Is there a reason you’re late … or is it just an excuse? : The Work Buzz

Is there a reason you’re late … or is it just an excuse? : The Work Buzz

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A Good Word for Preachers

In a book by Paul Boller, the author tells a story about Woodrow Wilson. One of his cabinet members praised him for his short speeches. He then asked Wilson how long it took him to write a speech. "It depends," said Wilson, "If I am to speak ten minutes I need a week for preparation, if fifteen minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now."

E. Earle Ellis

I'm saddened by the death of Dr. E. Earle Ellis, renowned New Testament scholar and churchman.

Southwestern Seminary has an obituary. Ellis' The Making of the New Testament Documents is a classic that will be quoted for years to come.

What Is Worship?

Being in church for the first time in two weeks today just reminded me again of how sweet it is to worship God corporately. There is nothing much else like it. Let's be reminded of the definition of worship I came across years ago from Calvin Miller, "Worship is the church busy at the business of loving God." Worship has nothing to do with music style or even preaching style. It has everything to do with the heart. Whether the music is liturgical or contemporary; whether the preaching is expository or topical (as long as it is biblical), the believer can worship. It makes no difference who is leading in worship. It makes no difference what the instrumentation is. Worship begins and ends with the heart of the individual. Did you show God you loved Him today? If you did you worshiped. If you didn't, well….

ACTS 6 AND DEACON MINISTRY

The recent edition of Bibliotheca Sacra has an interesting article by Phillip Sell, "The Seven in Acts as a Ministry Team." Traditionally, this passage assumes the Seven chosen to wait on tables to be the beginning of deacon ministry. For several years I've questioned that, and the article by Sell convinces me that I've been on the right track. Sell writes, "The continual growth of the church seems to have made the distribution of goods to the needy a large task that needed attention so as not to disrupt the unity of the church. This division of labor is situational not paradigmatic for the church for all times. It reflects their practical situation" [61]. Sell also believes that the laying on of hands in the passage was not 'ordination' to a lifetime office but the authorization of the apostles to act in their stead and confirming the selection of the Seven by the congregation.

I've believed for some time that Acts 6 was situational and that the Seven were simply carrying out a temporary ministry. Stephen and Philip, the only two of the Seven that we know anything about, certainly had preaching/teaching ministries—Philip being a church planter/missionary. Neither seems to have been a deacon in the church office sense. Certainly by the time Paul writes the Prison and Pastoral Epistles, the office of deacon was part of the church. The Apostle greets them in Philippians 1:1 and gives presents a list of characteristics to look for in deacons in 1 Timothy 3. It's not altogether clear what their primary responsibilities were, although practical ministry may have been the bulk of it. However, overseers were also to be involved in serving others. Certainly deacons were and are to be spiritual leaders involved in helping the overseer minister to God's people.

In his commentary, Bock writes that the actions of Acts 6 may have led to the creation of the office at a later time. Perhaps that is true, but that may be going too far as well. All we can really say is that the office developed over time—the need for the overseer to have help in ministering to God's people would be obvious so he can spend the bulk of his time in prayer and in the Word. However, the deacon's ministry probably should not be limited to waiting on tables.

Ministers and Depression

I have meant for a while to blog on a recent article in The Baptist Courier concerning minister's battles with depression. The suicide of a pastor I know last year caused me to think about this problem and the recent article made it even more of an issue for me.

There is a letter to the editor in this week's edition that will shed even more light on the pain in many a pastor's home.

I'll have more to write about this topic later, but the challenge of unrealistic expectations that most congregations have placed upon their pastors is a major problem. Both the article and the letter focus on that. Congregations need to take a hard look at what they expect, ensure that their pastor gets rest and has some down time, and help share the load. Pastors also need to take a day off, have a hobby or something to get their mind off the unending challenges of ministry (I admit that is difficult), and have some people around them who can encourage them along the way.

Read both articles--they are eye openers.

Kennett "Coke" Picture

Chet Andrews was recently at the Coke museum in Atlanta and found this picture of my hometown of Kennett, MO. Interesting!

Happy 75th Elvis!

This would have been Elvis' 75th birthday. Shouldn't today be a national holiday?

Christmas in Kennett

Christmas 2009 was a good one. We found everyone in good health and spirits and for that we're thankful! Hope yours was wonderful and Christ-filled!

Christmas Party 2009

Lesa and I had a good time at our staff Christmas party. I appreciate our church staff!

Politically Incorrect 12 Days of Christmas

I got this from the "Preaching Today Newsletter".

[12 Politically Correct Days of Christmas]

On the 12th day of the Eurocentrically-imposed midwinter festival, my potential acquaintance gave to me:
TWELVE males reclaiming their inner warrior through ritual drumming;

ELEVEN pipers piping (plus the 18-member pit orchestra made up of members in good standing of the Musicians Equity Union as called for in their union contract, even though they will not be asked to play a note);

TEN melanin-deprived, testosterone-poisoned scions of the patriarchal ruling class system leaping;

NINE persons engaged in rhythmic self-expression;

EIGHT economically-disadvantaged female persons stealing milk products from enslaved Bovine Americans;

SEVEN endangered swans swimming on federally-protected wetlands;

SIX enslaved Fowl Americans producing stolen, non-human animal products;

FIVE golden symbols of culturally-sanctioned enforced domestic incarceration, (NOTE: After a member of the Animal Liberation Front threatened to throw red paint at my computer, the calling birds, French hens and partridge have been reintroduced to their native habitat. To avoid further animal American enslavement, the remaining gift package has been revised.);

FOUR hours of recorded whale songs;

THREE deconstructionist poets;

TWO Sierra Club calendars printed on recycled, processed tree carcasses; and

A Spotted Owl activist chained to an old-growth pear tree.

Carl Watson

I read in our hometown paper that the first person I ever baptized went to be with the Lord. Carl Watson died at 87 years old. He was won to Christ by a retired minister in our congregation (Providence Baptist in Kennett, MO) and I baptized him a week later. That was in 1986. He was in his 60s. He was baptized along with three other people but he was the first in the pool. I've been fortunate to have baptized many since, but seldom have I seen someone who took his Christian walk more seriously than Carl. He was a wonderful man, quiet guy, who was a joy to be around and an asset to our church. His was truly a conversion. I'm glad he's with the Lord today.

I thought he deserved a word today.

Riverside Anniversary

I celebrated a sigificant ministry anniversary 20 years ago but there another one 10 years ago. Ten years ago Saturday I was called to serve as pastor of Riverside Baptist in Ft Worth. I served there until we left for South Carolina in June 2006. Hope all my friends at RBC are doing well!

Budgets, Churches, and Faith

While attending the business session of the South Carolina Baptist Convention yesterday I was a little bit discouraged as we voted on the 2010 budget, which has been cut from last year. All the "right" reasons were given--the economy, less Cooperative Program giving, churches are hurting, etc., etc., etc. And I wondered, where is faith?

Churches have two ways to put a budget together and a preacher yesterday put it well--either a fact based budget or a faith based budget (preachers love alliteration!). Most of the time here is what we do: we place the previous year's budget alongside this year's requests, determine what the giving patterns will likely be, and then put a budget together.

That may be fine for a business that runs on business rules, but I've always been uncomfortable with a church doing that. Why? It is because a church runs in a different sphere than a business. A church's "boss" is the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing He can't do or can't provide for His church.

So how should a church put a budget together? It should do so on its knees. A church should seek the Lord Christ, petition Him for an unveiling of His will, then obey His will no matter how much it "costs" in budget bottom line. When a church does this the Lord will make sure that a church does not have the resources which the people can see how it will all get done. Instead He will call upon His people to walk with Him by faith, believing He can do through them what they cannot do. In other words, He will ensure that He gets the glory and not the church. When those resources come, then the people of God grow in their walk with Him, learn even more how to walk by faith, and will take even bigger faith steps in the future.

Does this mean that the church should not be responsibile stewards of resources? Absolutely not! However, a church's budget like everything else should be a statement of faith--"We believe God to do what we cannot do!" When the people of God employ a "faith" budget, then God moves in power. However, when we put together a "fact" budget God allows us to do what we can see and nothing supernatural happens. It is just business as usual.

I Will Rise

Stephanie and I sang "I Will Rise" yesterdy at Fairview. This was our first duet there, although we sang several times at Riverside. Lesa took the pic as we got ready Sunday morning. Steph always makes me look and sound better than I do!!

20th Anniversary

This weekend is a special anniversary in my ministry. On November 1, 1989--20 years ago Sunday--my family and I moved to Graceville, Florida to serve Poplar Springs Baptist Church and attend what is now known as the Baptist College of Florida. At the time there were just three of us but Lesa was pregnant with Steph. When we got there 20 years ago there was no porch that you see in the picture and there were trees in the front parking lot.

Greek T-Shirt

Any student of Greek will be relate to this t-shirt. I wish I had one!! This is just plain funny!

The Painful Side of Leadership

Jeff Iorg, President of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, has written an insightful and extremely practical book. The Painful Side of Leadership: Moving Forward When It Hurts (B&H Publishing) is a must read. Leadership by defintion is often painful and there is always tension. Iorg helps the minister/leader navigate that tension with tremendous insight through personal experience.

There are 15 easy to read and digest chapters in the book. For me his two chapters on criticism were the best. "Leaders have critics--as surely as dogs have fleas and usually about as helpful" (113)! True indeed. Iorg uses 2 Samuel 16, an account of David receiving severe criticism by Shimei, to help the reader understand criticism and how to deal with it. Criticism often comes when we least need it, often when we least deserve it, and usually from those last qualified to give it. But it is the resonse to criticism that is important for the leader. Using David's response to Shimei, Iorg urges the minister/leader to handle criticism in several ways: resond, don't react, to critics; stay focused on mission in spite of criticism; find God's good in every criticism; and allow God and others to handle your critics [131-149]. Often God works through critics to change you--an important truth that all leaders need to remember.

Another chapter I particuarly appreciated was 'Moving to a New Position.' While all ministers accept a new responsibility believing they will be there forever, the fact is transitions occur and often when they are least expected. The chapter has a narrow focus, "on leaving well as part of a healthy resignation or retirement" [248]. There are several practical suggstions. The most important, I believe, is to define your future relationship with the church you're leaving. Two principles should be well learned: (1) when you leave, really leave; and (2) if you return for any reason (even for a casual visit), clear it with the new pastor first. Too many pastors hang onto their former churches, making it very difficult on their successors. When God moves you to a new place or you retire from active ministry, you must respect the leadership God places in a church after you. A new leader is the leader--not you.

There are many other chapters well worth the time. Iorg deals with issues from how to lead a church through significant change to how to terminate someone from your team. Another important chapter is the one dealing with the lonliness of leadership. "Lonliness is an occupational hazard of Christian leadership" (71). Because of the all the public things a mnister/leader does, that seems like an oxymoron, but it isn't. This chapter will benefit every minister/leader I know.

A minister/leader with just a few years experience will learn much from Iorg's personal illustrations. He gives the reader both the good and the bad to illustrate his principles--something I greatly appreciated. And for one who has been in the ministry for well over two-decades now, I laughed often as I could change the names and the places but tell the same stories. We've all been there.

This book is a must read for young ministers/leaders. I would highly recommend the book in any leadership course. More seasoned pastors/leades will also greatly benefit by Iorg's practical advise. There are always things we can learn about leadership.

This book is obviously highly recommended.

The Resurrection of Jesus

I am ending an almost year-long series of messages from Matthew Wednesday night at Fairview. Of course, the last message is about the resurrection of Jesus. In his commentary, David Turner laments that Christians often focus on the resurrection of Christ only at Easter. But it is in fact the essence of our faith. He writes:

Without the resurrection, Jesus's ministry ends in defeat. But everything changes if 'he is not here, for he was raised, just as he said' (28:6). The resurrection not only culminates the passion narrative but also is at the center of redemption itself. Without it one can only pity Jesus as a martyr whose lofty ideals were sadly misunderstood. With it one must stand in awe of the Messiah, the Son of God, who gave his life as ransom for many and who will one day return in glory to judge humanity (683).

Amen!

Back to Work

Back from a week at the beach. October is a great time to vacation. I didn't read as much on this go around, but I did get through a great book on leadership that I'll review some time this week.