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Pastoring
& Shepherding of Church
Three pastors got
together for coffee one day and found all their churches had bat-infestation
problems. "I got so mad
" said one
"I took a shotgun and fired
at them. It made holes in the ceiling
but did nothing to the bats."
"I tried trapping them alive
" said the second. "Then I drove 50
miles before releasing them
but they beat me back to the church." "I
haven't had any more problems
" said the third. "What did you
do?" asked the others
amazed. "I simply baptized and confirmed
them
" he replied. "I haven't seen them since." ── Reader's
Digest
July
1994
p. 64.
Consider what
pastors think about work
home
and lifestyles as reported in a recent survey
conducted by Leadership magazine:
- 94 percent feel
pressured to have an ideal family;
- The top four
problems in clergy marriages are: 81 percent
insufficient time; 71 percent
use of money; 70 percent
income level; 64 percent
communication difficulties
63 percent
congregational expectations; and 57 percent
differences over
leisure;
- 24 percent have
received or are receiving marital counseling;
- 33 percent of
pastors are dissatisfied with the level of sexual intimacy in their marriages;
and pastors report 16 percent of their spouses are dissatisfied
which 69
percent blame on their busy schedule
54 percent on their spouse's schedule
and 35 percent on frequent night church meetings.;
- 22 percent seek
supplemental income to make ends meet;
- 28 percent feel
current compensation is inadequate;
- 69 percent of the
spouses work outside the home to make ends meet;
- 67 percent of the
pastors feel positive about their spouses working outside their home;
- 9 percent of
clergy have had extramarital affairs;
- 19 percent have
had inappropriate sexual contact with another person other than their spouse;
- 55 percent of
clergy have no one with whom they can discuss their sexual temptation.── H.B. London
Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman
Pastors
at Risk
Victor Books
1993
pp. 34-35.
This soul-weariness
shines through a few lines of sarcasm one minister wrote in his journal:
"If I wanted to drive a manager up the wall
I would make him responsible
for the success of an organization and give him no authority. I would provide
him with unclear goals
not commonly agreed upon by the organization. I would
ask him to provide a service of an ill-defined nature
apply a body of
knowledge having few absolutes
and staff his organization with only
volunteers. I would expect him to work ten to twelve hours per day and have his
work evaluated by a committee of 300 to 500 amateurs. I would call him a
minister and make him accountable to God."── H.B.
London
Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman
Pastors at Risk
Victor Books
1993
pp. 54.
Consider the
following sobering survey results of the personal and professional lives of the
clergy:
- 90% of pastors
work more than 46 hours a week
- 80% believed that
pastoral ministry affected their families negatively
- 33% said that
being in ministry was an outright hazard to their family
- 75% reported a
significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry
- 50% felt unable to
meet the needs of the job
- 90% felt they were
inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands
- 70% say they have
a lower self-esteem now than when they started out
- 40% reported a
serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month
- 37% confessed
having been involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with someone in the
church
- 70% do not have
someone they consider a close friend.
1991 Survey of
Pastors
Fuller Institute of Church Growth
── H. B.
London
Jr. and Neil B. Wiseman
Pastors at Risk
Victor Books
1993
p.
22.
Some pastors preach
"longhorn sermons
" a point here
a point there
and a lot of bull in
between.── Source Unknown.
One pastor never
prepared during the week
and on Sunday morning he'd sit on the platform while
the church was singing the hymns desperately praying
"Lord
give your
message
Lord give me your message." One Sunday
while desperately praying
for God's message
he heard the Lord say
"Ralph
here's my message.
You're lazy!"── Source Unknown.
Have you ever heard
of the spiritual disease which people in medieval times called accidie? It is
something that threatens all Christian workers after the first flush of
enthusiasm has worn off. It's a form of sloth but not at the physical level. It
is apathy of the soul. It shows in a certain toughness of mind and wariness of
spirit which often results from hurt and disillusionment.
People with accidie
in this sense have grown cynical about ideals
enthusiasms
and strong hopes.
They look pityingly at young people and say
"They'll learn
" taking
it for granted that when they've learned
they'll become tough inside too. Once
upon a time these leather-souled people were keen
hopeful
and expectant. But
nothing happened
or they got hurt
and now they protect themselves against
pain by adopting cynical
world-weary attitudes.
If these people are
ministers of churches
they work mechanically
merely going through the motions
because their light has really gone out and they're no longer expecting
anything exciting to happen. They feel that they know from experience that
exciting things don't happen
and that's an end of it. So they merely plod on
expecting nothing and receiving nothing.
But the Lord does
not send us out on his work in order that nothing may happen. His word is
intended to have impact; it's sent out to accomplish something. We ought never
to settle for a non-expectant
defeated attitude. Rather we should be asking
and expecting great things from God.── James
Packer
Your Father Loves You
Harold Shaw Publishers
1986
p. 10.
The public's image
of the clergy has hit an all-time low
with just a bare majority now rating
them "very high" (15 percent) or "high" (39 percent) in
honesty and ethical standards. One person in three (33 percent) considers
clergy ethics to be just average
while 7 percent say they are "low
"
and 2 percent consider them "very low."
In spite of this
members of the clergy are charted second only to pharmacists for honesty and
ethics. Physicians
college teachers
dentists
and engineers are next in rank
while journalists
bankers
lawyers
members of Congress
and car salesmen are
rated near the bottom.── Emerging
Trends
Signs of the Times
August
1993
p. 6.
Ten Basic Statements
about ministry:
1. The foundation of
ministry is character.
2. The nature of
ministry is service.
3. The motive for
ministry is love.
4. The measure of
ministry is sacrifice.
5. The authority of
ministry is submission.
6. The purpose of
ministry is the glory of God.
7. The tools of
ministry are the Word and prayer.
8. The privilege of
ministry is growth.
9. The power of
ministry is the Holy Spirit.
10. The model for
ministry is Jesus Christ
── Warren
and David Wiersbe
in Making Sense of the Ministry.
Robert Murray
McCheyne wrote to Dan Edwards after the latter's ordination as a missionary
"In great measure
according to the purity and perfections of the
instrument
will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as
great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of
God".── Paul Borthwick
Leading
the Way
Navpress
1989
p. 65.
If you knew you
could not fail
what would you attempt to do for the glory of God and the
growth of his kingdom?
Why should the
congregation follow me?
1. Congregational
endorsement (they asked me to lead).
2. Biblical--placed
by God in a position of leadership (Heb 13
Acts 20:28)
3. Force of example
on others--I follow Christ
you follow me. Dependent on closeness of
relationship.
4.
Expertise--knowledge and training.
── Source
Unknown.
According to Edward
Bratcher
(The Walk on Water Syndrome (Word
1986
p. 109)
"The typical
pastor feels no one cares for him and his development" and 83% try to
comfort themselves instead of seeking outside help. ── Target
May
1993
p. 17.
In his book Be Free
Warren W. Wiersby mentioned the fact that young ministers often visited the
great British preacher G. Campbell Morgan to ask him the secret of his success.
When someone inquired of him what he told these aspiring pastors
Morgan
replied
"I always say to them the same thing -- work; hard work; and
again
work!" And Morgan lived up to his own advice. He would be in his
study every morning at 6 o'clock
finding rich treasures out of his Bible to
pass on to God's people. ── Our Daily Bread.
Parishioners hard
pressed for something to say to the clergy after the service have
according to
one minister's friend said to him
"You always manage to find something to
fill up the time."
"I don't care
what they say
I like your sermons."
"If I'd known
you were going to be good today I'd have brought a neighbor."
"Did you know
there are 243 panes of glass in the windows?"
"We shouldn't
make you preach so often."
── Arthur
Myers
Berkshire Sampler.
A Lutheran
newsletter has some tongue-in-cheek suggestions for church members unhappy with
their pastor: "Simply send a copy of this letter to six other churches who
are tired of their ministers. Then bundle up your pastor and send him to the
church at the top of the list. Add your name to the bottom of the list. In one
week you will receive 16
436 ministers
and one of them should be a dandy. Have
faith in this letter. One man broke the chain and got his old minister
back."── Source Unknown.
God give us
men...ribbed with the steel of Your Holy Spirit...men who will not flinch when
the battle's fiercest...men who won't acquiesce
or compromise
or fade when
the enemy rages. God give us men who can't be bought
bartered
or badgered by
the enemy
men who will pay the price
make the sacrifice
stand the ground
and hold the torch high. God give us men obsessed with the principles true to
your word
men stripped of self-seeking and a yen for security...men who will
pay any price for freedom and go any lengths for truth. God give us men
delivered from mediocrity
men with vision high
pride low
faith wide
love
deep
and patience long...men who will dare to march to the drumbeat of a
distant drummer
men who will not surrender principles of truth in order to
accommodate their peers. God give us men more interested in scars than medals.
More committed to conviction than convenience
men who will give their life for
the eternal
instead of indulging their lives for a moment in time. Give us men
who are fearless in the face of danger
calm in the midst of pressure
bold in
the midst of opposition. God give us men who will pray earnestly
work long
preach clearly
and wait patiently. Give us men whose walk is by faith
behavior is by principle
whose dreams are in heaven
and whose book is the
Bible. God give us men who are equal to the task. Those are the men the church
needs today. ── Bob Moorehead
The
Growth Factor.
A shepherd
feeds
guides (sheep go
astray)
guards (against
wolves)
heals (the wounds of
injured)
── Between
Two Worlds
J.R. Stott
p. 120.
A Church Perish
There is a pastor
himself he cherished
Who loved his
position not his parish
So the more he
preached
The less he reached
And this is why his
parish perished.
── Source
Unknown.
Prayer by a Bishop
for the Members of His Church
(Adapted as a Prayer
of a Mother for Her Children)
Jesus
good
Shepherd
they are not mine but Yours
for I am not mine
but Yours.
I am Yours
Lord
and
they are Yours
because by Your
wisdom You have created
both them and me
and by Your death
You have redeemed us.
So we are Yours
good Lord
we are Yours
whom You have made
with such wisdom
and bought so
dearly.
Then if You commend
them to me
Lord
You do not therefore
desert me or them.
You commend them to
me:
I commend myself and
them to you.
Yours is the flock
Lord
and Yours is the shepherd.
Be Shepherd of both
Your flock and shepherd.
You have made an
ignorant mother
a blind leader
an
erring ruler:
teach the mother You
have established
guide the leader You
have appointed
govern the ruler You
have approved.
I beg you
teach me what I am
to teach
lead me in the way
that I am to lead
rule me so that I
may rule others.
Or rather
teach
them
and me through them
lead them
and me
with them
rule them
and me
among them.
── Anselm
1033-1109)
Archbishop of Canterbury
translated by Sister Benedicta Ward
S.L.G. Adapted for mothers by RBG. quoted in Prodigals and Those Who Love
Them
Ruth Bell Graham
1991
Focus on the Family Publishing
pp. 112-113.
The fame and popularity
of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen rested largely on his children's fairy
tales
written over a period of some 37 years and translated into scores of
languages. Andersen was well aware of this fact -- so much so that late in
life
he told the musician who was to compose a march for his funeral
"Most of the people who will walk after me will be children
so make the
beat keep time with little steps." ── Today in the Word
January 15
1993.
A stranger entered
the church in the middle of the sermon and seated himself in the back pew.
After a while he began to fidget. Leaning over to a white-haired man at his
side
evidently an old member of the congregation
he whispered:
"How long has
he been preaching?"
"Thirty or
forty years
I think
" the old man answered.
"I'll stay
then
" decided the stranger
"He must be nearly done."
── The
World's Best Jokes
Christian Clippings
p. 26.
A minister pleasantly
surprised his congregation by delivering a 10-minute sermon instead of the
usual 30-minute message. In concluding he explained
"I regret to inform
you
brethren
that my dog
who appears to be inordinately fond of paper
this
morning ate that portion of my sermon which I have not delivered. Let us
pray."
After the service a
stranger from another church approached the pastor and said
"Preacher
please let me know if that dog of yours has any pups. If it does
I want to buy
one for my minister." ── Christian
Clippings
p. 27.
By many estimates
the 1990s will be a time of continued confusion for clergy. Ministers are
"the most frustrated profession in the nation
" according to
management consultant Peter Drucker...A study prepared by the Episcopal
Foundation concluded that "many old and established patterns for ordained
leaders in the church are no longer working." Among clergy comments in the
study:
- The status of
clergy is lower.
- Clergy are no
longer considered to be special people.
- I feel pulled
apart. Am I a pastor or a businessman?
Many clergy
the
report said
"are conceiving a role for themselves like chief executive
officers of a multi-level organization
where skilled laity are middle
managers." ── Russell Chadler
Racing
Toward 2000: The forces Shaping America's Religious Future
Harper Collins
Zondervan
pp. 216
217
Discoveries
Summer
1992.
The Lord has given
to every man his work. It is his business to do it
and the devil's business to
hinder him -- if he can. So
sure as God gives a man a work to do
Satan will
try to hinder him. He may present other things more promising; he may allure
you by worldly prospect; he may assault you with slander
torment you with
false accusations
set you to work defending your character
employ pious
persons to lie about you
editors to assail you
and excellent men to slander
you. You may have Pilate and Herod
Ananias and Caiaphas all combined against
you
and Judas standing by to sell you for 30 pieces of silver. And you may
wonder why all these things have come to pass. Can you not see that the whole
thing is brought about through the craft of the devil
to draw you off from
your work and hinder your obedience to Christ?
Keep about your
work. Do not flinch because the lion roars. Do not stop to stone the devil's
dogs. Do not fool around your time chasing the devil's rabbits. Do your work;
let liars lie; let sectarians quarrel; let editors publish; let the devil do
his worst. But see to it that nothing hinders you from fulfilling the work God
has given you. He had not sent you to make money; He has not commanded you to
get rich. He has never bidden you to defend your character nor has He bidden
you to contradict falsehoods about yourself which Satan and his servants may
start to peddle. If you do these things you will do nothing else; you will be
at work for yourself and not for the Lord. Keep about your work. Let your aim
be as steady as a star. Let the world brawl and bubble. You may be assaulted
wrangled
insulted
slandered
wounded
and rejected. You may be chased by foes
abused
by them
forsaken by friend
despised and rejected of men
but see to it that
with steadfast determination and with unfaltering zeal you pursue that great
purpose of your life and the object of your being until at last you can say;
"I have finished the work which you
dear God
have given me to
do?" ── Pulpit Helps
August
1992
p. 8.
"I'm convinced
that a man's commitment to his message is measured by the significance of his
words when he has to speak to only a handful of people." ── Howard Hendricks
Say It With Love
p.
73.
How Much Is That
Preacher?
Good morning
madam.
May I help you?
Yes
please
I'd
like to buy a minister.
For yourself or your
church?
Oh
for my church
of course. I'm already married.
Uh
yes. Did you
have a particular model in mind?
I've got a
description from the Candidate Committee right here. We want a man about 30
well educated
with some experience. Good preacher and teacher. Balanced
personality. Serious
but with a sense of humor. Efficient
but not rigid. Good
health. Able to identify with all age groups. And
if possible
sings tenor.
Sings tenor?
We're short of
tenors in the choir.
I see. Well
that's
quite a list. How much money did you want to spend?
The committee says
$9
000. $9
500 tops.
Hmmm. Well
perhaps
we'd better start in the bargain basement.
Tell me
how much is
that model in the window?
You mean the one in
the Pendleton plaid suit and the gray suede dune boots?
Yes
that one. He's
a real dream.
That's our Princeton
#467. Has a Ph.D. and AKC papers.
AKC?
American Koinonia
Council. He sells for $16
000 plus house.
Wow! That's too rich
for our blood. What about that model over there?
Ah
yes. An
exceptional buy. Faith #502. He's a little older than 30
but has excellent
experience. Aggressive. Good heart. Has a backing of sermons
two of which have
been printed in Christian Leaders.
He's not too bad.
Can you do something about his bald head? Mrs. Penner especially insists that
our minister have some hair.
Madam
all our
ministers come in a variety of hair styles. Keep him in mind.
Now let me show you
Olympia #222. Four years of varsity sports at Brass Ring College. Plays
football
basketball
volleyball
and Ping-Pong. Comes complete with sports
equipment.
What a physique! He
must weigh 200 pounds!
Yes
indeed. You get a lot for your money with this one. And think what he can do
for your young people.
Great. But how is he
at preaching?
I must admit he's
not St. Peter. But you can't expect good sermons and a church-wide athletic
program too!
I suppose not.
Still...
Let me show you our
Fresno #801. Now here's a preacher. All his sermons are superb -- well
researched
copious anecdotes
and they always have three points. And -- he
comes with a full set of the Religious Encyclopedia at no extra charge! You get
the whole package for $8
300.
He's wearing awfully
thick glasses.
For $220 more we put
in contact lenses.
I don't know. He
might study too much. We don't want a man who's in his office all the time.
Of course. How about
this minister over here? Comes from a management background. Trained in
business operations at Beatitude College. Adept with committees. Gets his work
done by 11:30 every morning.
His tag says he's an
IBM 400.
Madam
you have a
discerning eye. Innovative Biblical Methods. This man will positively
revitalize your church.
I'm not sure our
church wants to be revitalized. Haven't you got something less revolutionary?
Well
would you like
someone of the social worker type? We have this Ghetto #130.
The man with the
beard? Good gracious
no. Mrs. Penner would never go for that.
How about our
Empathy #41C? His forte is counseling. Very sympathetic. Patient. Good with
people who have problems.
Everyone in our
church has problems. But he might not get out and visit new people. We really
need a man who does a lot of visitation. You see
all our people are very busy
and...
Yes
yes
I
understand. You want a minister who can do everything well.
That's it! Haven't
you got somebody like that?
I'm thinking. In our
back room we have a minister who was traded in last week. Excellent man
but he
broke down after three years. If you don't mind a used model
we can sell him
at a reduced price.
Well
we had hoped
for someone brand-new. We just redecorated the sanctuary
and we wanted a new
minister to go with it.
Of course. But with
a little exterior work
and a fresh suit
this man will look like he just came
out of the box. No one will ever know. Let me bring him out and you can look
him over.
All right. Honestly
this minister shopping is exhausting. It's so hard to get your money's worth.
Tell me
do you also give Green Stamps with the contract?
Uh -- no. But if there's
any dissatisfaction after six months we send a new congregation for the balance
of the years. That usually takes care of most problems.
Jean Shaw
Don't
Stand Up in the Canoe: A Fantasy from Life
Zondervan
Grand Rapids.
A minister must be
learned
on pain of being utterly incompetent for his work. But before and
above being learned
a minister must be godly. Nothing could be more fatal
however
than to set these two things over against one another. Recruiting
officers do not dispute whether it is better for soldiers to have a right leg
or a left leg: soldiers should have both legs. ── B.B. Warfield
quoted in Credenda Agenda
Vol. 4/No. 5
p. 16.
I know that
preaching the gospel publicly is the best means
because we speak to so many at
once. But it is usually far more effective to speak it privately to a
particular person. ── Richard
Baxter
The Reformed Pastor.
Not long ago a
well-meaning group of laymen came from a neighboring church to se me. They
wanted me to advise them on some convenient and painless method of getting rid
of their pastor. I'm afraid
however
that I wasn't much help to them.
At the time I had
not had the occasion to give the matter serious thought. But since then I have
pondered the matter a great deal
and the next time anyone comes for advice on
how to get rid of a pastor
here's what I'll tell him:
1. Look the pastor
straight in the eye while he's preaching and say "Amen" once in a
while and he'll preach himself to death.
2. Pat him on the
back and brag on is good points and he'll probably work himself to death.
3. Rededicate your
life to Christ and ask the preacher for some job to do
preferably some lost
person you could win to Christ
and he'll die of heart failure.
4. Get the church to
unite in prayer for the preacher and he'll soon become so effective that some
larger church will take him off your hands.
── Quoted
in You and Your Pastor
Radio Bible Class
J. Reed
The Pastor as a
Theologian
in Walvoord: A Tribute
Donald Campbell
ed.
Moody
1982
p. 273.
A group of ministers
and a salesman's organization were holding
conventions in the
same hotel
and the catering department had to work at top speed serving
dinners to both. The salesmen were having spiked watermelon for dessert. But
the chef discovered that it was being served to the ministers by mistake.
"Quick!" he commanded a waiter. "Bring it back!" The waiter
returned
reporting that it was too late. The ministers were already eating the
liquor-spiced treat. "Do they like it?" asked the chef. "Don't
know
" replied the waiter
"but they're putting the seeds in their pockets." ── Quote
Magazine.
Most of senior
pastor Johathan Boucher's parishioners favored independence. George and Martha
Washington were frequent visitors
as Martha's son John was a student at the
church school. Nevertheless
Boucher not only held the Tory position
but
openly preached loyalty to King George. This prompted frequent threats
so for
six months he preached with a brace of loaded pistols on the seat cushion
beside him. One Sunday
matters reached a climax when 200 armed militiamen
showed up under the command of Osborne Sprigg
threatening to shoot if he dared
mount the pulpit. In the ensuing scuffle
Boucher grabbed Sprigg by the collar
and--holding a loaded pistol to his head-- eased his way through the hostile
mob. He reached his horse and escaped
sailing to England on the last ship
before hostilities broke out. ── Moody Monthly
July/August 1990
p. 13.
We cannot make up
for failure in our devotional life by redoubling energy in service. We shall
never take people beyond our own spiritual attainment. ── W.H. Griffith Thomas.
It was King James I
I believe
who became annoyed with the irrelevant ramblings of his court
preacher and shouted up to the pulpit: "Either make sense or come down out
of that pulpit!" The preacher replied
"I will do
neither." ── Steve Brown
Tabletalk
August
1990.
Think yourself
empty
read yourself full
write yourself clear
pray yourself keen. ── W.H. Griffith Thomas.
Luther's ten
qualifications for the minister: 1) He should be able to teach plainly and in
order. 2) He should have a good head. 3) Good power of language. 4) A good
voice. 5) A good memory. 6) He should know when to stop. 7) He should be sure
of what he means to say. 8) And be ready to stake body and soul
goods and
reputation on its truth. 9) He should study diligently. 10) And suffer himself
to be vexed and criticized by everyone. ── Resources
#2.
I remember when in
Chicago many were toiling in the work
when a minister began to cry out from
the depths of his heart
"O God
put new ministers in every pulpit!"
The next Monday
I heard two or three men say
"We had a new minister last
Sunday--the same old minister
but he had gotten new power." I firmly
believe that is what we want to do all over the land. We want new ministers in
the pulpit. We want people quickened by the Spirit of God. ── D.L. Moody.
A study of 301
clergy revealed: 66% feel lonely and isolated
80% sometimes experience
feelings of futility
and 90% suffer stress because of problems with
parishioners. Many are tired after a 55 hour week
but most say they are 95%
satisfied with their work. ── Homemade
Vol. 13
No. 10
October
1989.
The wife of a close
pastor friend of ours enjoys telling how she awoke one night to find her
husband asleep on his elbows and knees at the foot of the bed. His arms were
cupped before him as if he were embracing the base of a tree
and he was
muttering. "George! What on earth are you doing?" she cried.
"Shhh
" he answered
still asleep. "I'm holding a pyramid of
marbles together
and if I move
it's going to tumble down..." A classic
pastor's dream! First
because it was the subconscious revelation of a
pressured parson. Second
because the pyramid of marbles is an apt metaphor for
a pastor's work. ── K.
Hughes
Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome
Tyndale
1988
p.177.
From some 8000
laymen and ministers with whom we have conferred
five principal problems
emerge: a loss of nerve
a loss of direction
erosion from culture
confusion
of thought
exhaustion...They have become shaken reeds
smoking lamps
earthen
vessels...spent arrows. They have lost heart. But they can be
revived!" ── Carlyle Marney
who
conducts the "Interpreter's House" for discouraged pastors at Lake
Junaluska
quoted in K. Menninger
Whatever Became of Sin?
p. 224.
A church janitor was
heard to say
"The blower still works
but the fire has gone out." He
was discussing a problem with the furnace
but the parishioner who overheard
him thought he was speaking about the pastor. ── E. Lutzer
Pastor to Pastor
p. 67.
The minister's
shortcoming simply cannot be concealed. Even the most trivial soon get known...However
trifling their offenses
these little things seem great to others
since
everyone measures sin
not by the size of the offense
but by the standing of
the sinner. ── John Chrysostom (347-407).
The pastor teaches
though he must solicit his own classes. He heals
though without pills or
knife. He is sometimes a lawyer
often a social worker
something of an editor
a bit of a philosopher and entertainer
a salesman
a decorative piece for
public functions
and he is supposed to be a scholar. He visits the sick
marries people
buries the dead
labors to console those who sorrow and to
admonish those who sin
and tries to stay sweet when chided for not doing his
duty. He plans programs
appoints committees when he can get them
spends
considerable time in keeping people out of each other's hair. Between times he
prepares a sermon and preaches it on Sunday to those who don't happen to have
any other engagement. Then on Monday he smiles when some jovial chap roars
"What a job--one day a week!"── Source
Unknown.
For you
I am
Bishop
but with you
I am a Christian. The first is an office accepted
the
second a grace received; one a danger
the other safety. If then I am gladder
by far to be redeemed with you than I am to be placed over you
I shall
as the
Lord commanded
be more completely your servant. ── Augustine (354-430).
He who is required
by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by
the same necessity to exemplify the highest things. ── Gregory the Great (540-604).
Since you [O Lord]
have appointed this blind guide to lead then [your people]
for their sakes
Lord
if not for mine
teach him whom you have made to be their teacher; lead
him whom you have bidden to lead them; rule him who is their ruler. ── Aelred (1109-1167).
Prayer
meditation
and temptation make a minister. ── Martin
Luther (1483-1546).
Those whom the Lord
has destined for this great office he previously provides with the armor which
is requisite for the discharge of it
that they may not come empty and
unprepared. ── John Calvin (1509-1564).
I go out to preach
with two propositions in mind. First
every person ought to give his life to
Christ. Second
whether or not anyone else gives him his life I will give him
mine. ── Jonathan Edwards
(1703-1758).
F.B. Meyer once said
the secret of the great ministry of Samuel Martin (for whom Westminster Chapel
was built) was that every Friday he locked himself in the building and went
round
kneeling in seat after seat
in prayer for those who sat there. ── Resource
July/August
1990.
A prayerless
preacher is a misnomer. ── E.M.
Bounds (1835-1913).
To be a pastor a man
must set his heart on the life to come and regard the matters of eternal life
above all the affairs of this present life. Above the trifles of this world
he
must appreciate in some measure the inestimable riches of glory.── Richard Baxter.
No man who is full
of himself can ever truly preach the Christ who emptied Himself. ── J. Sidlow Baxter.
A man should only
enter the Christian ministry if he cannot stay out of it. ── D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981).
Let ministers daily
pursue their studies with diligence and constantly busy themselves with them.
Moreover
let them with care and diligence beware of the infectious poison of
this imagined security and conceited overestimation; rather let them steadily
keep on reading
teaching
studying
pondering
and meditating. My concern
should be that others receive from me what God has taught me in Scripture
and
that I strive to present this in the most attractive form
to teach the
ignorant
to admonish and encourage those who have knowledge
to comfort
troubled consciences
to awaken and strengthen negligent and sleepy hearts as
Paul did
and as he commanded his pupils Timothy and Titus to do. This should
be my concern; how others get the truth from me. Studying is my work--the work
God wants me to do. And if it pleases Him
He will bless it. ── Martin Luther.
Lloyd C. Douglas
tells the story of Thomas Hearne
who
"in his journey to the mouth of the
Coppermine River
wrote that a few days after they had started on their
expedition
a party of Indians stole most of their supplies. His comment on the
apparent misfortune was: 'The weight of our baggage being so much lightened
our next day's journey was more swift and pleasant.'
Hearne was in route
to something very interesting and important; and the loss of a few sides of
bacon and a couple of bags of flour meant nothing more than an easing of the
load. Had Hearne been holed in somewhere
in a cabin
resolved to spend his
last days eking out an existence
and living on capital previously collected
the loss of some of his stores by plunder would probably have worried him
almost to death."
How we respond to
"losing" some of our resources for God's work depends upon whether we
are on the move or waiting for our last stand.── Lloyd C.
Douglas
The Living Faith.
When you go to a
doctor for your annual check-up
he or she will often begin to poke
prod
and
press various places
all the while asking
"Does this hurt? How about
this?" If you cry out in pain
one of two things has happened. Either the
doctor has pushed too hard
without the right sensitivity. Or
more likely
there's something wrong
and the doctor will say
"We'd better do some
more tests. It's not supposed to hurt there!" So it is when pastors preach
on financial responsibility
and certain members cry out in discomfort
criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too
hard. Or perhaps there's something wrong. In that case
I say
"My friend
we're in need of the Great Physician because it's not supposed to hurt
there." ── Ben Rogers.
Once
a man said
"If I had some extra money
I'd give it to God
but I have just enough to
support myself and my family." And the same man said
"If I had some
extra time
I'd give it to God
but every minute is taken up with my job
my
family
my clubs
and what have you--every single minute." And the same
man said
"If I had a talent I'd give it to God
but I have no lovely
voice; I have no special skill; I've never been able to lead a group; I can't
think cleverly or quickly
the way I would like to."
And God was touched
and although it was unlike him
God gave that man money
time
and a glorious
talent. And then He waited
and waited
and waited.....And then after a while
He shrugged His shoulders
and He took all those things right back from the
man
the money
the time and the glorious talent. After a while
the man sighed
and said
"If I only had some of that money back
I'd give it to God. If I
only had some of that time
I'd give it to God. If I could only rediscover that
glorious talent
I'd give it to God."
And God said
"Oh
shut up."
And the man told
some of his friends
"You know
I'm not so sure that I believe in God
anymore." ── God is No Fool
1969
Abindgon Press.
So when man finds
Jesus
it costs him everything. Jesus has happiness
joy
peace
healing
security
eternity. Man marvels at such a pearl and says
'I want this pearl.
How much does it cost?"
"The seller says
'it's too dear
too costly.'
"But how much?'
"Well
it's very expensive.'
"Do you think I could buy it?'
"It costs everything you have -- no more
no less -- so anybody can buy
it.'
"I'll buy it.'
"What do you have? Let's write it down.'
"I have $10
000 in the bank.'
"Good
$10
000. What else?'
"I have nothing more. That's all I have.'
"Have you nothing more?'
"Well
I have some dollars here in my pocket.'
"How many?'
"I'll see: Thirty
forty
fifty
eighty
one hundred
one hundred twenty
-- one hundred twenty dollars.'
"That's fine. What else do you have?'
"I have nothing else. That's all.'
"Where do you live?"
"I live in my house.'
"The house
too.'
"Then you mean I must live in the garage?'
"Have you a garage
too? That
too. What else?'
"Do you mean that I must live in my car
then?'
"Have you a car?'
"I have two.'
"Both become mine. Both cars. What else?'
"Well
you have my house
the garage
the cars
the money
everything.'
"What else?'
"Are you alone in the world?'
"No
I have a wife
two children...'
"Your wife and children
too.'
"Too?'
"Yes
everything you have. What else?'
"I have nothing else
I am left alone now."
"Oh
you too!
Everything becomes mine -- wife
children
house
money
cars -- everything.
And you too. Now you can use all those things here but don't forget they are
mine
as you are. When I need any of the things you are using
you must give
them to me because now I am the owner."── Juan
Carlos Ortiz
Call to Discipleship
(Plainfield
NJ: Logos
International
1975)
pp. 42
43.
I place no value on
anything I have or may possess
except in relation to the kingdom of God. If
anything will advance the interests of the kingdom
it shall be given away or
kept
only as by giving or keeping it I shall most promote the glory of Him to
whom I owe all my hopes in time or eternity. ── David
Livingstone.