The pastor's library

About a year ago I mentioned to my wife that I needed to do something about my library. I don't want her to have to deal with these books when I'm gone. As I sit here typing this post I am looking at seven bookshelves crammed full of books, mostly theological and ministry related. Actually, to say these shelves are crammed is a little bit of an understatement. Some shelves are double-stacked with books.

Although my comment about eliminating some of the library was meant to encourage her, she really wasn't buying it. In fact, she responded, "If you're going to reduce your library why did we receive a box from Amazon today?" Well, those were books I hadn't read! As usual, though, her observation was on target. I think I've eliminated one box of books so far and probably added more than that to the shelves.

It's hard for me to get rid of books. When I began my ministry in 1981 I had about one-fourth of a shelf of books, and they were not very good. Thanks to a book allowance from the church I was able to add to the library every year. Thanks to discount sellers like CBD I was able to spread that money much further than if I was paying retail for all my books. I also found a used theological bookstore in Louisville that helped me add to the collection. For years I attended the Friends of the Library book sale in my home town. I would head straight for the theological books and fill up at least 2-3 bags. My best deal at a FOL sale was the two volume Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament that I got for $1.00.

My books are highlighted, underlined, and written in the margins. The material highlighted has been recorded in a filing system I use to quickly find material I may want to use later.

I have an older version of a Bible study software program which I use occasionally, but there's something about holding a book in your hands and interacting with it with highlighters and pens. I have books on NOOK and Kindle, but I haven't added e-books in a couple of years. I just can't get excited about reading a book on a screen.

Probably younger pastors are more comfortable with electronic books and software programs for their study and sermon preparation. Regardless of whether you prefer the printed page or electronic books, I encourage you to regularly add to your ministerial library. Commit to a reading program. I try to read a significant book each week. I don't always hit that goal, but I'm at least close. If that sounds like a lot, there are people who read twice that many every year.

Invest in good resources. While you're reading, interact with the material. Develop a filing system so you can quickly find material you want to use later. If you'll do each of these you'll find your ministry to be much more effective and less stressful.

I need to put together another box of books to get rid of, but first I need to check something on Amazon. A church gave me a $50.00 Amazon gift card the other day as part of an honorarium.

How do you feel about your congregation?

In 35 years of ministry I've had many conversations with pastors about their churches. Human nature being what it is, some of these conversations were not very positive. In fact, some were quite troubling. There is a lot of pastoral frustration out there towards congregations. While I know that some church members would try the patience of Job, most of our congregations are made up of people who love the Lord and want to serve him to the best of their abilities.

One Sunday I visited one of the churches that was in my judicatory. A member of the church had called complaining about the negative sermons the pastor had been preaching for several weeks. I knew this church very well and had seen them do remarkable things for a small church. I didn't know if the report was true or if this person just had some personal issues with the pastor. As soon as I had a free Sunday I showed up for worship.

Never in my life have I heard a more negative sermon filled with near animosity towards the congregation. For 45 minutes he ripped the congregation up one side and down the other. I nearly got up and walked out a couple of times, and once I bit my tongue to keep from standing up and telling him to shut up. I wouldn't talk to a dog like he spoke to the congregation that day. I knew at that moment I would not be back and couldn't understand why anyone else would either. In fact, several did leave over the next few months until he finally resigned as well.

I'm not sure what he, and others who treat their congregations in similar fashion, think is going to be accomplished with a steady diet of negative preaching. It's hardly likely that such preaching will encourage the people to get engaged in ministry nor is it likely that they are going to invite people to come to church with them.

People tend to rise to the expectations we have for them. Rather than beating people down, we need to lift them up. As a pastor I often told our congregation that I believed more in them than many of them believed in themselves. When I first went to that little, rural church there had not been much happening for years. The self-image of many of the members was pretty low, but after a few small victories and a steady diet of expressing my faith in them we started doing bigger things.

The first thing people in a smaller church want to know about their pastor is whether or not he or she loves them. In many cases, they've seen such rapid pastoral turnover they're convinced that no pastor could really love them and want to stay with them as their pastor. It can take time to convince them of the value you see in them and how much you do love serving as their pastor.

Were there times when I was frustrated with how things were going in the church? Absolutely! And I would voice those frustrations, but always privately with our leadership. A wise leader doesn't make public pronouncements of how frustrated he or she is unless it's absolutely necessary, and never do you make it a weekly habit.

Review your recent preaching. Have you tried to build up your congregation or have you beat on them? They get beat on enough during the week; they don't need to come to Church for another beating. Does your congregation believe you are excited to serve as their pastor? Do they believe that you really love them? If the answer is yes, they will follow your leadership. If they're not sure, don't expect to accomplish much because people have to know they can trust your heart before they will follow your lead.

This election is bringing out the worst in Christians

America has become a nation of rude, vulgar, and crass people. The lack of civility has only increased in recent years, and this election is making it even worse. Most disturbing is that many Christians can be included in this description of our society.

People seem more divided in this election cycle than in any I can remember. Although neither party nominated a person of sterling character, it seems that we are blind to the negatives our candidate brings to this election while believing that the other candidate is the devil incarnate. It is a shame in a nation of over 300 million people these are the best we can get to run for the highest office of the land, but this is where we are.

Both national conventions revealed how divided even our major political parties are in 2016. Republican leaders stayed away from their convention in droves at least partly in opposition to the nominee who would represent their party. The Democrat held a convention in which even the opening prayer was booed. According to one video I saw, one night of the convention Sanders supporters found their seats filled with non-delegates in an effort by the DNC to silence their protests.

Even more disturbing is the way Christians are attacking one another, especially on social media, for supporting one candidate or another. I've seen many comments from Christians that are just as ugly and crass as those coming from non-Christians. Christians are challenging the intelligence and even the faith of fellow believers who are supporting the candidate they oppose. It's fine to have a debate on the qualifications of the candidates and even to disagree, but we don't need to be disagreeable when we do so. Followers of Jesus Christ should at least be civil to one another when we disagree. If this isn't possible to do then the least they can do is to stay off social media until the election is over.

Like many, I know which candidate I prefer. It wasn't my first or even second choice during the primaries, but between the two candidates this is the only one for which I could vote. No doubt some of my friends will vote for the other candidate. They will have their reasons as I do for supporting their candidate. I may disagree with those reasons, but they have a right to hold them as I do to mine. When the election is over we will still be friends regardless of which candidate is elected.

Our goal should be to treat one another with respect regardless of our differences. I never want to have to apologize for something I've said or done while disagreeing with someone, and that should be a goal for every Christian.

Let's tone down the rhetoric and stop the personal attacks on those who hold opposing viewpoints. When this election is over, regardless of who wins, remember three things. Scripture commands us to pray for those in authority over us, God doesn't fly on Air Force One, and our salvation does not come out of Washington, DC.

Self-care is not selfishness.

Yesterday I was privileged to speak at the summer meeting of the Church Relations Council (CRC) at Campbellsville University. For several years I have served on this council and just agreed to another three year term. I love CU and their emphasis on the gospel of Jesus Christ. If there was ever a time when Christian higher education was important it is the time in which we now live.

The CRC meets twice a year to update us on what is happening at the campus and to seek our input on how the university can improve. We hear numerous reports from the heads of various schools in the university, but the report I most enjoy comes from students who have been involved in mission trips. A lot of people criticize this younger generation, but they should see how many of students from CU go on mission trips every year and hear how God used them to make a difference in people's lives.

I was asked several months ago to be the keynote speaker at this particular meeting. Because I was speaking primarily to pastors and university and church leaders I decided to speak on the important of practicing good self-care. As I explained in my presentation, self-care is not selfishness; it is stewardship of a valuable resource God has given us...us. In my message I shared my own story of how I allowed my life to get out of balance and the lessons I learned from that experience.

During the break several of those in attendance told me the message really hit home with them. They admitted they often struggled to keep the various elements of their lives in balance, and some could identify with some of the struggles I had.

Many of us in Christian leadership do a much better job of caring for others than we do in caring for ourselves. Clergy have a very high rate of burnout and depression, and this is one reason we see half of all seminary graduates drop out of the ministry within five years after graduating from seminary.

I understand the desire for pastors and church leaders to want to make a difference because I share that desire. However, I've also learned I'm not going to save the world tomorrow. Ministry is supposed to a distance event, not a sprint, but many of us go at it as if it's a 100 meter dash and then wonder why we struggle physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

I wrote The Healthy Pastor: Easing the Pressures of Ministry to help church leaders enjoy a healthier life and ministry. Ministry is challenging, and we'll never eliminate all the pressures associated with it, but we can take steps to ease those pressures. I made the book available at the meeting and several copies did sell after my message.

Enjoying a healthy, productive ministry is a choice any of us can make. No one can force you to become overwhelmed by ministry and your other responsibilities. We can get control of our calendars and our lives if we choose to do so. We can take our days off and our vacations. We can make time for our families if we decide to do so. We can deepen our spiritual lives if that is what we need to do. Eliminating many of the pressures of ministry simply requires a decision on our part to do so and then setting the boundaries that are needed to remove those pressures.

We had a great meeting at CU with good worship and exciting presentations. The school expects a record enrollment this fall, and it excites me to know the impact the school will have on these students.

Your ministry - a job, a career, or a calling?

For a long time ministers viewed their work as a call of God upon their lives. Churches often talked about "calling" a pastor rather than "hiring" a pastor. This is beginning to change a little, and that isn't good. Words matter. There is a big difference in mindsets between calling a pastor and hiring a pastor.

Unfortunately, some ministers have also begun to view their ministry as a career. They go to college and seminary to have the right degrees that will get them hired. Many work the denominational systems so they can move up the ministerial ladder of success which always includes moving to a larger church with better salaries, benefits, and recognition.

We also see this in the way they approach ministry. Many have automatically ruled out serving in smaller churches according to various studies. When meeting with pastor search committees these pastors are quick to set boundaries for what they will and will not do. Numerous pastor search committees I've assisted over the years have complained to me that the ones they interview make it very clear that they don't visit people in the hospitals or in their homes. Other boundaries are set as well. Evidently, these individuals believe that their role is limited to sitting in the church office, preparing sermons, and directing others.

An excellent book I'm currently reading is The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work by Shawn Achor. In the book he tells of research done by a Yale psychologist on how the mental conceptions we have of our jobs affect performance. He writes

"She has found that employees have one of three 'work orientations,' or mindsets, about our work. We view our work as a Job, a Career, or a Calling. People with a 'job' see work as a chore and their paycheck as the reward. They work because they have to and constantly look forward to the time they can spend away from their job. By contrast, people who view their work as a career work not only out of necessity, but also to advance and succeed. They are interested in their work and want to do well. Finally, people with a calling view work as an end in itself; their work is fulfilling not because of external rewards but because they feel it contributes to the greater good, draws on their personal strengths, and gives them meaning and purpose. Unsurprisingly, people with a calling orientation not only find their work more rewarding, but work harder and longer because of it. And as a result, these are the people who are generally more likely to get ahead."

When we understand our ministries as a calling the external rewards are not as important. If we need to be bivocational in order to serve in the place where we believe God has called us we will be willing to do that. If we serve in places where there is little recognition for what we do, that's OK too because we know that God sees, and that's all that matters.

Churches also need to recapture this idea of calling. When a church hires a minister they can also fire him or her. The minister becomes no different than a car salesperson working for a dealer. If he's not producing he gets replaced with someone who can bring in the customers and close the deals. Again, words matter, and so do mindsets.

If churches and ministers want to enjoy healthier and more productive ministries, both need to recapture the mindset of calling. To be called by God to a place of ministry is a wonderful thing. Let's not cheapen it by viewing this as just a job or a career.

Sometimes it's best to keep your mouth shut

Yesterday I pointed out that Hillary Clinton would struggle to get people to trust her because of her repeated lies to the American public. The lesson from that for those of us in church leadership is that we must be truthful and honest in all our dealings with our congregations if we want them to trust us and follow our leadership. Trust is a very fragile thing, and once it's lost it can be very difficult to recover.

In the interest of fairness we can look to Donald Trump for today's lesson. Trump found himself attacked at the Democratic National Convention by the parents of a soldier killed in Iraq twelve years ago. As a Navy veteran I appreciate those who serve our country, and I hold in highest regard those who pay the ultimate sacrifice. Having never lost a child I cannot imagine the pain this family feels.

Trump should have allowed the family to have its say and moved on and focused on his campaign. Few people remember anything said at a political convention a week after it's over. However, as is his custom, when he feels he's being attacked he has to go on the offensive. He made some unfortunate comments about the Khans that the media will now focus on for a few more weeks. No doubt we'll also see his comments aired in future ads by Clinton supporters. Some of Trump's supporters are now saying that he is making it tougher for them to continue their support due to lack of discipline.

Like Trump, some pastors cannot keep their mouths shut when they feel people oppose them. Certainly, there are times when we need to respond, but most of the time we need to just keep silent. When we do need to respond it's usually best to do so privately with the critic. To go on national media, which isn't friendly to him anyway, to make the statements he made about the Khan family showed very poor judgment on his part. It's also poor judgment when pastors and other church leaders make public responses when criticized.

A few years ago a pastor I knew got tired of one person in the church who opposed everything he did. He sent her an e-mail responding to her criticism. In the email he made some very unfortunate comments that were unnecessary including some that questioned her relationship with God. Of course, the family made copies of the email and showed it to everyone in the church. It cast the pastor in a very poor light.

Another pastor was determined to make changes in the structure of the church. When long-time members opposed those changes he took it personally. He also made unkind comments about the critics, and soon they left the church. However, many were offended by the way the pastor handled the opposition and many others left. Today, the attendance has fallen off by quite a bit. The pastor still blames the critics for what has happened and apparently doesn't see his role in what has happened. Instead of attacking the critics he should have worked with them to help make the church healthier.

Church leaders need to determine what battles to fight. You don't need to die on every hill. There are some critics you will never win over. Love them, but ignore them. I once read that the average pastor leaves his or her church due to seven people regardless of how many believe the pastor is doing a good job. I've got news for you, those seven people have relatives in any church you go to so you'll never escape them.

When you refuse to respond to your critics you'll never have to be the one who has apologize. If their criticism isn't valid, it will be revealed in time. But, if you get sucked into defending yourself every time someone says something negative about you, you will lose respect from your followers.

I was once asked at a pastor's conference I was leading why I thought pastors got stabbed in the back so often. I responded that I didn't think we got stabbed in the back as often as we shoot ourselves in the foot. Responding to every attack is unneeded, and responding publicly makes that mistake even worse. If we are going to be in a leadership position we need to have some tough skin, learn when and how to respond to criticism, and focus on the task God has given us.

Trust begins with truth

Hillary Clinton has commented several times in the past week that she has a lot of work to do due to the large percentage of people who do not trust her. While both major party candidates have issues and neither can claim the moral high ground, polls continually find that many more Americans trust Trump more than Clinton. The reason really is simple: she has been caught lying too often.

• She claimed in several speeches that she landed in Bosnia under sniper fire. None of her companions on that trip remembered that fact, and a video of her landing and leaving the airplane clearly showed her calmly walking out of the plane.
• When terrorists attacked the diplomatic post in Benghazi Clinton blamed the attack on an anti-Muslim video on YouTube. This was the story she told the American public and the families of those killed in that attack even though she e-mailed her daughter and the Prime Minister of Egypt that the Administration knew the attack was planned and had nothing to do with the video. 
• Despite insisting that none of her e-mails that went through her personal computer as Secretary of State contained classified information, the FBI found that several of them were classified and some were even marked Top Secret.

These are only a handful of many, many lies Hillary Clinton has been caught telling. We should also remember that she blamed a vast right-wing conspiracy for her husband's problems after it was claimed that he had an affair with a White House intern. She insisted on national television that she and her husband had discussed in depth the matter and she was satisfied with his answers. Bill Clinton would later be impeached for perjury after he lied under oath about his relationship with the intern and obstruction of justice by the House of Representatives after a Federal Judge held him in contempt of court for giving false, misleading and evasive answers designed to obstruct the  judicial process.

I am not making a political statement here. This is not a Democrat issue or a Republican issue; it is a character issue. A leader's effectiveness will be determined by his or her character. People do not follow people they do not trust, and we do not trust people we believe do not tell us the truth. Certainly, this does not mean that Clinton won't be elected because many do not trust Trump either. This is likely to be a wild campaign season with a lot of mud-slinging by both sides, and there's plenty of mud to go around.

This trust issue is also important to those of us in church leadership. I've known too many pastors who lost the trust of their congregations because they began to doubt the pastor's character. In some cases, he or she was caught in untruths. Sometimes the problem was that the pastor did not do what was promised. Some pastors refused to take responsibility when mistakes were made and tried to shift the blame on others. Whatever the reason, when a congregation begins to question the character of their pastor, that person's ministry is done in the church unless he or she is able to demonstrate to be a person of character.

Church leaders must tell the truth every time even when it hurts. We need to own up to our mistakes when they occur. We need to do what we say we are going to do when we say we'll do it. We need to avoid making promises that we can't meet. Although none of us will ever be perfect we need to attempt to live our lives, with the help of God, in line with what we preach. When we demonstrate our commitment to such a life we will find people more willing to follow us, and we will enjoy a much more productive ministry.