Shut Up And Listen

I was reminded in a recent conversation with a friend, who was going through a difficult situation, that sometimes I need to stop myself, shut up and simply listen at times.  They were facing some difficult decisions, and internally they knew the right thing to do.  While they had come seeking advice it was not advice they wanted.  They wanted support, care, and someone to listen and help bear their need. Thankfully God gave me the wisdom to recognize what it was they really needed, and I could offer a supporting listening ear and a shoulder to lean on during their stress.

It may sound a bit cliche, but there really is an art to listening.  The art may really be in learning to simply shut up and listen.  We need to listen to know how and when to respond to those who are calling us for advice.   As ministry leaders we get called upon to give advice for a variety of reasons.  Many of the reasons people come is for spiritual guidance.  People also come for advice about which job to take, family decisions, and even medical decisions that have to be made.We are obviously not qualified to answer in many questions, and we should know when to refer people on to other experts.

There are times when guiding others when we are being asked for advice, but there are many times when we simply need to shut up and listen.  Much of a ministers time is spent advising, preaching, and teaching.  That is good, when someone is really seeking our sincere advice or comment.
However, being a good listener means knowing when we simply need to let them share what is on their heart and mind.  Often it is best to let someone talk out their situations, and give them minor guidance in seeking solutions. At other times it is far better to be quiet and listen, because while the person says they are wanting advice they are really not yet ready to listen to guidance.  If we have been listening well, then we will be ready to give a better response when the time is right. 

- D.G.Shipton

 

The Martha Syndrome

Jesus told Martha, "You are worried and upset about so many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42)

Being a small-town pastor is a lot like running the mom and pop cafe in our village.  Every time I walk in for coffee the same man is in the back cooking the food. To keep the business running it takes full commitment, long hours, and a lot of hard work.  That leaves little time for pleasure, and requires a lot of focus.

Working through this past holiday weekend, I found myself being convicted by Jesus' words to Martha.   There was much to worry about with extra services, breakfasts, nursing home ministry, and some deep spiritual concerns for some of our congregation facing some tough issues.  I am like many pastors, seeing needs and concerns that need done I simply take it upon myself to get them done.

I sat alone Saturday evening, finding a few seconds of peace, and I wondered if I were simply falling under the Martha Syndrome.   I was so worried about everyone having a good worship and fellowship experience that I was missing the joy of simply enjoying Christ and His hope for us.

I think that many weekends, we who minister find ourselves more like Martha and less like Mary.  More worried about doing than simply being.  Never forget that we all need to spend our own time with Christ and refreshing.  We also need to enjoy the blessings of the worship even as we are called to help to lead it.

Serving on the journey,
Daniel Shipton

What's Driving You

Pastors and church leaders are often driven by passions from a variety of things.  Some are driven by the desire to see the community in which they live come to know the personal relationship with Jesus.  Others are driven by a passion to encourage people to grow in their personal walk with Christ, and to reach out to the world around them.  There are some that really are driven by a passion to hold the Word of God high, and study of the Word drives them.

So what is driving you and your ministry right now?  Where is the depth of your passion being drawn?  Where our focus and drive is will affect our ministry in so many ways. 

We may be driven by a passion for our community, which means our eyes will be open to creative ways to meet new people and invite them into relationship with Christ.  However, our drive to meet those outside the faith can for some people cause them to become offensive to brothers and sisters that have been close to them for many years.  Christ calls us to love one another, and that includes our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Others may be driven to help those who are believers to grow in deep devotion. However, in this case, but often the focus on devotion may cause us to close our eyes to the needs of those around us. As with many things in life we need to return to balance a balance of working on the inside while seeking the outside. Both parts are important.

May God help us to keep the balance of our being in Him, and our service for Him.

- Keep on the journey,
Daniel Shipton

What You Do Matters

This past Sunday I was touched by a frail elderly woman in a wheel chair.  Our church has a worship service for a local nursing home.  We sing some hymns, tells a few stories, give a short sermon, and pray for the people.  We had extra work of a dinner on Saturday night, and I was very exhausted as we went into the nursing home service. 

I was helping with the music, as our song leader led the music.  I have to be honest that in my exhaustion I was thinking of about a hundred other things that I would rather have been doing.  Then, as we began to sing "Because He Lives", one lady who hadn't moved since we arrived, began to clap her hands.  Her clapping was not in beat, but it was with joy, as her somber face turned to joy.  I was so touched that it gave me energy into the evening.

I am reminded that we may feel like we are weary in our ministry.  We may put out the extra effort, and wonder if it makes any difference to anyone.  We can know that no matter what we are doing for the kingdom is important, no matter how small.  We may only touch one life with blessing or God's grace, but every  soul is important to God.

If you are struggling today or feel that what you do for God doesn't matter, keep doing the good you can.  You are making a difference.  You may not see it right at this moment, but somewhere there may be someone clapping along unnoticed by everyone else, because you were faithful to do what you knew you should.

- Keep on the journey,
  Daniel Shipton

Keep Your Sacred Place with God Alive

We all need places to rest.  Places to refresh our life and soul.  We all need some sacred place where we can meet with God alone, and He can speak to us in our heart and mind.  However, in our busy lives and ministries sometimes it is hard to keep a personal sacred space.  In fact many of us have a hard time sincerely setting aside either time or place in a sacred way for our lives. 

Some people have a daily place of sacredness where they pray and have their daily devotions.  I know of some pastors who have a particular chair set aside in their study just for prayer and devotion times.  In weather above the forties I tend to sit on my porch, because the outdoors has always been where I commune with God more easily.   We all have different things that bring us closer to God, and help us open up our hearts to Him.  I would encourage you to find your sacred space, or your best time, your sacred time to meet with God.  Be refreshed regularly in His presence.

Being a Real Character

What do you do when no one is looking?  Do you live in the private moments of your life exactly as you do in the public moments?  Are your values lived out in and out of the sight of others?  If we desire people to sincerely respect us and to trust us enough to follow us then we must consider questions like this.  These are the questions that lead us to examine our character and integrity.

Character is influenced by the family we were raised in, the religious influences we grew up under, and the communities in which we developed.  We cannot help but be influenced by the values that we grew up around; however, we are not a finished product.  Character can grow in our lives making us better and better over time.  Even our failures can help us on the road to maturity, because they help us know what not to do or how to work through difficulty.

Many leaders have fallen in our world, causing weakness and distrust by most people in our society.  Due to the growing distrust there has been a desire for authenticity in our society.  People hunger to see real people leading them in life, and to learn from their real experiences.  Unfortunately the downside is that there has been a growth in a  cynical mindset, which causes some to believe that no one can ever really grow to real maturity in character.  This mindset can lead to people who question the depth of our own ability to ever mature in life.

Character is the major building block of our relationships.  True success is not found in the size of our ministry, the fame of our name, or in the fortune of our bank accounts.  True success is living well in the plan that God has for us, and living well with those whom God has put into our lives.  Our relationships are highly dependent upon the maturing of our character, and living well in our world.

Many of us read the Bible, self-help books, leadership development books, and attend seminars to help us know better how we should live and work in this world.  However, character is far more than knowing how to live in this world, or knowing how relationships with God and others should be.  We can read and study all we want, but as one old saying goes "the longest eighteen inches in the world is the distance from the head to the heart."

I can desire to be a baker, but that doesn't make me a baker.  I can read books about the great bakers of the world, but I will not be a baker.  I can even study recipe books, and even purchase all the ingredients, but I will not be a baker.  I can only be a baker if I actually bake something.  I will likely not be a good baker until I have made many attempts at baking. This reminds me of when my grandmother taught me to make bread.  I went to her home and spent an afternoon learning from her how to make her wonderful home-made bread.  I added the first two ingredients and then watched her make the rest.  I never learned to make bread, because she took over and made it for me.

Character is developed through the challenges which often cause us to dig deep into our lives, and choose the right thing over the easy thing.  Character shows in the choices we make in daily decisions based in the Christ-like development of every part of our lives.  Our character will show in how we choose in situations like the following, which arise every day of our lives.

• How will we react if the clerk at the grocery store misses several items when ringing us up?
• How will we tip the stressed out waitress who brings us our food?
• What will we do if we are offered a shortcut in our work, which may shortchange the customer but increases our pay?
• Will I choose to follow the regulations and structures of change within the church or business I am a part of, or will I choose to  bend the rules to my own desires or whims?

May God help us to grow and mature in such a way that we will show His love, mercy, and grace in all that we do and say.

Grace for your journey,
Daniel G. Shipton

Faithfully Minister

Ezk. 3.7, Isaiah 6.9, 2Tim. 4.2

Paul instructed Timothy to be prepared to preach in season and out of season.  I have often felt that this means to preach whether we feel greatly inspired or not.  I also see lately that it can mean to preach whether they listen or not.  Isaiah and Ezekiel are two examples of people called to preach for God, who were sent to people who wouldn't listen.

I love to preach and teach, especially when I see a disciple or congregant with that light in their eyes that shows they are gaining understanding.  When someone raises their hand in response or comes to the altar I feel privileged to have been a useful instrument in God's plan at that moment.  I think this is true of many preachers.

However, I have went through weeks and even months of time when it seemed like no one really cared what God had to say.  They seemed very wrapped up in the problems and worries of their lives, and seemed to come only out of obligation or responsibility.  Does God really want us to preach hard and strong in those times?  It can feel like we are wasting our time.

The truth is that God calls us to preach, teach, and minister faithfully.  We are not called to produce stellar results in everything we do.  We live in a generation so filled with statistics and so result oriented that we forget that first and foremost we are called to be faithful in the ministry God is calling us to.  We are called first to build our own relationship with God, and to minister to others out of that relationship.

We will likely not fill our altars every Sunday morning.   It may well be that we will really only get to glimpse where God is moving in other people on a sporadic basis.  We should celebrate with God when He allows us to see His moving.  More importantly we should remain faithful in our daily walk, and in every part of our ministry whether the big results shine through or not.

It may well be that God is moving, and we just are not seeing what He is doing at that moment.  I know there have been times when I have preached, and thought no one heard.  Then several weeks later someone will tell me how they have been contemplating something I said weeks earlier.  The message got through the way the Holy Spirit intended, but I never even knew.

Keep preaching.  Keep teaching.  Keep ministering where God calls you.  Let the Holy Spirit worry about whether the hearts are receptive or not.

Blessings in your ministry.