Minister to the Community in Which You are Called

Do you ever feel out of sync with the people you are called to lead?  Maybe like many pastor's and church leaders you grew up in another state, and now you find yourself leading a congregation far from the place you once lived.  Some people are called to mission fields far from home, where they must learn a different language and many different social norms in order to fit in.  Many of us have learned that there are social differences in the country, or even the state we find ourselves in.  However, for most of us in North America we have a lot of common ground on which to stand.

In the Ezekiel's call from God he was told to feed and be filled with God's Word.  Then he was given the challenge to go to the people.  Ezekiel 3:5 says God told Ezekiel that he was not going to "a people of obscure language, but to the house of Israel."  To those of us on the front lines of ministry in North America we may feel separate from people in the pews at times, but the reality is that God has called us to the great mission of reaching people similar to ourselves.  While there will always be slight differences in every person we are called to minister to the reality is that we all have similar needs, and in community we are often facing similar situations.

Do you ever struggle with being a part of the community you are called to lead?  There has been a push in many churches and denominations in the past twenty years to encourage pastors to stay longer in their churches.  At one time in America the average pastoral call to a church lasted less than three years.  Three years is barely enough time to really get to know the community we live in, or the real heart needs that they face.  In fact most people never really accept a minister as caring until they have went through some serious living with them.

All to often the history of small-town churches has been that pastors bale on churches before ever living and being a part of the community.   In many cases it is the churches who have pushed pastors out over situations that bring struggle, which may result in deep spiritual growth before they can really grow up.  Then the cycle starts over with a new pastor, or a new church.  It is a cycle that never allows the church to become a deeper community, living and growing through challenges.  It is a cycle for many pastors to run before growing in their weak areas, or really opening up to the community they have been called to .

The trend of being called to a community is a good trend, which I can say I am becoming better acquainted with in my current pastorate.  There was a time when I first left Bible college that I wondered how a minister could have anything new to preach after four or five years in a single place.  I will soon be starting my ninth year in my current ministry, and I told my wife a few weeks ago that I don't know if I will ever have time to teach or preach all that God has been laying on my heart for the people here.

Being called to a people, to a community is a great thing.  It means that we will come to identify with them in their celebrations and in their needs.  It means we will not preach or teach merely stale words or educated instruction, but we will connect to their hearts because they are a part of us and we are a part of them.  It means we will be willing to work through differences in love instead of running from issues or running people over because of issues that arise.  It means we are willing to stay and make the community our home, and care about the needs of those in and outside the church.

Does all of this mean that one will be there for all of their ministry career?  For some of us it may very well be that we will remain where we are for the rest of our careers where we now are.  I know some who have been at their current ministry for more than twenty or thirty years.  Whether we stay for our entire ministry in one place or move after ten or twenty years, we should serve as God calls us.  For all of us it means that we must grow beyond the temporary mindset and  the constraints of short-term living.  We must open up to the possibility of real relationships and becoming a real part of the communities which we are called to.

Preaching From What You Are Fed

I was recently reading Ezekiel 3:1-4, part of Ezekiel's call by God.  God told Ezekiel to "eat this scroll I am giving you, and fill your stomach with it" (v.3).  This was an instruction to Ezekiel before he was instructed to go speak God's Word to the people.  This is a challenge to all who would be called to minister and preach to others.  We do not preach our own thoughts or ideas, but we preach God's Word to His people and to call others into His fold.

I am not perfect in my devotional times, and I know from talking with other pastors and church leaders that devotional times are a struggle for many of us to keep.  Some of us wrap our devotions into the ministries we are doing, which is partially what these verses are challenging us to do.  Through our own feeding upon the Word of God should flow the teaching and instruction we are to give to those we are called to lead.  It is from our time feeding in the Word that we can pass on God's message to others.

I fear that many in ministry and leadership fail to feed consistently upon the Word of God.  Instead we live in a day when so many other ministers notes and sermons are freely given through electronic medium that we do not spend the time seeking God in prayer and deep feeding.  I am not saying we should never use another minister's guidance, because there are some pastors who do this and are deeply growing in their own ministry and life.

 The greater problem I see is more of a lazy approach to our devotional lives.  I speak with others who often have no clue on Saturday evening what God wants them to say on Sunday morning.  I know it can be hard to prepare week in and week out, but the reality is we should be able to speak out of what God is telling us through our daily lives.  Maybe instead of spending so much time reading about others journey's in faith, we need to rekindle our own spiritual lives in God's Word.  I know reading others journey's, blogs, or teaching is good for us too.  However, it doesn't take away from good time spent reading and meditating on what God has for us and our lives.

Several years ago I was in a meeting,. with our then District Superintendent Dr. Ray Barnwell.  He told the group that there should never be a reason to fear having a message.  He suggested preaching through books of the Bible or segments of Scripture, so we would always be prepared for the coming week of feeding the flock.  This is great advice for having direction.  Yet, it still comes down to the question of feeding on that word for our own lives, so that we can then bless others with God's teaching.  He will often teach us far more than we will ever be able to put into one sermon.

In thinking about this, I realized that a mother bird feeds herself well with the food she finds.  Then and only then does she fly back to take food to her young chicks in need of food.  If we are not caring for our own spiritual growth, and our own deep relationship with God how can we lead others to a deep place with Him?

Feed well in the depths of His Word on a regular basis, so that you may carry on the work He calls you to in Him.

-Blessings for the journey.

Conquering Our Complaining Hearts

Paul challenges us to do everything "without complaining or arguing" (Phil. 2:14).  We live in a society and world where complaining seems a right to one and all.  Most of us probably have received our share of complaints from people who have their own ideas and thoughts about how a ministry or activity could better be run.  However, when we ask for their serious help they abandon us.  It frustrates many who are trying to minister to the needs of the local church.

In recent weeks all of us across most of North America have faced the challenges of the first hard winter in over a decade.  It has caused lower numbers in church attendance for over a month in many parts of our country. It is easy to get down when we are living for the numbers, but it amazes me how people continually resort to complaining.  Don't get me wrong, I am not making any plans to join the polar bear swim team.  I realize it is an adjustment for us to deal with the cold and snow, and some truly have had a hard time with getting out.  However, I was challenged after conversing with another pastor recently by how negative we and many other ministers have become with the weather.

I think that it reveals a deeper issue in most of our hearts, which really has to do with pride.  We get used to our numbers growing, or at least staying steady.  When the numbers go down and we have no way to control things, like the weather, then we tend to complain.  God is still God, and He remains in control of the weather.  We speak of the good blessings of God raining on the just and the unjust alike, but it also snows on the just and the unjust alike.  We and our neighbors are all in the same place.

Instead of living in a place of complaint, maybe we need to come together with those who are able to gather, and still focus on "whatever is pure, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, and whatever is admirable" (Phil. 4:8).  The truth is when we keep our eyes on what we have to be grateful for, and looking at what is good in our world and community we can restore the joy of our soul.  May our hearts and minds be filled with the good God is doing, instead of the momentary struggles we may be facing.  In His strength we will remain steady.

- Keep on your journey faithfully

Ministry Has Many Sticky Wickets

A Sticky Wicket is a term that comes from the game of cricket, and indicates a tough and sometimes hazardous situation. In ministry we may find ourselves in situations that are very touchy and hazardous to our ministry and the community we are a part of. We may out of necessity be placed in the midst of family struggle, disagreements, divorce, or other situations where we may be called to negotiate or mediate. It is in these situations we need God's grace and mercy to see our way through.

I pray that you will not have to face anything to difficult, but mostly I pray that God will guide you through all the tough situations in your life.

- Keep on your journey with Jesus today