Overcoming adversity

 I recently preached a funeral service for a young lady whom I did  not know. I had learned very little about her before the service except that she had battled a number of illnesses for much of her life and what I learned from the obituary. My approach to a funeral message is to include personal information about the individual so my lack of knowledge was a concern before the service. Fortunately, three people asked to speak prior to my message. All of them spoke with passion about her courage and positive attitude. They spoke of her encouragement to others, her desire to serve others and of her faith in God. By the time it was my turn to speak I thanked them for making my job easy!

We seem to live in a time when everyone's a victim. There seems to be no lack of things to protest and complain about. Almost everyone is offended about something, and they demand some type of satisfaction. Billboards and commercials suggest that many people "may be entitled to substantial compensation." Nothing is the fault of the individual. It's always somebody's else's fault. 

As I thought of what the people were saying about the lady whose funeral service we were doing I thought how easy it would have been for her to have become a perpetual victim. She could have used her illnesses as an excuse for developing a bitter attitude, to announce that she was helpless and needed others to care for her, but she chose not to do any of those things. She understood her calling in life, pursued a degree that helped prepare her for that calling, and then lived it. When illness set her on the sidelines for a season she accepted it with courage and told all who would listen that "Things will get better."

I cannot tell you how much I came to admire this woman I had never met. She overcame every adversity life threw at her with dignity and a joy that spoke to all who knew her. I have no doubt that her faith in God was a major reason she lived her life as she did.

There is nothing in the Bible that suggests that becoming a Christian provides us with an escape from life's problems. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that to follow Him is to enter a life that is often challenging and difficult. The One who wore a crown of thorns never promised us a rose garden. What He did promise is that He would never leave us when we walk through the valleys we will encounter in life. The God Who spoke this world into existence promises to be with us every step of the way throughout this life and to receive us into the life to come. Such a promise does not make adversity easier, but it does make it possible to overcome every adversity.

Few people, if any, will escape adversity in this life. Some will be overwhelmed by it. Others will overcome it with faith and courage. We each get to choose which group we will be in.

The joy of pastoring a church

 As I've shared many times in this blog, for 20 years I had the privilege of serving as the bivocational pastor of a great little, rural church. After a few years serving there I was driving out to the church praying when it hit me that God had given me that community to pastor. I was not there just for that congregation but for the community around it. It was my parish, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude that God trusted me with such a responsibility.

My working title for my first book was The Joy of Bivocational Ministry. The publisher changed it to The Tentmaking Pastor: The Joy of Bivocational Ministry. As you can see, I convinced them to at least leave my title in as the sub-title. Some asked me how there could be joy in serving as a bivocational pastor with all the responsibilities I had to juggle. There was joy in that role, and those 20 years were some of the most fulfilling years of my life. I wrote the book so others could hear of that joy and, hopefully, find that same joy in their own ministries.

During my 40 years in ministry I've met many pastors who felt no joy in ministry. After leaving that church for denominational ministry I found many pastors struggling with the challenges of ministry. Their initial excitement and sense of calling had been lost years earlier in the midst of church fights, changes in the culture, lack of volunteers, lack of financial support, and the pressures often found in pastoral work. More than a few were just trying to hold on until they could retire, and some gave up before reaching retirement to take other work.

I've faced my challenges in pastoral ministry, both as a pastor and as a denominational minister, but I have never done anything as rewarding and satisfying as the ministry. People have disappointed me at times, but God has never disappointed me. On the other side of that coin, there have also been people who have blessed me beyond measure. What could be more exciting than to see a person give their life to Christ? What greater privilege could anyone have than to baptize someone into the faith? There are few things in this world that can bring greater joy than to hear someone say that my ministry had touched their lives.

I want to encourage every minister reading this blog to fall in love again with the calling God has placed on your life. There are some challenging times ahead for the church, and I believe that pastors are going to find themselves dealing with issues they have not been trained to address. It's going to require courage and boldness to ride out the tidal waves that the church is facing, but God called you to this role because He knew you could do it.

Love your calling. Love your people, even the difficult ones. If you're struggling as a minister, rediscover the joy your first felt when you began. Don't focus on the difficult circumstances. Keep your eyes looking above when your strength lies and allow Him to empower you for the challenges you face. Thank God every day for the ministry He has given you.

There will come a day when my ministry will end. I do not look forward to that day. If I had my life to live over again, I would not hesitate to return to pastoral ministry. There is no greater calling a person can commit his or her life to. If you are struggling to believe that right now, I encourage you to begin to ask God to help you find that same joy in your ministry.

Seeking joy in the wrong places

 Many people know of C. S. Lewis due to his writings. The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe is a favorite that has been turned into a movie. Perhaps his best known book, and my favorite, is Mere Christianity This amazing book offers a classic defense of the truths of Christianity, and reading it is sure to strengthen anyone's faith.

If one just read his books and didn't know his history a person would be surprised to learn that for much of his life Lewis was an atheist. He was friends with J.R.R. Tolkien who continually challenged him to rethink his atheistic beliefs. While teaching at Oxford he did begin to consider if Christianity might indeed be true, and one night he decided that God must exist for many of the reasons he wrote about in Mere Christianity. Of his experience he wrote that he came to Christ "kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction looking for a chance to escape. . .I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed; perhaps, that night the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England."

One reason he struggled so much with his decision was that he believed that if he gave his life to Christ he would lose his freedom and have nothing in life to enjoy. He addressed this in another excellent book Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life. What he learned when he became a Christian is that his joy was not found in his career, his degrees, his finances, his relationships or anything else he knew in life. His joy was found in his relationship with Jesus Christ.

Lewis' fears are common to many people. They fear that if they give their lives to Christ that it will suck the joy out of their lives. What they fail to realize is that these things they depend upon for joy really don't bring them joy. They are substituting joy for happiness. These things may bring them happiness for a season, but that is only true when everything is going well. Finances can bring one happiness until the economy goes south for awhile, and then our finances can bring us grief, fear and worry. Relationships can provide happiness, but they can also bring some of the deepest hurts we know in our lives if they fail.

True joy is not based on things that can fail but is based upon a relationship that can never fail. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ because we know that the things we most seek in life - love, hope, peace and joy - are only found in a relationship with Him. It is in that relationship that we find a foundation for our lives that will stand when everything around us seems to fail. It is the anchor we need when the storms of life threaten to blow us away.

2020 has been a difficult year for many people. Turning over a page on the calendar isn't going to suddenly make everything better. There will be challenges to be faced in 2021 as well. If you want to overcome those challenges I encourage you to make sure Christ is at the center of your life. In Him, and Him alone, you will experience true joy in the midst of whatever challenges the new year might bring. 

The joy of bivocational ministry

When I wrote my first book I wanted to title it The Joy of Bivocational Ministry. That was when I learned that the publishers give the title they want to your work. I plead my case with my editor, but as a first time writer I had little pull. However, he did agree to let my title be the sub-title of the book.

The reason I wanted that as the title was because many people have misconceptions about bivocational ministry. In fact, a fully-funded pastor friend of mine told me he could not see how there could possibly be any joy in doing bivocational ministry. I wanted that title not only to counter some of the misconceptions but also to encourage those in bivocational ministry. In fact, that was one of my primary purposes for writing the book.

Many in bivocational ministry do not feel appreciated by their fully-funded colleagues, their denominational leaders and sometimes even by people within their congregations. They feel called to this ministry, and they enjoy serving in this capacity, but they often wish their services were more appreciated. During my 20 years as a bivocational minister I felt all these things at times, but most of the time I felt excited and fulfilled about doing what God had called me to do. Yes, I felt joy in serving as a bivocational minister.

Some Sunday mornings as I would drive out to the church I would look around at the houses and farms I passed and thank God for giving me that part of the world in which to minister. I would think of the impact that small, rural church had for over a century on the lives of the people lived in that part of our county and thank God for allowing me to have a part of that legacy now.

There was a joy in knowing that I could serve that small church without worrying about financial issues raising my family. The average pastoral tenure of that church prior to my going there was 12 months. Most of the pastors were students at a seminary about an hour away, and when they graduated they left for churches that could provide for their families. I get that, but I had a good job that paid well before accepting the call to pastor that church. I didn't need to leave for financial reasons which allowed me to stay there as long as I did.

Because I was with that church as long as I was, it allowed me to get to know the people and develop relations with them. I've been away from that church since 2001, but some of my best friends today were members of that church back then. There is a joy in those types of relationships.

Finally, there was a joy in knowing I was doing what God had called me to do. I have no doubt He called me to bivocational ministry and to that church. Even when things weren't going as well as I would have liked, I had a joy knowing I was being obedient to God.

If you are in bivocational ministry, I hope you find joy in what you are doing. You are my hero. May God bless you and your family.

Celebrating the ministry

This past weekend was quite an experience. I had an estate auction for an individual who had been a clock and watch repairman for many years in our community. He was also quite a collector of antiques and many interesting pieces. I knew it would be a big auction but didn't realize how big until I began setting it up. I worked all week to get the set up ready for Saturday.

Saturday was one of the hottest days of the year with a heat index of over 100 degrees. That didn't keep people away, and they started early looking over all we had to offer. People came from Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, all over Indiana, and even one came from New York.

Although the sale was a large one, we finished it in four hours selling an average of 85 pieces an hour. I thank my crew for much of that as they worked very hard in the heat and humidity to make this a successful sale. The buyers were also ready to buy, and that always makes for a quicker sale.

The only negative was after the sale I lost my voice. I had been fighting allergies and a cough all week, and the auction caught up to me. What made it worse was that I had to preach two services the next morning! I squeaked through both services, but I made it.

However, my lack of a voice did not detract from the worship services. Our worship leaders did a great job in both services, we had Communion, and in the second service we celebrated a baptism. What made the baptism more special was that the young lady being baptized had requested her grandfather baptize her. I entered the water with them, made a few comments, and then he baptized his granddaughter. It made for a beautiful moment!

Some ministers spend a lot of time complaining about the ministry. What could be more rewarding than to be a part of worship services like that?

I will be 70 next month, and people often ask why I still do all the things I do. It's because I enjoy them. I had the opportunity to minister to a family that needs to dispose of their parent's estate. I got to preach God's Word to His people and join them in both Communion and a baptism. And, I got to do all this with people I love and enjoy being with. Why would I want to do anything else?

If God has called you into the ministry, don't complain about it. Celebrate it! He has trusted you to lead a group of His people. Yes, some aspects of ministry can be frustrating, but if the overall experience of being in ministry doesn't excite you then something is wrong. You've either missed your call or you've allowed the enemy to rob you of the joy of serving the Lord. I love being with God's people and ministering to them. I pray you feel the same way.

The gift of joy

Joy is a precious commodity these days. There is so much in our world today to rob us of our joy. We live in very troublesome, dark times, and it's often hard to find much joy in what we experience. But, part of the reason for that is we often seek joy in the wrong places.

It's important to understand the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness comes from the root word "hap" which refers to luck or chance. If things are going our way, we are happy. If things begin to go in a different direction, we become unhappy. Happiness is completely based upon circumstances.

True joy is not based on circumstances but upon a person, Jesus Christ. Our circumstances will often disappoint, but He never does. A relationship with Jesus Christ provides us with the solid foundation we need to experience joy in every circumstance.

Yes, Christians get discouraged. We can become frustrated. We can be deeply hurt. There are many things that can bring us unhappiness in our lives, but if we maintain our focus on our relationship with Jesus Christ we can remain joyful in every situation.

The gift of joy was given to us on that first Christmas morning when our Savior, Jesus Christ, was born. It is a gift given to anyone who will receive it. All we have to do to experience that joy is to invite Christ into our lives as our Lord and Savior. It is my prayer that you have done that and know the joy of which I write.

The joy of bivocational ministry

My first book The Tentmaking Pastor: The Joy of Bivocational Ministry was written with the subtitle as the working title. That's when I learned that publishers have the right to change the title of a book. I argued my case and fortunately the publisher agreed to at least use my title as the subtitle.

The reason I wrote the book was because I wanted people to know that there is joy in serving a small church as a bivocational pastor. A fully-funded pastor friend of mine told me after the book came out that he could not understand how anyone could find joy in working a full-time job and serving as the pastor of a church. I doubt he ever understood.

When I was called as pastor of Hebron Baptist Church it was a church that was struggling in every sense of the word. Giving was down. There was little self-esteem evident in the church. Little had been done to the property in years. Sunday school was poorly attended with only a senior adult class and a children's class. The Sunday school and morning worship were the only services being held. Worship attendance averaged about 30 people. The previous pastor resigned just before being asked to do so. This was not a healthy church that would appeal to many people.

I didn't exactly bring a lot with me when I accepted the call to be their pastor. I had no education beyond high school and no pastoral experience. Evidently, the church didn't feel like it had anything to lose by asking me to serve as their pastor. What I did have was the absolute sense that God had called me to pastoral ministry, a quick appreciation and love for the people of this church, and a lot of bull-headedness that would not allow me to leave every time things got a little tough.

There were time when things were tough, and these were not times of great joy! But, those rough spots usually came just before we had major breakthroughs as a church. Twenty years later when I left the church it was a much different place, a place that was a joy to serve. The book talks about some of the victories we enjoyed and the lessons we learned along the way.

There is tremendous joy when you see a church begin to come together for ministry. As new people became a part of the church I felt great joy for the new gifts they would bring. We had many joyous times as we accepted challenges that changed us as a congregation. We began to believe that God was not done with this little church so we were willing to stretch ourselves to attempt new things. We saw people come to faith in Jesus Christ and have their lives changed forever. I felt great joy as I watched new people begin to grow into leadership roles. Our mission support increased dramatically, and at the same time we were doing more ministry to people in our community. There was tremendous joy in the congregation when I read to them that our region had selected us as small church "Church of the Year" in the Region. I had tears as I read the letter to them and showed them the certificate we had received for the honor. A few years later we received the same recognition again, and the tears flowed once more.

There's not room in a blog post to list everything that brought me joy as the pastor of that church. I do write about several of them in the book, but I couldn't describe all of them in the book either. Perhaps one of the things that brings me the greatest joy is that my role in all that was very small. My main contribution was to hang around for twenty years. The accomplishments of that church was due to the faith and passion of the congregation to make a difference. They were willing to step out in faith and do things others told us we could not do.

Believe me, there is tremendous joy in bivocational ministry.

Let's learn to celebrate

My wife and I spent last week on vacation at Panama City Beach. The weather was ideal with mid-80 temperatures most of the week, no rain, and lots of sunshine. Earlier in the week the crowds were rather small, but that began to change towards the weekend. This past weekend was a special celebration the city has each year remembering an event in their history.

I don't know all the details, but evidently in its earlier history PCB was home to a pirate, Dominique Youx, who treated the town very well. According to the stories, another group of pirates decided to invade the town, defeat Youx, and take his treasure which he shared with the people of PCB. The townspeople rallied to support Youx and defeated the invading pirates. Every year the battle is re-enacted and a three day celebration occurs with floats, games, and give-aways. We were there for the first evening of the celebration, and I have to say it was fun.

As we drove home the following morning I thought about how our churches often remember their histories. I've been to numerous "Homecomings" and church anniversaries, and I have to say that most of them do not really resemble a celebration. There may be a church history read, a previous pastor is invited back to speak, and there is often a church dinner, but there is seldom anything that I would call a celebration. While I have attended a few that truly did celebrate the history of the church, they tend to be the exception.

If the church you serve is very old it has seen a lot of history and has survived a lot of challenges. The church I pastored began in 1828, the year Andrew Jackson was elected President. It survived the Civil War, two world wars, a depression, and countless other events that could have closed its doors. During WWII a large number of its members were forced from their homes when the government purchased their farms for a large munitions testing range. Many of them moved away never to return.

Despite all the obstacles, countless thousands of people have worshiped in that small church during its 187 year history. Many found Christ and were baptized in that church. Families worshiped together. No doubt there have been thousands of weddings in that church and perhaps as many funerals. I doubt that anyone could count the number of pitch-in dinners that took place on the property. Members felt the call of God to enter the ministry or the mission field and pursued the training they would need to respond to that call. Church records can only hint at the ministry that country church provided to the community at large.

As time passes by it's easy to forget all the positive things that have occurred in our churches, but we must not forget. God has been at work in our churches, and we need to pause from time to time to celebrate that. I mean really celebrate. Think about it, Almighty God, Creator of the universe, has chosen to work in and through your church to impact the lives of the people in your community. That is something worthy of celebrating!

Does your church have a special anniversary coming up in 2016? Is there something significant in your church's history that must never be forgotten? The best way to remember these things is to celebrate them. Go ahead. It's OK for God's people to celebrate the great things God has done.

The joy of serving a smaller church

Studies regularly show that many seminary graduates today refuse to serve a smaller church. There are a variety of reasons for this, but I think these individuals are missing a great blessing.

Regular readers of this blog know that I served as the bivocational pastor of a small church for twenty years before being asked to serve our judicatory. My first book was published in 2000 with the working title of The Joy of Bivocational Ministry. When the publisher changed the name to The Tentmaking Pastor: The Joy of Bivocational Ministry I managed to convince them to at least leave my title in as the subtitle.

A pastor friend of mine who served a fully-funded church at the time asked how there could be joy in bivocational ministry. He felt such ministry would be impossible, a belief many people share.

I know some pastors of smaller churches who do feel they are asked to do the impossible. Working with as many small churches as I have over the past three decades I know some can be very difficult to pastor. In fact, in recent weeks I've stated in this space that some do not deserve a pastor and should close due to the way they treat pastors and others. But, that was not my experience and is not the experience of many other bivocational pastors I know.

As the pastor of a small church I was able to be a presence in people's lives. I could be with them in both the good times and the difficult times. I wasn't expected to keep office hours, manage staff, attend countless meetings, oversee a large bureaucracy, and act as the CEO of a corporation. My view of pastoral ministry was to serve people and help them grow as believers in Christ, and I was able to do that in a small church.

The church I served all those years loved me and my family. They gave me a lot of freedom and overlooked a ton of mistakes, especially after I demonstrated my love for them by staying for a few years. We were able to develop a mutual trust and appreciation for each other that made ministry there a joy.

I was able to see people come to Christ and grow in their faith. I watched as people developed their leadership and ministry gifts and had a part in that growth. God trusted me with these people, and I still feel joy as I think of how some grew into mature believers.

In the book I mentioned above I share how the church struggled when I first went there and some of the things we were able to accomplish before I left. I take credit for none of those accomplishments. As I told the congregation before I left, my main contribution was to hang around long enough to help them believe in themselves as much as I believed in them. I give God and our congregation credit for the good things that happened, but I still feel great joy as I think about those things.

A pastor may find greater prestige serving a larger church and find it easier to climb the ministerial ladder of success. He or she will enjoy greater financial advantages serving a larger church. I would imagine many pastors of larger churches enjoy the ministry they are called to. I certainly do not want to imply that serving a smaller church is superior to being the pastor of a large church. I will, however, state again that there is great joy in pastoring a smaller church. Some who refuse to do so do not know what they are missing.

Oak tree churches

Due to the past few articles I've posted here some people may wonder if I am suggesting that we abandon small existing churches. Not at all. While some are probably so far down their life cycles that they cannot survive, there are many others that are strong, healthy churches. I worshiped in one this past Sunday.

This small, rural church still has an attendance board in the front of the church. It showed there were 12 people there for Sunday school. About 35 attended the worship service. I had not been at this church for a couple of years, but the people greeted me like a long-time member.

The worship service was very traditional with everyone singing familiar hymns from the hymn book. There are no screens or projectors here. They have an excellent pianist who really brings the hymns to life. The singing was loud and energetic. There is no mumbling songs like I hear in some churches. The choir had a great anthem just before the sermon. I've known the pastor for a number of years, and he has served as the bivocational pastor of this church for many of those years. His sermon was on target and engaged the congregation.

Within a five-mile radius of this church I have several other smaller churches that are barely hanging on. One is likely to close its doors soon. Another one is struggling to pay its bills. The others struggle with one issue or another. The contrast between these churches and the one I visited this past Sunday is stunning. What makes the difference?

The church I visited this past Sunday has a strong root system that enables it to remain strong and solid. The people are grounded in their faith, and such faith produces joy. That joy is evident in their worship and in their attitudes. Every church experiences problems at times, but those with a strong root system address those problems with confidence.

What allows a church to develop such a strong root system? I can identify several in this church that has contributed to its root system.

• They have a strong belief in the inspiration and authority of Scripture. They are well grounded in the teachings of the Bible and are not blown away by fads or anything else that sometimes cause people to question their faith.
• They have a pastor who loves them. His feelings for them has been proven by the years he has served this church. In return, they have returned that love through their generosity towards him and his wife.
• They are committed to one another. It is obvious that they enjoy being with one another. Every Sunday I've been at this church has seemed like a family reunion.
• At the same time, they welcome new people. I've never visited this church and not been warmly welcomed by many in the congregation.
• They are not afraid to be who they are. They are a very traditional church that is not interested in trying to become anything else. While this won't appeal to some unchurched people, it will appeal to others, and these are the ones they want to reach. Too often I've seen churches try to become something they are not and lose themselves in the process.
• They have a strong tradition of worship. I've been in churches three times the size of this church that did not worship with the enthusiasm and excitement you experience in this congregation. 
• It is obvious that they have been taught stewardship. This is a blue-collar church with many retired members, but their giving is strong reflecting a belief in being good stewards and a belief that their church is doing something worthwhile with its resources.

What's the root system like in your church? Churches with strong root systems don't have to worry about survival. While some small churches will not survive, those with strong root systems will continue to be used by God to reach and disciple those He brings to these churches.

When life throws you a curve ball

The past two weeks have been interesting to say the least.  Two weekends ago I spent much of my time in bed or on the couch fighting a nasty cold.  Even though I'm feeling better I still have some cough due to drainage that makes it challenging to speak for long stretches of time.  Near the end of that week the heater motor went out in my old van.  Of course, like much of the nation, we are learning more than we ever wanted to know about polar vortex.  Not a good time to have no heat.  I tried to drive it as little as possible and pray the heater motor would kick on.  Sometimes it did, sometimes it didn't.

Monday, we got hit with another big snowfall.  Although I probably should not have done so, I went out to shovel the driveway before we drove over it.  I shoveled the back end of the driveway first and backed the vehicles down so I could do the top part.  When I started the van the heater came on.  Great!  It could clean off the windshield while I shoveled snow.  However, when I pulled the van back up and turned off the ignition the heater kept running.  The only way to shut if off was to unhook the battery cable.  What compounded that problem was that I had to use the van to haul items I was selling at auction on Saturday.  Friday was haul day, and this happened on Thursday.  I quickly called my garage and they were able to get it fixed.

That week the individual who was to provide food service for the auction called saying he could not do so.  He has had health problems and had to go in for a heart cath.  I quickly called some other auctioneers and got the name of another person who might be able to help.  She agreed to provide the food so another problem was avoided.

On Friday my grandson and I spent eight hours hauling items to the auction site.  Others joined us after they got off work and we spent another four hours setting up the auction.  Everything looked great.  That night we got hit with another blizzard that dumped more snow with some major drifting.  The temperatures plummeted.  We had no choice but to go ahead with the auction.  Only a couple of dozen people braved the weather to come (God bless them!), but it was definitely a buyer's market.  By the end of the sale my voice was almost completely gone and never really came back the next day either.  Lots of cough drops and water to keep everything moist.

As we were hauling on Friday the garage door on my wife's side of the garage threw its chain.  My garage door had not worked in about a month, but I was unable to have it fixed because my side was full of items for the auction.  I called the garage door company and was told they could not be here until Monday.  We had to manually raise my door to finish taking everything out to the van.  By this time we were really wondering if God was sending us a message.

Nobody was hurt.  No one was diagnosed with an incurable disease.  No one went bankrupt.  Throughout the weekend I wanted to keep everything in perspective.  A lot of people have much worse problems than I experienced.  But, when one problem after another starts piling on top of you it's easy to wonder what's going on.

Sometimes it seems all life does is throw you curveballs.  It can be somewhat suffocating at times, and it can get very easy to become discouraged and want to give up.  Many potential major league ball players never made it to the majors because they could not hit a curve ball, and some people never experience victory in life because they can't overcome the curve balls that come their way.

Jesus taught us that storms come into everyone's life, and when they come the only way to withstand them is by being firmly grounded on a solid foundation.  He is that foundation.  When I went to bed Saturday night I thanked God for a warm house, for good food to eat, for a family who loves me and one another, and for Jesus Christ who has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.  When I woke up Sunday morning I prayed the same prayer, and did so again this morning.  I am a blessed man and I owe that to my Lord and Savior.

Today, I have to wait for the garage door repairman, and while I am waiting I will make two phone calls to confirm information for a couple of bivocational conferences I'll be doing on the east coast in March.  I'll spend some time preparing for a conference call from a church's pastoral search committee later this week and for a meeting I will attend at Campbellsville University this week.  Life is good because Jesus Christ is Lord over all!

Do you want to be made well?

"Do you want to be made well?"  This was the question Jesus asked the man at the pool who complained he had been there thirty-eight years waiting to be made well when the angel would stir the waters.  His complaint was that he had no one to help him when he needed to get into the water and others would get in the pool before him and receive their healing.  Jesus' question seems on the surface to be confusing.  One would think that if the man had been there that long to be healed that he surely wanted to be made well.  However, that is not always the case.

In my pastoral ministry I met many people who seemed addicted to dysfunction.  Married couples argue for years over the same issues, often minor ones, and never seem to be able to get beyond them to enjoy a much more satisfying marriage.  They go to marriage counselors, pastors, and others for help, but soon return to the negative behaviors that define their relationship.  Individuals remain trapped in circumstances, often of their own choosing, and do nothing constructive to change those circumstances.  An individual told me one morning that her life had never been better only to call that same night complaining about some perceived slight.  As she raged on about the most minuscule issue I finally stopped her and said, "Your problem is that you have been so unhappy for so long that you don't know how to do happy.  When things begin to go positive for you, you look for things to get upset about."

Such people are very difficult to help because their lives are defined by their problems.  If their problems were solved they would have nothing to talk about.  Even if you help them resolve one problem another one will soon appear.  It's like trying to plug a leak in the dam with your finger.  You can expect another leak to soon appear, and eventually you run out of fingers.

Of course, none of their problems are their fault.  "They did this to me, and they did that to me," is the refrain you hear over and over from people I call perpetual victims.  This does not discount the fact that some people have had very difficult lives and have been victimized by others, but there comes a time when each of us have to take responsibility for ourselves and accept the fact that we do not have to allow others to define us any longer.  Maybe the past was harmed by others, but who will be in charge of the future?  Those who want to be made well will take control of their future and make the decisions that will lead to a better life for themselves and those they love.

All of this is true of churches as well.  In 30+ years of ministry I have seen many dysfunctional churches.  I have worked with some as part of conflict mediation teams and have taken recommendations back from the teams after we've met with people in the church.  The churches that want to be made well will try to implement many of the recommendations we make.  Those that prefer their dysfunction ignore those recommendations.  They talk about wanting to be healthy, but they are unwilling to do anything to become healthy.  Such churches continue to fight amongst themselves squandering any opportunity to have a positive presence in their community.

You, your family, and your church all have the opportunity to be made well, but you must take responsibility for any healing you may need.  You have to take charge of your life, your family, and your church and make the decisions that will lead to a better tomorrow.  Some of those decisions may be painful in the short-term, but they will produce a must more positive future than if you continue to do what you've been doing.  The good news is that it is God's will for you, your family, and your church to be healthy.  God will help you overcome the past if that is needed, but you have to decide that is what you want to happen, and He will lead you into better decisions if you ask Him for the wisdom to do that.  So, the question is: Do you want to be made well?

Hitting the wall

I've heard runners often talk about hitting the wall during a distance run.  There comes a time in the race when they feel they have nothing left and everything within them is screaming for them to quit.  While some runners will quit, others push through that wall and refuse to give up.  Once they get past that wall their energy seems to rise back up in them making them able to finish the race.

There often comes a time in the lives of ministers when we feel as if we've hit the wall.  We've given everything we have to give and feel drained physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  It is  during those times that the enemy comes whispering doubts and frustrations into our minds.  We've sacrificed so much for the church and ministry, and our minds begin to ask, "Why?  What difference has it made?"  The lies continue, "No one cares about me or my family.  I haven't had a decent raise in years.  Everyone else can take a Sunday off to attend a family event or a ball game, but if I even suggested I wanted to do something like that our church would have a fit."  At times, it seems like the liar is sitting on our shoulders whispering frustration and defeat into our thoughts.

This is what I call hitting the wall in the ministry, and I will confess I have been there more than once during my 30+ years in the ministry.  More than once I thought about walking away and turning my back on the call God had on my life.  I had convinced myself that nothing I was doing was making any difference anyway, so why bother.  I was tired, discouraged, angry, and despressed.  I had given everything I had to give, and it seemed I was the only one who cared.  Oh, believe me, I have thrown some great pity parties for myself, some of which lasted for weeks.  The problem with pity parties is, as Zig Ziglar used to say, no one comes to them.  We have to attend our pity parties by ourselves.

The thing we must do when such thoughts threaten to overwhelm us is to remember that they are all a lie.  We have to take our eyes off the lies and begin to refocus on what is true.  Some of the truths that has helped me get through the wall are:

• God has called me to this work.  As a bivocational minister I chose my other career, but God called me to the ministry.  That sense of being called was always a powerful weapon against the lies the enemy tried to get me to believe.  For me, I could walk away from a career.  It would be much tougher to walk away from a call of God on my life.
• What I did mattered.  For some people, it would matter for all eternity.  People's lives were changed because of the ministry I did.  I didn't touch thousands of people each week in the small, rural church I pastored, but my ministry did touch some who would have never been touched in a mega-church, and their lives were different because I helped introduce them to God and the life he had for them. 
• People did care about me and my family.  They proved it when I was approached and asked if I would agee to meet with a group of people in our church who wanted to gather every Sunday evening for a time of prayer for me and my family.  They proved it when they sent cards and notes thanking me for some act of ministry I had done for their family or sometimes just for being their pastor.  They proved it when they agreed to give me four weeks vacation instead of the two weeks so many bivocational pastors get.  They proved it again when they let me skip an occasional church activity to do something special with my family.
• I may not have received a lot of big raises, especially in my early years as the pastor of our church, but we never went hungry.  The Lord provided through my other job, and when our church's finances improved so did my salary and benefit package.  I'm certain I was one of the few bivocational ministers in our region whose church enrolled me in our denominational pension plan and paid their full share into the plan.  As I get closer to that time of retirement I am thankful for their consideration. 

Every minister will hit the wall at one time or another, and the enemy will use that time to try to drive us away from our calling.  It is vital that we refuse to listen to the lies and focus on the things that are true about our ministries.  Look at the victories that you have enjoyed in the ministry.  Look at the people's lives who are different because of how you ministered to them.  Spend time with people who will lift you up (upstairs people) instead of people who want to pull you down to their level (basement people).  At the same time, take care of yourself.  Get plenty of sleep and exercise.  Eat healthy meals.  Spend time with your family.  Practice good self-care.  If you'll do those things and focus on the positive things mentioned elsewhere you go through the wall and slam the enemy of your soul into his own wall!

Joy and enthusiasm in church is contagious

This past Sunday I was privileged to preach in a church that I always enjoy visiting.  They have between 450-500 people attending two services and are enjoying steady growth.  The week prior to my being there the church had over 100 people at a nearby Christian youth camp several of whom made professions of faith there.  The worship services were good, the people were friendly, and they came expecting God to do something.  Dress was casual.  In fact, I received a message earlier in the week reminding me to dress casual.  So many of our churches still demand their pastor wear a suit and tie so I am always happy to preach in slacks and a polo shirt.  In some churches I feel like I am trying to penetrate a wall when I preach, but not in this church.  It does not surprise me that the pastor has served this congregation for over two decades.

I don't mean to imply there are never problems in this church.  Anytime you have more than one person in any group there are going to be disagreements, but I've watched this church over the years address them in a positive way so that they are not distracted from their mission.  As a result, this church continues to grow.  They reach young families and youth, the two groups most smaller churches struggle to reach.  At the same time they attract senior citizens to their church as well.  Why are they able to do that when so many churches cannot?

The minute you walk into the building on Sunday mornings you are met by people who obviously are glad to be there and glad you are there as well.  There is a joy and enthusiasm present in that congregation that one cannot miss.  People are smiling.  They are friendly.  There is a buzz present in the congregation that come from people talking with one another.  There are the sounds of laughter heard throughout the building.  When the service ended few people were in a hurry to leave.  When I left there were still groups of people in the sanctuary and lobby enjoying one another's company.

These are also people who are fed a diet of good theological preaching and teaching.  This church proves what numerous studies have found: you do not have to water down your preaching to attract people to your church.  In-depth Bible studies are regularly provided for the congregation, and many in the congregation take advantage of those opportunities.

Contrast that to some other churches I visit.  People sit stiffly in their pews speaking to one another in low tones, if they speak at all.  Their faces look like they've sucked on a lemon on the way to church.  There are no greeters at the entrances; only stacks of bulletins on a table or chair where the current membership knows to find them.  The worship service lacks energy, and when it ends the people quickly leave the building inspired to eat lunch.

Christians and non-Christians alike quickly notice the differences between the two churches I've described.  When people are looking for a church to attend which one do you think they will choose?  They are going to be attracted to a church whose people are excited and enthusiastic about what God is doing in and through their congregation.  They will be drawn to worshiping with people who are not afraid to laugh and who are excited to be in worship.  Joy and enthusiasm in a church is contagious, and I hope your church is infecting your guests with them each week.