Reflections on Piper's decision

I have admired John Piper's ministry from a distance for some time. Anyone who can plant his life in a church for 30 years has some things to teach us all as pastors. Last Sunday John Piper made an announcement to his church that he is taking an 8 month leave. You can read about it here.

I have a desire to stay where I am pastor for at least a couple of decades. So, I have reflected on this decision by John Piper more than once over the past few days. Here are a few random thoughts as I have done so.

1. My family (especially my marriage to Leigh Ann) is front and center. If I lose my marriage, I lose my ministry. More than that, if I lose my marriage I lose my most prized earthly possession. I must be intentional about cultivating my relationship with my best friend.

2. Guard my heart (soul). John doesn't share details but he does point to pride in his soul. What a wake-up call. There is a great nugget in Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life . I am still working through what this means.

3. The church is more than one man. Trust me, no one is more keenly aware of this than I. However, I sometimes catch myself, in weaker moments, thinking "it all depends on me". If someone of the stature and visibility of John Piper can step away, it is obvious he has done a good job of leading a group of people to not be dependent on him, but on the Lord. That is my heart's cry for ClearView.

4. Accountability is vital to long term health of a leader. I would add, especially a pastor. The elders of Bethlehem have obviously been a major part of helping John make his decision. A man who stands alone will not stand for long.

5. Transparency. John has been transparent with his church about the fact that he is working through some things. There is a delicate balance a pastor must walk. Share enough that people understand you are human (which should keep you humble). Yet, not so much that people think your life is falling apart. A humble strength. I think this is what is termed "meekness" in Scripture. I am still wrestling with what to do with this one, but transparency for John is a part of who he is as a pastor / leader. John mentions a culture of transparency at Bethlehem. How do you create that? Is length of time as a pastor a factor in doing so? Trust is obviously a key factor. You can't be transparent with someone if you think they are going to hit you over the head with it.

The primary lesson for me is not to fall asleep at the wheel of my own life. I admire John for sharing this with his church. And I appreciate his church for being an example of what it looks like to want the best for her shepherd.

God bless you John. And God bless you Bethelehem Church.

Praying for your pastor

I came across a post by Ligon Duncan, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS. I could not say it better myself. Some who read this blog are members of the congregation I serve as Pastor. If that is you, I could not do better in listing my requests for you to pray for me. If you are a member of another congretation, I encourage you to pray these prayers for your Pastor every week ... or better yet, every day.

Because I have a congregation that loves me more than I deserve, I am often asked by them: "how can I pray for you?" I've tried to put some thought into how I answer that question. So, maybe these ideas will help you pray for your pastor, or tell others how they can pray for you.

Pray -

1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.

2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.

3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.

4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.

6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.

7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God's.

8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.

10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.

11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.

12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]'s ministry, to God's glory alone.

13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]'s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.

14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.

15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially,

16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.

17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.

Text-Driven (A peek into a Preacher's World)

I am continuing to look for language to express what I feel and sense as a Preacher / Pastor. I cam across this video by another pastor (Matt Chandler, Pastor of The Village Church) that says so much of what I feel these days. In a brief 5 minute clip Matt shares advice to preachers. But I thought you might be interested in peeking over my shoulder as I hear advice from Matt.

One sentence you will hear early in the clip is that for many preachers, "preaching becomes just one of the things preachers do". Not the place a preacher wants to find himself. It is a constant battle to push aside other important things I could be doing in order to do the one thing no one else can do for the people of ClearView ... preach. I am re-discovering more and more that preaching is not something I do, it is who I am. I think you will understand what I mean as you listen ...

I did something dumb today ...

OK, no snickers out there. Yes, I do something dumb most days ... but ...

Ever do something and as soon as it's done you think, "How stupid was that!" Well, today was one of those days for me. But what makes this even harder and more complex is that in the process I hurt someone that did not deserve to be hurt and I never intended to hurt.

The details of the event are private and there is no need to go into them. But the big picture is that I said something that got back to the person I was talking about that hurt them. The dumbest part of the whole thing was that I did not really even mean what I said. I apologized as soon as I heard of the hurt I caused. And this person graciously forgave me right away.

I have been sitting in my office the past hour or so (since the incident) unable to focus on the message for Sunday (Thursday is study day) because I just can't get this heart-sick feeling to go away. So I thought I would take a few moments and share some of my take-aways on this and hopefully help prevent you from being as dumb as I was today.

1. Words are powerful. Be careful how you use them. James warned us of this. James 3:5-6 So too, though the tongue is a small part [of the body] , it boasts great things. Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among the parts of our [bodies] ; it pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by hell.
I was careless today in my choice of words.

2. This one is for Pastors: We are to be most careful. I sense today that the hurt I caused was multiplied because this person is a part of the congregation for which I am given responsibility to love and shepherd. Today was a warning shot into my life as a Pastor that I am to be especially careful in this area. It seems my words are weightier in people's lives ... the good and the bad. All of us have the power to build up and the power to tear down, more especially for Pastors. In the very same passage James gives the warning above, he begins that chapter with these words: James 3:1 "Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgement". As a Pastor, even casual conversations are being measured. That's not a bad thing, just a fact.

3. Technology is not the best way to communicate. Yes, we use it as naturally as breathing these days. But we still cannot communicate emotions and feelings as well through any form of technology as we can face to face. Nothing can replace face to face communications. My blunder was made via technology and it magnified the issue.

4. I am grateful for mature followers of Christ who can demonstrate grace. This person today was quick to forgive me, though I did nothing to deserve forgiveness. Grace. What kind of world would this be if there was never any grace extended? What kind of church would I be a part of if we did not extend grace. Not everyone gets this. But I thank God the person I offended today does.

Part of what has gone through my mind over the past hour or so is: To whom do I need to extend grace?

May this be a reminder: Think before speaking or typing. Guard your tongue and your finger tips on a keyboard. My mom always told me if I could not say something nice, don't say anything. Again, Mom was right.

Speakers remorse and Sundays

I don't know if you have ever experienced "buyer's remorse". It is the feeling you get when you have purchased something (especially something expensive) and you get away from the store and something like guilt sets in. You feel like maybe you shouldn't have bought it ... or maybe you should have bought the blue one instead of the green one ... or maybe you should have added one more option ... or ???

Anyway, there is such a thing as speaker's remorse. I get it almost every Sunday. It is that feeling of "I should have said it differently" or "I should have added this" or "Why did I forget to say that?" or "I should have thought about this other thing to put in there" ... you get the idea.

Sundays almost always bring speaker's remorse. I have talked to other Pastors about this. Some of us are more afflicted with this than others of us. I used to think it would subside the older I got and the more I spoke. It doesn't.

I wonder if Peter or Paul ever experienced it. I think Jeremiah probably did ... poor guy.

Why I left the local church and why I returned

This one could be a series. And honestly, it is one I am quite sure I do not yet know all the answers to. Many who read this blog know that I served as a local church pastor for 12 years. Then I went to LifeWay where I ministered in a completely different world for 10 years. Almost one year ago (May 1) I returned to pastor a local church (ClearView Baptist Church in Franklin, TN).

The church I came to out of seminary (I pastored for 2 years in seminary) was in suburban Atlanta. We relocated and experienced some significant numerical growth. So, why leave and go to a denominational role? In reflection, there were several mixed reasons. Some were for the right reasons and some were not.

Why I left ...
1. I felt I could have a broader impact by leaving the local church and taking a role that allowed me to travel and touch many ministers. I have always had an interest and a passion for leadership development. Going to LifeWay (then known as the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention) was an invitation to do this on a national level.

2. A chance to work with pastors. My dad is a pastor and I had pastored for 12 years at that point. I just love pastors. They (we) are a strange breed. I admit. But I don't know of a group of people that, as a whole, are more passionate about what they do. Most pastors (despite the few that might make the headlines) are committed to The Mission. They (we) come in all shapes, sizes (no preacher jokes here), ages, and personalities. Most do what they do because they believe God has called them to do it.

3. I was tired. I went to the church in Atlanta in my mid 20's with all the energy and strength of somone that age. I ran at an all out sprint for 10 years. We relocated the church. We physically built a 28,000 sq. foot building volunteer over a year span of time. We transitioned a church from the 1950's (I arrived in 1988) to about 1980 (I left in 1997). We added a lot of people (In the last 6 years we went from 70 to over 500 in average attendance). That's a lot of change to manage for a kid (remember, mid 20's to mid 30's ... I was a kid). That's messing with alot of people's world in a short period of time. It truly felt like changing a flat while traveling at 60 mph. Some didn't like it and I just didn't know that was normal. I really didn't realize just how tired I was until the first day I sat down in my office at LifeWay.

But God blessed the church in ways I would never have imagined. And He taught me things I would never have learned otherwise. He then provide rest and a learning experience during my 10 years at LifeWay I could not have gotten any place else on earth. I will forever be grateful for the people and the opportunities I encountered while there.

But there was always that "song in my heart" (phrase I borrow from my friend Ralph Hodge) that would not go away. The song to pastor again. I was not sure God would ever lead me back to the local church, but heart really never left.

Why I returned ...
1. Seeing lives changed. This really is the big one. To see someone come to Christ and sell out. To see them begin to understand what it means to follow Christ and live their faith out loud. What a rush! There is nothing like it in the world.

2. It is who I am and what I was made to be. The "song in my heart" turned out to be what many refer to as "the Call". At the core of who God made me to be is a pastor.

3. Turns out, the local church is the best place to base the broader ministry I was seeking. During my time at LifeWay I had the opportunity to study churches. Churches with a Kingdom mindset helped me understand, it is from the local church we could best launch ministries with broader impact than the local church.

4. The right church. God made it possible for me to spend time with the people of ClearView before I was asked to serve as pastor. I served as their preahing interim for 8 months. It gave them time most churches don't get to take a close look before they felt God leading that direction. It gave me time to fall in love with the people before taking the leap back into the only role for which I was made. Thank you ClearView for allowing me back in the game!

This is a subject I come back to in my mind often. I'm sure there will be more ...