Pastors' Break Room

[Macrina]

I'm in NE Miss -- between Tupelo and Oxford.

We Presbyterians like to eat, too.

feed them, and they will come...

 

[Highland Watchman]

When I was in Bible College, I was part of a Persian N-D church, and if there is anyone who loves food, it is the Mid-East folk. We'd have a communal snack/breakfast before the service, and then sometimes we would go out to "lunch" at someone's house, which would usually last until late into the evening. Oh, I loved those times sooo much!

((Yay! My 100th post!!!!!!))

 

[Macrina]

Congrats on post #100! trust me, the number goes up very quickly...

I'm ashamed to admit this, but it's Saturday and I'm still working on my sermon. I'm normally not a procrastinator, but things just keep getting ahead of me...

I guess I'm still settling into the weekly rhythm of pastor-hood. Does it come with time?

 

[Highland Watchman]

Dunno. I still haven't figured out the rhythm yet. But there have been weeks when I've had to get everything done early on because of what some people wanted... and other weeks when it would be practically right before the service and all of a sudden, *bango* a spark of inspiration strikes...

 

[Macrina]

Hey people. Just thought I'd stop in for a morning cuppa before the service.

Greg, isn't it interesting how the wants of the congregation can shape our ministry?

 

[Highland Watchman]

Indeed, it is interesting. Now I wonder, could this be what we are called to address and fulfill (because of the pastoral call to care for the spiritual needs of the people), or is this just a side-effect of the job and out of our desire to please people? There's something to wrap your mind around.

Which, how did your sermon go, by the way?

Today, I visited two churches... one of them an inner city church where I've been before, and the other a Baptist church who had a guest speaker from Texas come in... Both were great messages, I must say! The first one was on waiting for God's timing, and the other was on the importance of prayer and its relationship with the Gospel...

 

[Macrina]

Hi Greg!

The sermon went well. You know, it's wonderful how God works things out. I've been preaching mostly from the lectionary, which is working through the gospel of Luke right now. So I was at the story of the ten lepers, which seemed to me to be a great story about gratitude. I didn't sense a particular "need" to preach on this, but since I saw it in the passage, I went for it... Well, anyway, this person came today who had never been to church before, and apparently this sermon really touched him. He needed to hear a message about gratitude. Now, I didn't know that... but God did! So I think God guided the process.

I very much hope that this individual will return to church. There is a great need for God there, and we are a welcoming group of people.

 

[clonenomore]

....I've been preaching mostly from the lectionary, which is working through the gospel of Luke right now. So I was at the story of the ten lepers, which seemed to me to be a great story about gratitude. I didn't sense a particular "need" to preach on this, but since I saw it in the passage, I went for it... Well, anyway, this person came today who had never been to church before, and apparently this sermon really touched him. He needed to hear a message about gratitude. Now, I didn't know that... but God did! So I think God guided the process.

Macrina, I think that you know as well as I do that God DID guide that process. The complaint that I have always had about preaching from the lectionary is that it is so structured -- and I felt that structure "boxes in" the Holy Spirit. I now have to revise that view -- God DOES have a sense of humor in how He teaches us different things.

 

[Macrina]

The way I look at it, I have this structure to help me along (especially being new to weekly preaching), but it is not prescribed. I am free to vary from it, which I have done. But this week, I didn't feel led towards anything else, and I did really like this passage.

I'm just really happy that God reached out through the sermon. He did a similar thing several weeks ago through a sermon that wasn't from the lectionary -- it was the first time I had celebrated communion with my new congregation, so I preached a message on the meaning of the sacred meal. It turns out that someone was visiting from out of town that week, someone going through a struggle... who hadn't taken communion for a long time, b/c he felt separated from God. I was wonderfully touched to find out that God moved him that morning to partake of communion, to experience a sense of closeness, and that the sermon played a role in that.

You know, it is a really overwhelming thing to realize that my sermons can have an impact like that. I mean, I KNOW that it isn't me -- it's totally God -- but the fact that something I do, something that I am the vessel for, can affect people so much... I'm just kind of stunned. What's the word for this experience? honor? privilege? amazing, unwarranted grace? I just still can't believe that I get to serve like this. It's too amazing...

 

[clonenomore]

...You know, it is a really overwhelming thing to realize that my sermons can have an impact like that. I mean, I KNOW that it isn't me -- it's totally God -- but the fact that something I do, something that I am the vessel for, can affect people so much... I'm just kind of stunned. What's the word for this experience? honor? privilege? amazing, unwarranted grace? I just still can't believe that I get to serve like this. It's too amazing...

One of the reasons that God blesses messages is that we have moved out of the way, and we let God speak through us. I have found that when I try to do it, I don't do that good of a job. but when I move aside, and let God do it, He does a much better job.

I think that all of the words that you used -- honor, privilege, amazing unwarranted grace -- can be used to describe this. No single word is sufficient.

 

[Highland Watchman]

I know what you mean there. For myself, I don't preach from the lectionary at all because I am not part of a denomination that uses it. I think it can be a very good tool for those weeks when you really have no idea where God is leading.

Isn't it awesome how God can use us? I've had that happen to me so many times that I've just learned to shrug and say, "Okay God. Whatever you say!" Actually, my concern would be for any times where the message does NOT have an impact on anyone, including the preacher. My experience thus far (as limited as it is), usually pits me learning a lot through much experience during that week or the weeks before.

For instance, in my first sermon that I had to do for preaching class, which was on James 3:13-18, I was put into a group of guys who really tested my patience and perceived "wisdom"... I was rebuked afterward by someone who did not like what I said, saying that it was "too accusatory", yet nobody else found that, and when I looked it over afterward, it was not accusatory at all...

My second sermon, looking at Abraham and Isaac, in asking the question of whether or not we were willing to sacrifice our dreams, I was having my entire world blown to pieces. My parents were splitting up after 23 years of marriage, I was having issues with student loans, I had no direction or prospects for direction at all, I was turned down for not only the RA position for my graduating year, but also the Student Newspaper editor position. My heart was broken yet again... and I had all of my ID going toward a passport (which was 3 months late in arriving) so I could go on my mission trip to Peru 2 weeks later. All of this happened during the prep time. Suffice to say, I was not pleased... But God moved, and the sermon became one of the best ones that I can remember preaching.

It's like Therisa of Avila. I had a Catholic woman who I met a couple of weeks ago tell me about an encounter that she had. She was a woman who was a major influence in the convents of Spain in the Middle Ages. One day when she was getting out of a carriage, she slipped and fell into the mud. So she complained to God, "God, why did this happen? Do you not see how much I serve you?" God replied to this, "Theresa, do not be dismayed. This is how I treat all of my servants." At this, she stood up and said to God, "Well then, God, I see now why you have so few of them."

 

[Macrina]

Hi all!

I've just started to wonder how many pastors there are here on CF. I don't think there are very many... doesn't that seem strange?

 

[hat lady]

Has anyone started a church then after years of building something happens and then people start to leave, and leave, and leave and then you have to close the church doors?

How did you feel? Was it easy to find another church?

 

[Highland Watchman]

Macrina:

Yeah, that is a strangely disturbing thought... Let's see if we can do some promoting among the other pastors we know...

hat lady:

Well, I've never really started a church. I actually only started ministry officially since June. But I did have a group of Christian friends in college before going to Bible College, and I guess that could sort of be considered a church... Numerous things happened, but I think the major part was that we just sort of parted ways... and some people did and said things that turned others off... As for my part, I lost touch with all but 2 of them... and even then, it's very sporadic.

When I started as pastor, though, there were some who DID leave the church because of conflict that existed before I came, and I was brought in by one person, instead of having it agreed upon by the entire congregation. However, there have been more people who have been added to the number again, and now we are up to 15...

 

[Macrina]

Hi fellow pastors!

I'm off to church... this week's sermon really came together at the last minute. I think I was being given a lesson on yielding control to God in my ministry...

Today I moderate my first congregational meeting. Let's hope that all goes well... we presbyterians like to get our procedures just right...

 

[kingzjewel]

God ordained me actually. I do not believe in denominations; I teach and whatnot all over the place! (And I do not like chocolate, of caffeine even. Water is fine!)

hey awesome nice 2 meet you

 

[kingzjewel]

Well, in theology I have taught at quite a few churches where I am now, and corrected some international speakers, etc. I have also done work in non-theological fields.

Bishop is a title given in the Bible according the the Kingdom's structure as prescribed by the apostles.

are you really only 16? i know God is not a respector of persons, but i would like to know truly so i can encourage the youth more effectively.

 

[clonenomore]

I'm off to church... this week's sermon really came together at the last minute. I think I was being given a lesson on yielding control to God in my ministry...

I'm so hardheaded that this is a lesson that God is continually having to teach me.

Today I moderate my first congregational meeting. Let's hope that all goes well... we presbyterians like to get our procedures just right...

How did it go? Like Prebyterians, we Methodists also like to get procedures just right.

 

[Macrina]

How did it go? Like Prebyterians, we Methodists also like to get procedures just right.

It went well -- very brief, which was the most important thing!

There are a lot of things I'm learning on the job, so I get kind of nervous sometimes. But God seems to be taking care of me...

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

are you really only 16? i know God is not a respector of persons, but i would like to know truly so i can encourage the youth more effectively.

Yes, I am only 16. Just taught again a few nights ago. I will be around now and then, so send me a PM if you need anything. Doing some deep research into Christianity.