Black Diamonds

The large snowflakes fell like a curtain after a stage performance. My breath fogged up my goggles. I took off my glove and wiped away the snow, cleared my lens and the view was spectacular. The mountain valley spread out below me.  The snow covered trees lined the winding slope as I stood at the crest of the mountain uncertain of my next move. I looked at the sign in front of me with black diamonds and an arrow pointing forward, below it a blue square with an arrow pointing to the right. I nervously stomped the building snow off my skis pondering my next move. After a deep breath I pushed off with my poles and my decision was made.

When we set out to accomplish anything of personal growth in life, work and relationships there needs to be a certain amount of confidence. For me to learn how to ski in the pristine slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Utah and Colorado is a lesson on confidence. I needed instruction and experience to develop a moderate amount of confidence to have fun and enjoy this sport. As I began to trust in my skill and ability my confidence grew which enabled me to tackle more difficult runs. However, there were times after a hard fall, a lost ski, and face full of snow that my confidence began to wane. I would look down the steep slope checkered with moguls and wish I was in the lodge next to the blazing fire. One time I even took off my skis and slid down the rest of the slope on my rear. As a young man I didn’t impress any of the snow bunnies gliding past me.

As a pastor I find there are times when my confidence is full and I feel like I can tackle any challenge ahead. However, there are moments and seasons when my confidence begins to wane. I wonder if my preaching is impacting, my leadership inspiring, and my counsel encouraging. As I stand at the precipice of a decision, a change of direction, or even what lies ahead in the week, I nervously ponder my next move. Sometimes I linger there for quite awhile in uncertainty and doubt. I doubt my ability, skill and decision making. I reflect upon my past failures and weaknesses where I felt embarrassed, frustrated and inadequate. I usually have a choice: to risk going forward or take an easier path.

My heart pounded in my chest, my whole body strained and snow flew from each tight turn as I picked up exhilarating speed down the black diamond run. My confidence soared.

For you my friends and fellow Shepherds, be encouraged at whatever level your confidence may be at today. It’s a new day, and God hasn’t lost confidence in you as his vessel for love and truth to his people. You have the fullness of skill, creativity, wisdom and ability for you have an awesome personal ski instructor who is right there beside you through each turn, slope and decision of your week. May you enjoy your exhilarating run!     

Passion In Ministry

Passion in our work and service is “an intense enthusiasm”, excitement, zeal, energy and enjoyment in what we do? I think back many years ago as a young, naïve Bible college student I was passionate about the church. I was opinionated with what I saw was wrong with the church, what it needed and a vision of what it could be? I had all the answers, the energy to charge forward and belief I could be a world changer. Twenty plus years later I have served the church in many roles from preschool teacher, janitor, youth leader, Children’s Pastor, Family Pastor and now Lead Pastor in church plants and congregations of all sizes. As I reflect upon this concept, “passion in ministry”, I feel the weight of negative experiences, disappointments, faded dreams, grinding work, unfulfilled expectations with little evidence of any harvest from my efforts. I feel like a wobbling spinning top with only a few rotations left.

Have you ever felt that way in ministry? I know that emotional, physical and spiritual state cannot sustain the work, vision and energy needed in this great calling of being a minister. Maybe during times when ministry is growing beyond our expectation passion is self-sustaining, but for those seasons of toil with little progress, passion can slip away like water through our weary fingers.  

Question: What is your current level of passion in your ministry?

How much time in your ministry weekly schedule is passionate work? What tasks or responsibilities do you look forward to with zeal and enjoyment? What do you dread? How can you regain some lost passion in your ministry?

My hope for you and myself is to take each step of this ministry journey with an intense enthusiasm, excitement, zeal and enjoyment of service to Christ within the church. Our present circumstances, perceived harvest or lack thereof, and aspirations and dreams do not define our level of passion, but in being the faithful servant we are called to be. I grasp onto the hope that He desires to renew my energy, vision, joy and strength to keep on spinning. Maybe, just maybe after my past failures, experiences, lack of faith, and disappointments God still sees me as a world changer.   

“The world will belong to passionate, driven leaders…people who not only have enormous amounts of energy, but who can energize those whom they lead.” – Jack Welch, former GE CEO

Who Do You Follow?

I preached this past Sunday on 3 John and the encouragement and praise given to John’s dear friend Gaius, as well as, the warning of Diotrophes the inhospitable, self-centered church leader. The verse directly following John states “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.” The question I proposed to my church family was “Who do you follow, or imitate or even mimic?” We all take on certain attitudes, life philosophies, theological viewpoints, mannerisms and even clothing styles from those we follow: parents, teachers, professors, writers, speakers, TV personalities, etc. However, this question has remained with me this week in whom do I follow as a pastor/shepherd and preacher?

Who is my model, who do I emulate, who do I hold in high esteem, who do I follow? Certainly Christ first and foremost, but others have influenced me as well. As a writer I value Max Lucado’s life revealing style. I appreciate Calvin Miller’s depth of study and insight into exegesis, homiletics and preaching. I like the academic teaching style of Dr. Del Tackett (The Truth Project). I enjoy the preaching of Bob Coy (Ft. Lauderdale) and the leadership principles of John Maxwell. They have all influenced me, and if I am honest, I do imitate (maybe not very well) them in my role as shepherd, pastor and teacher.

But here is the challenge for me…there is a large and growing church population that loves, and I mean almost fanatically loves popular ministry personalities of Joyce Meyers, Joel Osteen, John Bevere, T.D. Jakes, and seniors love Benny Hinn and still even Jimmy Swaggart (which has always perplexed me). I recently saw John Bevere speak and he was very entertaining, compelling with an enticing message of empowerment. Putting doctrinal issues aside, most from the word-of-faith camp, I know that I would become instantly popular if I followed, imitated and mimicked them in my preaching style and content…guaranteed. I would hear “Amens” throughout the sermon, they would be nodding and smiling with approval, they would run to the altar, and they would slap me on the back and say “Now that’s anointed preaching” and “The Holy Spirit showed up today Pastor”. Because of their zeal, I know our church would grow in attendance and I would be their new spiritual hero. Who doesn’t want to see their church grow, to be successful and have their preaching admired by others?

John’s words tether me to the post of sensibility “imitate what is good”. For me, I have reservations with the above for many reasons, and I need to examine who I follow and if their actions, teaching, theology and style is good. Good for what God has called me to be and minister as his Shepherd for our specific church and community present and future. I am thankful for the good influence of Lucado, Maxwell, Miller, Coy, and Tackett in my life and I feel good about the direction God is leading me to be as his shepherd.

I know I will never fulfill the expectation of those who fanatically follow Joyce Meyers, Joel Osteen and the like, and I will always fall short in their eyes. This is true because they remind me often, “Oh, Pastor I watched John Bevere this morning and his message was the most powerful, anointed, life-changing prophetic Word of God, I have ever heard…I recorded it for you.” Still I aim to be faithful to God’s leading in my life as his Shepherd in writing, leading, preaching and teaching and to follow that which is good.

Campfire Question: Who influences you? Who do you imitate, follow or even mimic?

Precious Father...

When our family needs to laugh, or have a distraction from the busyness of life we watch (again for the hundredth time), refer to, or quote lines from Nacho Libre, 2006. It is one of those wacky movies that has become a part of our family culture and inside joke between us when someone incidentally quotes a phrase or word from the movie, “but I do”, “duties”, “nitty-gritty”, or “it’s the best”. My favorite line in the movie is when Nacho is in the chapel, kneeling and praying at the altar, after a long night of losing badly in the wrestling ring. He prays, “Precious Father, why have you given me this desire to wrestle and then made me such a stinky warrior? (sniff, sniff) I smell cookies.” Nacho’s robe catches on fire from an altar candle, and he runs out of the chapel leaving a trail of smoke.

From the first time I watched this corny, slapstick movie that line grabbed my attention, for I can relate to Nacho’s prayer. “Why God did you call me here to be your man to lead your sheep when I am such a stinky shepherd?” I don’t know about you, but there are days when I feel that statement echo in my heart. When I feel like I messed up, when I feel like I let somebody down, put my foot in my mouth, delivered a dry, forgettable sermon, or just generally feeling like I am losing ground as God’s Shepherd to lead and care for His flock. For me, the danger of staying in the treacherous bog of discouragement and insecurity could easily lead to frustration, anger, defensiveness, apathy, overcompensation, disillusionment, cynicism, and becoming demoralized. That’s not good. From those feelings often exaggerated responses come to mind: going to the happiest place on earth (Disneyland) for two weeks by myself where everybody is smiling at me, watching Veggie Tales videos all day with Larry the Cucumber, repeating “God made you special and he loves you very much”, yelling at someone, or even dreaming of driving an airport shuttle full-time.

…but God doesn’t want me to linger in that bog of discouragement. He wants to reach down, lead me out, and encourage me as His undershepherd. So, when I find myself muttering Nacho’s prayer under my breath, “Precious Father, why have you given me this desire to wrestle and then made me such a stinky warrior?” I need to pause and remember the one who called me to his service will equip, strengthen and encourage me each step of the journey like others he called: Noah, Gideon, David, Peter to name just a few. I am sure you have many scripture encouragements that now come to mind.

Writing the blog is cathartic and healing in many ways, and my hope is as you take a few minutes to read it and respond, that you may find encouragement and safety in our gathering as Shepherds around the campfire.

Campfire Question: Got a verse, a personal story, an encouragement to another shepherd who may be thinking “Why did you make me such a stinky warrior?”

Walking in Ministry

The sun danced on the rolling waves as they bowed upon the warm sandy beaches. A light breeze from the vast expanse of the ocean refreshed all the senses with its salty, cool, marine air. This was a perfect day at one of my favorite places on this earth, New Brighton State Beach near Santa Cruz, CA. Charlene and I would take daily long walks on this beach. As we held hands, we would sometimes share the details of our day, dream of our future together or simply walk silently enjoying the moment. This was one of those moments, perfect beach weather, walking with my beautiful young bride, and then I stepped on something warm, soft and mushy and it pushed between my toes. I instinctively hopped on one foot with a yell of terror as the pungent odor filled my nose. Dog Poop! Somebody must have been walking a Saint Bernard which had just eaten two full bags of Extra Fiber Big Dog Chow. Gagging as I hop into the water and let the waves wash away the “stuff”, I am now filled with anger, disgust, and nausea. In an instant when all was perfect, suddenly was replaced with thoughts of drowning some guy walking his Saint Bernard on the beach.

At times ministry can be like that as well. It takes just one step into somebody else’s dog poop to ruin the day. Our full attention and thoughts focus on that smelly, irritating, nauseating poo. You know those times I am talking about. After you have given your best leading Sunday morning worship, Ms. Spiritual walks up and says, “Good sermon Pastor, but its too bad the Holy Spirit didn’t show up today, like it did when Pastor Moses (who could part the Red Sea each Sunday) would preach…now that was powerful preaching.” Or maybe the phone call from a starved sheep, who feels they are not being “fed” by your teaching, even though they only attend a third of the time. And we can step in the smelly poo, by being overly critical of our own missteps in the sermon, in relationships, in not fulfilling a task or role like we feel we should, etc. Being focused in the poo, robs us of the joy of what God is doing around us and through us as his Shepherds.

It is a privilege and joy to serve as Shepherd of God’s flock, and when we look around we can see the Great Shepherd at work in people’s lives through us. He is encouraging those ready to give up, through our affirming words and prayers. He is transforming lives from a worldly view to God’s view by the renewing of their mind, through our teaching in small groups, sermons, counsel and writing. He provides hope, peace, joy, and forgiveness to the flock through our ministry even in the simplest, ordinary act. God uses us as shepherds/pastors for his purpose and will, a gift from Christ to his flock.

An encouragement to my friends, my fellow Shepherds, and specifically a reminder to myself, be careful of dwelling on, being overly sensitive, or overreacting to the poo as we walk in ministry. It’s a picture perfect day and God is walking beside us.

Share one story of where God has used you to bring hope, joy, encouragement, or truth to another within the past month. Why did it affirm and bring joy to you?

Gathering the Wood

To my fellow shepherds. The work and calling of the Shepherd is unique. Whether you have been a pastor for a few years, as myself, or for a full lifetime you know this calling is challenging, rewarding, exhausting, exhilerating, deflating, inflating, mundane, transforming, impacting and heartbreaking. At times we may experience all of those emotions within a week of caring for God's sheep.

I would like to invite you to the Shepherds Campfire. After a long day caring for the sheep, feeding them, leading them to the living water, protecting them from predators, searching for those that have wandered off, and seperating those that are butting heads, we gather in the cool of the night. Finding a comfortable spot, we lay our staff's down, sip on a hot cup of coffee, and sit around the glow of the campfire in the warmth of fellow shepherds and friends.

I am gathering the wood and calling my friends, my fellow Shepherds to join the campfire. I would like to initiate the campfire discussion with a weekly blog and encourage you to share, to vent, to inform, to plead, to pursuade, to encourage or to give thanks. I don't want to be the only one who shares...for I need you. If you are a typical pastor, I know you are busy, being pulled in various directions, but my hope is that this blog will be an opportunity for us to gather, laugh and maybe even cry as we share in this great and unique calling together.

Campfire Question: Do you feel you need the friendship and support of other pastors? Why?