When I was at the Gathering and at Beulah I had a sense that ministry needs to more than statistics ( which are important ) and ministry has to be more than praising men .
I know what Romans 13:7 says
- Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.(ESV)
I am thankful for was accomplished on my district by many men and their church's but I know that the spotlight eventually goes off and there are many lonely hours, and uphill battles.
But there must be more to being a pastor, that statistics and leadership axioms do not fill .
And maybe this week I have found it !
I picked up a book titled In The Name of Jesus by Henry J.M Nouwen ( REFLECTIONS ON CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP )
The man who wrote the book was a Priest who taught at Norte Dame, Yale and Harvard, who left the world of academics to minister in L'arche amongst the mentally handicapped.
As he takes you through the book he uses as a model the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness with that of modern ministers and how Jesus responded needs to be our model of response to the modern temptations of ministry.
It is a quick read but Good.
He writes about his inner struggle like me and others " asking: is what we are doing ministry?"
And the lessons he learned from the mentally handicapped fill in the lines as to what ministry is.
and I liked the question he asked himself which I will leave with you.
" Did becoming older bring me closer to Jesus"
" Has becoming older brought you closer To Jesus ?"
later
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