Ministry « Journeyman Journal

Talking Donkeys

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

It’s been awhile since I’ve read the story of Balaam and his donkey. It’s a humorous story with a serious message. If you haven’t ever read it (or if it’s been awhile) I highly encourage you to do so (the entire story is in Numbers 22).

The long and short of it is that Balaam is a “hired gun” who performs blessings, curses, divining, and any other sort of soothsaying for the right price. At this point in the story, Israel is trying to cross through Moab, peacefully. However, King Balak doesn’t like that idea because he’s afraid of how many Israelites there are. So he tries to hire Balaam to curse Israel before attacking them.

But God gets a hold of Balaam first. He tells Balaam not to go…Balaam agrees but hopes God will change is mind (there’s a lot of cash on the line)…God tells Him to go…Balaam goes, but has a little incident with an angel and his talking donkey (that’s the funny part of the story)…Balaam gets his head screwed on right and proceeds to meet with King Balak with a strict understanding that he’s only to do what God instructs him to do.

It’s a great story.

But it’s also got an important message…at least for me (and anyone else who speaks to others about God…this includes every disciple, but especially those doing it as their vocation). Here’s the lesson that Balaam learns and proclaims to King Balak:

Balaam replied, “Look, now I have come, but I have no power to say whatever I want. I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth.” (Numbers 22:28, NLT)

That’s such an important lesson and reminder. It’s my goal every time I speak in a Sunday morning. I want to “speak only the message that God puts in my mouth”. I think I do that most of the time…but not all of the time. I just hope God doesn’t have to send a talking donkey my way to be sure I get the message.

15.03.2011 Ministry, New Pastor Journal, Spiritual Musings 1 Comment

The Importance of Staying Connected

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

I am learning a valuable lesson at the start of this new year. Sometimes lessons are hard to learn, this is one of those cases because it’s exposing an area of weakness and failure on my part. That’s hard to admit and harder to deal with. I’ve been in my role as pastor now for 13.5 months (but who’s counting?). I have loved every minute of it. It’s not work…it’s a passion.

But being passionate doesn’t guarantee success (no matter how you measure it). And being passionate doesn’t mean you’ll do things right. I haven’t. The good news is that not all is lost…not even close. I have great people around me that know what they’re doing and are picking up the slack.

The lesson I’m learning is about the importance of staying connected. When I was in the corporate world this wasn’t nearly as important. People got paid to work and if they didn’t do what we expected they either shaped up or…(you know how that one ends).

Not so much in my new line of “work” (I still hate calling it that). Here, connections are life-blood…critical to keeping anything alive. Over the past few months I’ve made the decision to focus my attention on a smaller number of people…really poor into their lives as best I can. Not a bad call…not one I regret…but I got distracted. Also not an excuse, just the reality.

The consequence is that I lost connection with others. These are leaders that I left in the dust, flapping in the wind (choose your own metaphor). And it’s my responsibility to correct the situation. It will take work. It will take focus. It will take dedication.

But that’s the other great thing about connections…they can be re-established. This is an error that has an “easy” (if not simple) fix…get connected again! So that’s what I’m doing…and I hope I’ve learned my lesson!

16.02.2011 Church, Leadership, Ministry, New Pastor Journal No Comments

A Tale of Two Leaders

Friday, February 11th, 2011

Aaron was appointed by God as the High Priest of Israel…the direct connection between God and His people. He had the awesome task of representing the people before God and God before His people. He was God’s spokesman. He was God’s representative. He was the spiritual leader for God’s chosen people.

He led them astray.

Sure, they asked for it. They got restless and asked for what was comfortable in place of all the crazy new stuff going on all around them. They asked for it, but Aaron certainly wasn’t obligated to give them what they wanted; he was obligated to give them what they need. His first opportunity to lead and he blew it.

So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the Lord!” (Exodus 32:2-4, NLT)

The people asked for a god to worship and Aaron had every opportunity to point them to God. Instead, he built them a golden calf (reminiscent of the gods they left behind in Egypt). And when he saw how excited they were about the calf he built an altar..and THEN tried to get God involved the celebration. Slippery slope!

Enter from stage mountain…Moses. He comes down from the mountain after talking God out of destroying the people for their idolatry (something He had JUST warned them about). Moses sees the mess that Aaron has made and he takes charge. He destroys the idol. He gives the people what they deserve. And then he continues to lead His people back to the right path…back to God and His promises.

Am I an Aaron or a Moses? Do I lead out of my own comfort zone or do I lead people down the harder path of obedience and love toward God? Do I have what it takes to make a stand against convention and cultural acceptance?

Am I on God’s side or the other side?

11.02.2011 Leadership, Ministry, New Pastor Journal, Spiritual Musings 1 Comment

Markers

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

We need markers in our life (no, not the kind of markers in the picture). We need them in our family life—birthdays, anniversaries, special holidays. We need them in our work life—your hire date, the annual Christmas party, deadlines, open enrollment. We need them in our spiritual life—??? Oops!

Why do we not seem to celebrate key markers in our spiritual life much anymore (or am I just missing them). We have key holidays such as Easter and Christmas, but those are quickly deteriorating into commercial enterprises. We don’t reflect much or spend much time actually celebrating what we’re supposed to be celebrating (they turn more into family markers than markers of our spiritual journey).

We need markers along our spiritual path to remind us of where we’ve come from and where God is taking us. They’re important. God has used them since the very beginning. This morning I was reading about the Exodus from Egypt and guess what we find? Markers…

This annual festival will be a visible sign to you, like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. Let it remind you always to recite this teaching of the Lord: “With a strong hand, the Lord rescued you from Egypt.” (Exodus 13:9, NLT)

Passover was “like a mark” to the Israelites. It was established to ensure they would always remember what God did for them…where they had been. God established this particular marker because He knew it was important. For them. For us. But we don’t do this much anymore. We need to.

Several years ago when Anita and I took a spiritual retreat together to pray and talk about going back into full-time ministry. We stole away for Winter Park. We prayed. We talked. God showed up. There was healing. There was an answer. We wanted to remember that weekend so we agreed that we would purchase a marker…some tangible, visible reminder of what God started that weekend. And we did. It’s a little silver angel that sits on the mantle in our bedroom. Whenever I see it I know that we’re doing what God asked us to do. It marks an important event. When times get tough, the marker is there to remind.

We need markers in our spiritual journey. What are the markers along your path? What markers do you need set up?

01.02.2011 Ministry, New Pastor Journal, Spiritual Development, Spiritual Musings No Comments

Haven’t Worked a Day Since January

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

I’ve been at my new “job” now for a little over three months, but I haven’t blogged much about it. That’s mainly because it doesn’t feel like work. I was at lunch yesterday with a friend from Visa who is struggling with a decision about job options (both within and outside of Visa). She was asking my advice and all I could say was that she should find something that she truly loved…at almost any cost.

This is no original idea/concept. Confucius said it best…

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

I can honestly say that I haven’t worked a day since January 1st of this year. I’ve been plenty busy…but it hasn’t been work. Why? Because I love it and it’s what God has called me to do. I’m not even sure which part is most responsible…the doing what I love or following God’s leading (they are very interrelated!). I just know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and I have the blessing of loving every second of it.

Has it all been rosy? No. Has it all been fun and games? Of course not.

But it hasn’t been “work” either.

So, I stand behind Confucius’ advice and I take a little poetic license and tag on a little something extra: “Chose a job you love and that God has called you to, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I am blessed. I know it. And I thank and praise Him for it every day!!

14.04.2010 Ministry, New Pastor Journal, Soap Box No Comments

A Letter of Recommendation

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

I can only think of one time in my life when I had to get someone to write me a letter of recommendation. I was blessed with longevity in my professional career so it only came up once. And I was a little surprised to read the term this morning in 2 Corinthians, but it has given me a lot to think about today…

The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.

2 Corinthians 3:2-3, NLT

As a new pastor (3 months in now) this gives me pause. The letter of recommendation for my ministry (and it applies to everyone by the way) is not going to come from another pastor or someone in the church. It’s the result of the work itself…the spiritual lives of those I am touching and reaching every day. Our letter of recommendation is written “on human hearts” not with “pen and ink”.

I wonder what my letter of recommendation looks like right now…

Mystery or How-To?
Short Story or Novel?

And this letter of recommendation comes from Christ Himself…”showing the result of my ministry”. Christ is writing the letter of recommendation. Can’t think of anyone better to write it…I’m just praying that the letter is shaping up to be a good one, a letter I’ll be proud to show others instead of shoving it in a drawer to hide it.

How’s your letter of recommendation coming along?

23.03.2010 Ministry, New Pastor Journal, Spiritual Musings No Comments

What Now?

Monday, January 4th, 2010

I vividly remember the first day we brought Lindsay home from the hospital. We set her down in her car seat (she was still asleep)…we looked at eat other and thought/said, “What now?” We were new, young parents with the awesome responsibility of caring for and raising another human being (you have to pass a test to drive a car, but not a parent?). There was a mix of emotions ranging from excitement to terror at what lay ahead. Could we do this? What were we supposed to do now? What had we gotten ourselves into? Where are the Doritos?

As I sit here in the church during my first day I am struck by the similarities. The responsibility is not quite the same magnitude, but it’s awesome none-the-less. The same questions are running through my head. I want to do this right…I want to focus on the right things and not just be about programs and curriculum. I want God to lead the way, not the other way around. I have a list, but is it God’s list?

My prayer is truly to be about God’s business and not my own. I want Him to take the lead and I want to follow. I know I can’t do this in my own power. I need Him.

The similarities don’t stop with the questions and the doubts…

We need God to help us raise our kids…it’s not a solo job.

I need God to help me do this “job” (there has to be a better word than that)…it’s not a solo flight either.

I’m excited about what lies ahead. Today has already been a good day and the calendar is starting to fill up…meeting with the people who are doing the real work in the trenches and starting to build the framework of support for our growth (spiritually and numerically).

We figured most of it out with Lindsay (we’re still in the process)…I’ll figure it out here. Because I’m not alone. Thank God!

04.01.2010 Church, Ministry, New Pastor Journal 2 Comments

A New Start

Friday, January 1st, 2010

This new year is new for me in different ways than usual. Of course, it’s a brand new year and I’m doing the typical reflection of 2009 and looking forward to 2010. But this year there’s more.

Yesterday was my last day in the corporate work force after 20 years. Today…the first day of 2010…is the first day of stepping into my calling as a full time pastor. And there are mixed “emotions”…

It’s exciting.

It’s a little intimidating.

It’s new.

It’s different.

2010 is already shaping up to be like no other year. And I plan on chronicling my “new life”. There will be challenges, failures, excitement, victory, and who knows what else—and I want to share it all with you. I’m on the ride with God and we’re trusting Him for everything else. I know without a shadow of doubt that we are doing exactly what God wants us to do. And that’s exactly where you want to be.

So as this year unfolds…take the journey with me. You might learn something too…and I know you’ll teach me a thing or 12.

2010 here we come…

01.01.2010 Holiday, Ministry, New Pastor Journal 1 Comment

Sermon: Exodus 17:8-18:27, No Lone Rangers

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

The sermon this week was about the power of community…taking from two stories in Exodus: the Battle with the Amalekites and Jethro’s Advice for Moses. We talked about the importance of living in community with another because that’s how God has made us. We need one another to help carry our burdens, helps us when we fall down, and fight our spiritual battles.

We don’t get to be “Lone Rangers” in our spiritual journey…we need share the journey with others.

For more, please take a listen to the sermon podcast.

29.11.2009 Church, Ministry, Sermon No Comments

Sermon: Exodus 7-11, The 10 PLagues

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

This last Sunday (October 25) I had the privilege of preaching on the 10 Plagues as we continue our sermon series through the book of Exodus. The sermon is entitled American Idol: Egyptian Style and focused on the idol worship God was confronting and attacking with each of the 10 plagues against Egypt.

We all have idols—things that take God’s place in our lives…but God never leaves them alone and He requires that we turn our hearts toward Him and lay our idols down. Sometimes our idols are bad things (i.e.: pride, pornography, etc) and sometimes they aren’t (i.e.: work, family, etc). Regardless, we need to keep our relationship with God the most important part of our lives. Our hearts are prone to wander and we need to come back to our Father daily…He’s waiting with open arms.

For more detail, please listen to the Sermon Podcast

27.10.2009 Church, Ministry, Sermon No Comments