers who were known for asking for "a significant appointment" - one in a large and lively church which was easy to make larger. Such men are eager to get on, and don't want to find themselves in a dead-end situation where they can't be seen to make progress.
One of the most frustrating questions from prospective churches is, "How big was the congregation in your last church?" If I reply, "Quite small", that goes against me. But if my last church had been big and doing well, why would I be looking for a new pastorate anyway?
True, the early church rejoiced mightily in growing numbers. Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, is pleased to announce that 3000 were added to the church in one day (Acts 2:41). I believe that is not boasting nor propaganda. It is simply joy that 3000 new people were acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord - which is what He deserves to receive from every human being on earth.
Most of us will never duplicate the results of that glorious day, but we still need some ambition to drive us. I am ambitious to be where I can serve the Lord Jesus who loved me and gave Himself for me; I am ambitious to keep the faith, to raise up more servants and to finish my course well.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
The call
Much pious stuff is talked about the process among Evangelicals whereby they "call" a new pastor. In this process potential new pastors are identified, approved and appointed to posts. One piece of imagery is that of a "courtship" leading to a "marriage".
But the Bible says that "the labourer is worthy of his wages" (1 Timothy 5:18). I suppose a jaded spouse in a marriage might moan in a low moment that marriage is hard labour, and that the other party isn't giving them enough spending money, but all told it sounds a funny motto for a marriage to me. Of course it isn't a marriage. If it was one, I would have got through five of them by now, since I have had five pastorates. Future brides, look out!
No, a church takes on and supports a man to concentrate on the work, if possible full time. He will exercise his God-given calling and gifts to further the church's spiritual life. Notice that he will not have a monopoly on the gifts. Otherwise the church would not be a body, with every member being part of the body and contributing to its life. Actually, I have made a discovery that has radically reshaped my thinking on this issue. I look in vain in the New Testament for an instance of one pastor per church. Instead I see a plurality of elders in the churches, working under God as a team. It never ceases to amaze me that the Lord Jesus, who was supremely able to do everything Himself, chose teams to work alongside Him!
In practice effective, godly eldership teams of one mind and heart are not always easy to achieve. God grant that in my next church it will be a glorious possibility.
I count it a sign of the calling God has given me that I haven't reached a point where I want to call it a day. Morale and adrenalin rise whenever I hear of a possible new pastorate on the horizon. Such was the case a few days ago when I was offered an introduction to two churches seeking a minister. The trail is warm again, and my appetite for the work is as strong as ever!
But the Bible says that "the labourer is worthy of his wages" (1 Timothy 5:18). I suppose a jaded spouse in a marriage might moan in a low moment that marriage is hard labour, and that the other party isn't giving them enough spending money, but all told it sounds a funny motto for a marriage to me. Of course it isn't a marriage. If it was one, I would have got through five of them by now, since I have had five pastorates. Future brides, look out!
No, a church takes on and supports a man to concentrate on the work, if possible full time. He will exercise his God-given calling and gifts to further the church's spiritual life. Notice that he will not have a monopoly on the gifts. Otherwise the church would not be a body, with every member being part of the body and contributing to its life. Actually, I have made a discovery that has radically reshaped my thinking on this issue. I look in vain in the New Testament for an instance of one pastor per church. Instead I see a plurality of elders in the churches, working under God as a team. It never ceases to amaze me that the Lord Jesus, who was supremely able to do everything Himself, chose teams to work alongside Him!
In practice effective, godly eldership teams of one mind and heart are not always easy to achieve. God grant that in my next church it will be a glorious possibility.
I count it a sign of the calling God has given me that I haven't reached a point where I want to call it a day. Morale and adrenalin rise whenever I hear of a possible new pastorate on the horizon. Such was the case a few days ago when I was offered an introduction to two churches seeking a minister. The trail is warm again, and my appetite for the work is as strong as ever!
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Laid aside
Called - but laid aside from fulfilling my calling.
Sometimes the tension between waiting quietly for the Lord and following the maxim "God helps those who help themselves" comes into sharp focus. Looking for a pastorate is one of those times.
The instinct to follow my calling is very strong because the call was overwhelming in the first place. It came when I was a student of modern languages, 20 or 21 years old. I was in Le Havre in France as an English Assistant. This was not a very demanding job. You were expected to spend most of your time mixing with French people and improving your language skills. One day a French teacher colleague, a practising Catholic, invited me to his home for a meal. We talked in the way the French do - deep conversation rather than small talk. The topic must have turned to religion at some point, though I can remember nothing about that. All I can remember was the teacher suddenly asking, "Why don't you become a pastor in your church?" It was like a revelation; like scales falling off my eyes. Where before I had seen pastors as weaklings, now I could see the challenge of the work and that it would take up my life's energies. I have never looked back.
Without a pastorate I feel like a fish out of water. But how hard should I try to jump back in? The churches scream, "You will wait for us; our timing is the Lord's timing." My instinct whispers insistently, "Leave no stone unturned; it's no good expecting pastorates to drop into your lap." How to reconcile the two voices is beyond me. All I can say is that invitations to preach are coming in from various local churches. I welcome them, and offer myself to the Lord as a resource for the churches during this time of waiting. Look for what's to come, but don't turn away what's already here.
Sometimes the tension between waiting quietly for the Lord and following the maxim "God helps those who help themselves" comes into sharp focus. Looking for a pastorate is one of those times.
The instinct to follow my calling is very strong because the call was overwhelming in the first place. It came when I was a student of modern languages, 20 or 21 years old. I was in Le Havre in France as an English Assistant. This was not a very demanding job. You were expected to spend most of your time mixing with French people and improving your language skills. One day a French teacher colleague, a practising Catholic, invited me to his home for a meal. We talked in the way the French do - deep conversation rather than small talk. The topic must have turned to religion at some point, though I can remember nothing about that. All I can remember was the teacher suddenly asking, "Why don't you become a pastor in your church?" It was like a revelation; like scales falling off my eyes. Where before I had seen pastors as weaklings, now I could see the challenge of the work and that it would take up my life's energies. I have never looked back.
Without a pastorate I feel like a fish out of water. But how hard should I try to jump back in? The churches scream, "You will wait for us; our timing is the Lord's timing." My instinct whispers insistently, "Leave no stone unturned; it's no good expecting pastorates to drop into your lap." How to reconcile the two voices is beyond me. All I can say is that invitations to preach are coming in from various local churches. I welcome them, and offer myself to the Lord as a resource for the churches during this time of waiting. Look for what's to come, but don't turn away what's already here.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Clutter and basics
"Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul"
- Harry E. Fosdick, 1930
There's nothing like a house move to remind you - forcefully - of how much clutter you gather over the years. Kind friends helped me move last Tuesday. Most of my belongings went into storage with a farmer friend who generously allotted space in a barn. The rest - still too much - came with me into lodgings.
It was in sharp contrast with what Gandhi left behind when he died: a pair of spectacles, his loincloth and ... was there a third thing? Precious little else, anyway. How easy it is to be rich in things, and to be poor in soul at the same time!
One suspects that Christians and churches are very self-indulgent in the West, fretting about issues which are vanishingly small if you are at the rock face of persecution or deprivation. It is highly likely that I shall come out of this period of transition with a different perspective than the one I had when I started.
Meanwhile I just appreciate the kindness I have been receiving, kindness well above and beyond my basic needs. It is as though God is saying, "You may be in a position to live off reserves for a while, but I shall still keep giving you reminders that I am with you and equipping you for new service".
Last Sunday was a busy and positive one, spent at a church in Malvern where I preached twice and also took a rest home service. John Wesley begged the Lord that he would never live to be useless. He was contending for the faith up to a few days before his death and so, I hope, shall I be.
Rich in things and poor in soul"
- Harry E. Fosdick, 1930
There's nothing like a house move to remind you - forcefully - of how much clutter you gather over the years. Kind friends helped me move last Tuesday. Most of my belongings went into storage with a farmer friend who generously allotted space in a barn. The rest - still too much - came with me into lodgings.
It was in sharp contrast with what Gandhi left behind when he died: a pair of spectacles, his loincloth and ... was there a third thing? Precious little else, anyway. How easy it is to be rich in things, and to be poor in soul at the same time!
One suspects that Christians and churches are very self-indulgent in the West, fretting about issues which are vanishingly small if you are at the rock face of persecution or deprivation. It is highly likely that I shall come out of this period of transition with a different perspective than the one I had when I started.
Meanwhile I just appreciate the kindness I have been receiving, kindness well above and beyond my basic needs. It is as though God is saying, "You may be in a position to live off reserves for a while, but I shall still keep giving you reminders that I am with you and equipping you for new service".
Last Sunday was a busy and positive one, spent at a church in Malvern where I preached twice and also took a rest home service. John Wesley begged the Lord that he would never live to be useless. He was contending for the faith up to a few days before his death and so, I hope, shall I be.
Saturday, 21 August 2010
Living out of a suitcase
At the moment I'm living out of a suitcase. Hence no entry in this blog last weekend. I hope you're patiently sticking with me.
As a student, I was used to this sort of existence. However, you expect to be more settled after student days. Even if you experience a number of house moves, you hope and expect that certain things will remain familiar: your family, your network of friends, your profession, places that you call "home" wherever you happen to live at the time.
Whether this is God's intention for the human race is not so clear. He never allowed His people Israel to forget that they were once nomadic tent-dwellers, depending on Him to guide their every move. Jesus claimed that while foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests, He had nowhere to lay His head.
Right now I feel as though I have well and truly joined the club. I am house-sitting for someone, which is great as it helps me avoid living next to a church whose pastorate I have left. Seventy miles away, my worldly goods fill endless mounds of storage bins. I have yet to move out of the Manse but it is clearly no longer home.
I've struggled to relax so far, because my mind is in self-preservation mode and working overtime. However, I calmed myself this evening by playing a very old hymn, "God be in my head". God is in every part of me, right now, and I must live life positively for Him. At the same time, the hymn comes from an age when journey's end, eternal life in the next world, loomed so much larger for people than it does today. From the ancient words I take quiet satisfaction that, when my day is done, God will be there still:
God be at mine end
and at my departing.
As a student, I was used to this sort of existence. However, you expect to be more settled after student days. Even if you experience a number of house moves, you hope and expect that certain things will remain familiar: your family, your network of friends, your profession, places that you call "home" wherever you happen to live at the time.
Whether this is God's intention for the human race is not so clear. He never allowed His people Israel to forget that they were once nomadic tent-dwellers, depending on Him to guide their every move. Jesus claimed that while foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests, He had nowhere to lay His head.
Right now I feel as though I have well and truly joined the club. I am house-sitting for someone, which is great as it helps me avoid living next to a church whose pastorate I have left. Seventy miles away, my worldly goods fill endless mounds of storage bins. I have yet to move out of the Manse but it is clearly no longer home.
I've struggled to relax so far, because my mind is in self-preservation mode and working overtime. However, I calmed myself this evening by playing a very old hymn, "God be in my head". God is in every part of me, right now, and I must live life positively for Him. At the same time, the hymn comes from an age when journey's end, eternal life in the next world, loomed so much larger for people than it does today. From the ancient words I take quiet satisfaction that, when my day is done, God will be there still:
God be at mine end
and at my departing.
Sunday, 8 August 2010
The leaving do
I've just been to my leaving do and survived.
To get leaving events right (assuming you are allowed a say in it) is a matter of experience and judgement. I had one once where there was a big garden party on the Saturday afternoon. The trouble was, everyone put the maximum effort in to make it work, and the two services on the Sunday had a terrible air of anticlimax as a result. Given that it was Pentecost Sunday, that was unfortunate in the extreme.
This time we did things differently. Everything was concentrated into one day. There was a service in the morning and a tea in the afternoon followed by a short act of worship. The mix worked. I had liberty of the Spirit in preaching and the day had a positive atmosphere.
And now? After a short spell of annual leave, I move into the position of being in between churches. That's my euphemism for pastoral unemployment. An unemployed actor is "resting"; an unemployed pastor is "in between churches". May that interval be short. At the same time, God in His wisdom will surely not supply a new pastorate until I am again ready to cope with one.
To get leaving events right (assuming you are allowed a say in it) is a matter of experience and judgement. I had one once where there was a big garden party on the Saturday afternoon. The trouble was, everyone put the maximum effort in to make it work, and the two services on the Sunday had a terrible air of anticlimax as a result. Given that it was Pentecost Sunday, that was unfortunate in the extreme.
This time we did things differently. Everything was concentrated into one day. There was a service in the morning and a tea in the afternoon followed by a short act of worship. The mix worked. I had liberty of the Spirit in preaching and the day had a positive atmosphere.
And now? After a short spell of annual leave, I move into the position of being in between churches. That's my euphemism for pastoral unemployment. An unemployed actor is "resting"; an unemployed pastor is "in between churches". May that interval be short. At the same time, God in His wisdom will surely not supply a new pastorate until I am again ready to cope with one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)