“Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure…. I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning….. When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God. Then I perceived their end…. God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73)

The most difficult place for any Christian pastor to serve may be next to a military base.

The greatest opportunity any pastor may have in a long lifetime may be serving next to a military base.

As the Apostle Paul said, “A wide door for effective service  opened to me; and there are many adversaries” (I Corinthians 16:9).

Jim and Patsy told their story to some of us not long ago. I have never forgotten their testimony and want to continue lifting them to the Lord.

Background: they are from the U.S. and pastor a church near an American military base somewhere overseas. They’ve been there two years.

Continue reading →

Pastor, God called you into this work, did He? Then, do yourself a favor by keeping your eyes on Him. If you begin to fixate on the congregation for your identity and your purpose in life–if pastoring that church is your life–nothing good is going to come of it.

Sooner or later, you are going to have to walk away from the church you are presently serving. You may retire, be called to another church, get fired, or transition into another kind of ministry (denominational service, etc.).  In any case, you will be required to relinquish every aspect of that ministry: to move out of the office and take your name off the door, as well as give up every phase of leadership, every perk and benefit, and anything else that comes with your pastoral position.

It would be nice if you could go quietly.

Later today, some of us are meeting with a pastor–for the second time–to help his church find a resolution to a frustrating situation with a disarmingly simple remedy.  All the turmoil inside the congregation would disappear in a heartbeat if the pastor would recognize that, now that he is in his mid-seventies, he needs to retire.  The congregation wants him to–even those who love him–and he needs to do so.

Turning loose and walking away. Giving the church back to Jesus.

Continue reading →

“I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit” (I John 15:1-2).

When the Master Gardener arrives at His vineyard, everyone sits up and takes notice. What follows might be painful. The branches which accomplish nothing are about to be lopped off, and the branches which bear good fruit can expect to be pruned.

None of this is without pain.

Yesterday, I went through the cuties–those little mandarin oranges we buy in a pack of two dozen or so at the grocery–and threw out several.  We had gotten behind in eating them and one had gone bad, then was affecting (and infecting) those around it. To preserve ten, I threw out five.

In urging friends and family to eat more fruit, I remind them they should go into it knowing that sometimes they will have to throw out good fruit they allowed to spoil. It’s part of the price of keeping apples and pears, oranges and strawberries, bananas and blueberries in the house.

When I was a teenager, my dad set out several grape vines and pear trees in the small field behind our farmhouse. Even though he was a lifelong coal miner–who came from a long line of coal miners–Dad  had married into a farm family and took to the life of a farmer with zest. Dad loved the farm, enjoyed working in the field and growing things, and was dead-set on making sure his six children grew up with an appreciation for the farm life. We did.

It was puzzling the first few times Dad took his shears and cut back the vines after the grape season had ended. It looked to this kid as though he had killed them. Sure enough, next year, there they would be–green and lush and loaded with delicious grapes.

Continue reading →