the postmodern pop pastor

Nowhere are preachers more a part of their faith community than at the time they are preaching in those communities.

[1] Edwina Hunter, “The Preacher as a Social Being,” in Preaching as a Social Act, (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1988), 110.

I got to preach yesterday. What use to be a weekly occurance for me is now semiannual. I enjoy preaching, feel like I'm alive in both the preparation and the presentation. There are many things you do in life that you have to do, this is what I was born to do. I am making no commmentary on the quality of the message or the presentation of the message. Just saying what it means to me to open the Word with the community I belong to.

I think Edwina Hunter makes a great point in the quote above. The experience of preaching together (as you know, I consider preaching a communal act) certainly tightens the bond I feel in this congregation.

When Jesus Sends You Home
Luke 8:26-39

I've enjoyed the Phriday Photos of Steve McCoy and Joe Thorn for some time and have finally gotten the courage to join in.

I took this photo of an old piece of farm equipment while driving around Lynden Washington.

I have been reading slowly through the Pastoral Epistles in a mid-life attempt to find myself. Ok, maybe its not that serious, but I felt that I needed to live with Paul's instruction for a while. So, I'm reading the three letters in 6 months, taking about a week with each passage. Reading everyday and using G. Knight's commentary as a companion.

Here are my summaries on the offices of overseer and deacon from 1 Tim. 3
after several weeks of study, meditation and prayer.

(This might be kind of a rant)

1. I see that the office is a gospel function. Not that it is part of the gospel belief, but rather a proper outworking of the gospel that aids the church inliving the gospel. 3:1 Paul begins his instruction on office with, "this is a trustworthy saying," a phrase which is used of gospel beliefs the other 4 times its found in PE. I dont see this as the elevation of the office but increasing responsability. If it is a gospel task, then it is of eternal significance. Oversight aids the gospel. Oversight guides the community structure sot hat the entire corporate story says, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, " (1:15). The overseer directs the motion picture of the gospel in the church.
2. I see the goodness of the offices, especially of their function. The work is good in and of itself (3:1.) I think this is because of its gospel orientation. And the work of the officer also finds a particular spiritual benefit (3:13). Serving has a formative affect. Serving others in this function builds in me those benefits which I treasure most, a more sincere and confident faith.
3. I see that the Christian ministry is entirely relational. The character qualities required are all either relating to self-discipline or relating to and caring for others, (3:1-7). The responsabilities in the church are analogized with those in the household (3:4-5, 12, 15). It would be improper to forsake relationship for function. In fact, that is not possible because the function is the relationship. It is said that larger church boards move from asking, "What do 'they' want," to asking, "What does God want," because it is no longer possible to know what 1000 "theys" actually want. I wonder if function overrides relationship at that point.
4. I see that the devil has his sights set on the overseer. The plans attack both from the inside (3:6) and from the outside (3:7). Fill him with arrogance or ruin his reputation and he is removed from building teh gospel oriented structure that the office is intended to bring.
5. I see that the family is the proving ground of fidelity for all officers (3:4-5, 12). These are Knight's word.
6. I see that it is essential for all officers to have a sincere faith (3:9; cf 1:5).
7. Isee that the office functions among equals in a non-egalitarian way (cf 2:9-15; 3:1-2). Biblical principles of equality, sich as the value of each in the image of God and the priesthood of all believers (understood in the reformed sense as each having access to the Father through the Son and in the pietistic sense of each having priestly responsibilites to each other) forbid any kind of superiority or dominance. Position is never tied to power in the PE, rather to purpose commonly held. However, characteristics required by officers imply that some do not possess these to the necessary level of maturity. Additionally, that some are able to teach sets apart a certain group as possessing a more substantial knowledge, a knowledge which all need to know. All in the church are partners, equal in value, pursuing a common mission in which some are recognized as possessing skill and character so that they might exercise influence.
8. Lastly, and most importantly, I see that pastoral ministry is all about Jesus. That is how Paul begins the letter and how he concludes this section on officers (3:14-16).

Tea 'healthier' drink than water

The researchers recommend people consume three to four cups a dayDrinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and may even have extra health benefits, say researchers.

The work in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition dispels the common belief that tea dehydrates.

Tea not only rehydrates as well as water does, but it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers, UK nutritionists found.

Read More - because I know you want to.

I just finished reading Who are You People? A personal journey into the heart of fanatical passion in America, by Shari Caudron.

I first heard an interview with the author on NPR the morning of August 6 while I was driving to Hemet, CA via backroads through areas that make you wonder if you passed through some time warp that was cleaverly disguised as a stop sign. I was on my way to preach about community to a congregation to which I did not belong. I was already feeling somewhat awkward about that, so my intent was to simply encourage them to value what they have (or at least potentially have) in the Christian family that we call church. From what I knew, they were a strong community.

The time with those brothers and sisters went well. There were many friendly folks and I even got some good heckling from a few of the musicians that I had been hanging out with before the service. I consider it a good time of preaching if folks are involved enough to start talking back. I spent some time speaking to a few good people after the service. One older woman cornered me because I refered to the area of Palestine (so that 21st century folks would know where I was talking about) but she said that there was no such place because God had given the land to Israel, where she had been 22 times and felt quite a connection with the people. This connection made her defensive enough of their geo/political boudaries to correct a visiting preaching in the desert town of Hemet, CA. Another man lived in Hemet there and taught in the town that neighbors mine, 1 hour away. The commute time makes it hard to experience close relations with the congregation, but he bought a house a few doors down from the church building to help facilitate what could be. Another spoke to me about how he and his family had moved there for a job that ended up falling through and how at some point they would move closer to their families in northern California. Everyone had a story that spoke volumnes about how they connect and who they are connected to - it was all about community. So I ordered the book as soon as I got home.

The book is all about community. People find community in amazing ways, mostly by gathering around some affinity group that is so narrow that you have to travel hundreds of miles to find 10 people who are passionate about the same thing. For some its collecting Barbie Dolls, for others its pigeon racing. The author's adverntures into these communites were packed with relational revelations as well as personal discoveries. She did not venture into the strange world that we call Evangelical Christianity. The only mention of church was when one woman's church community was not there for here when he son was killed (at the church), but her Barbie community scooped her up and cared for her. There were a few Christians: the woman who dressed in read and won all the trivia contests at the anual Mayberry Days gathering where the entire town of Mount Airy is converted to the small town from the TV show, and one lady at the Furry Convention who dressed like a jaguar and drew pictures of animals clothed and posed as human beings. I wonder what she would have though of the Evangelical Subculture. Her tolerance would probably have led her to be more accepting of it than I am. I feel about as out of place at a Christian festival as I would at To Be CONtinued, the sacred pilgrimage from Star Trek fans.

I have two things to say, one negative and the other positive. Negative first.

My concern with Christian sub-culture community and these others is that they are so narrow. We have continued to pare ourselves so thin that we can relate to fewer and fewer people. We identify with others by nationality, class, education, taste and now some specific choice of passion. We use to think the Deadheads were freaks and now we've multiplied it to where each of us has our own unique clique where we belong. (Dick Keyes spoke about this at the L'Abri Conference in Long Beach, CA in 1998. The audio can be purchased here, well worth the price)

My brothers this should not be! (to quote the apostle). No wonder we drive passed seveal thousand people to have dinner with someone just like us. What have we become and how do we get back to where the real human beings that live next to matter so little to us? They certainly matter to God and could be a source of great joy if we embrace them instead of driving on by.

Community does need to be smaller and we need to be ok with that. We cannot be friends with 1000 people. Get smaller and I think Randy Frazee has it right. Move to another part of town if you have to so that life can be lived more deeply in a smaller circle by being in the same neighborhood as those seek to be close to.

Now, positively. Isn't the common faith in Christ an affinity connection for the church? The answer is an unqualified YES! We are each bound to one another by a common passion for Christ. We get together just to talk about Jesus. There is seldom a time when He is not part of our conversations. We are not collecting Jesus dolls like the Barbie folks (hopefully) but we are not any less passionate. Isn't that true? Shouldn't it be true? It is good for the overwhelming love for Jesus to be what clearly distinguishes our community from anyother. BUT, Christ must be the only affinity that binds us. The beauty of the church is that it transcends all the other niche relations that we humans create. So, I'm not for affinity, lifestage, or age-based groups within the church.

Passion unites unlikely people, as Shari Caudron has so clearly shown in her book. When passion for Christ unites believing people and overcomes the so-called "community" of affinity groups, the wisdom of God is manifest to the watching world.

Pastors Feel Confident in Ministry, But Many Struggle in their Interaction with Others

July 10, 2006
(Ventura, CA) – Pastors may be employed in one of society’s most demanding professions and many churchgoers may place unrealistic expectations on their leaders. But today’s pastors are surprisingly similar to people from other walks of life – with doubts and insecurities of their own. Pastors brim with self-confidence in many areas of their ministry, but admit it is a challenge to maintain genuine connections with other people.

A new study conducted by The Barna Group among a nationwide sample of Protestant pastors shows seven intriguing insights about how pastors think of themselves and the churches they lead.

1. Like other adults, many pastors struggle with personal relationships. Being a spiritual leader of other people creates unusual relational dynamics and expectations. One of those areas is often a lost sense of connection with others: a majority of pastors (61%) admit that they “have few close friends.” Also, one-sixth of today’s pastors feel under-appreciated. Pastors also deal with family problems: one in every five contends that they are currently “dealing with a very difficult family situation.”

2. Most pastors are supremely confident in their abilities to teach, make disciples and lead. Pastors express the greatest degree of confidence in their capability as an “effective Bible teacher” (98% of pastors said this phrase accurately described them). More than nine out of every 10 pastors also feel that they are an “effective leader” and a similar proportion believe they are “driven by a clear sense of vision.” More than eight out of 10 claim to be an “effective disciple maker.” Another favorable perception maintained by pastors is that they are “deeply involved in the community” – a label embraced by seven out of 10 leaders.

3. Many pastors depict their personalities as shy and introverted. Despite the interpersonal demands of congregational ministry, one-quarter of the nation’s Senior Pastors describe themselves as introverts (24%). This is the same proportion as in the adult population (25%) and suggests that church work is not merely for those drawn to the limelight. Still, the research revealed that introverted leaders are more likely to feel under-appreciated in ministry and are more apt to feel relationally isolated. Those attending seminary, non-white pastors, mainline leaders, those in the Northeast, and leaders in their twenties and thirties were more likely than average to self-identify as introverted personality types.

Read more

You know how important it is to me for leaders to be participants in their own communities. Michael Bischof of Souleader Resources has written a great article on the topic. Here is a quote:

Relational formation is much too easily ignored by spiritual leaders. Even worse, many leaders justify or even hide behind the fact that they are involved in many “relationships” throughout their ministries, but in actuality are void of the deep, life-giving relationships characteristic of a holistic relational formation. There are staff meetings, board meetings, committee meetings, prayer gatherings, retreats, small groups, and dozens of other opportunities that pastors have every week where they are in close contact with people. The fact is, not one of these environments provides the intimate and authentic connection that is characteristic of relational formation if the spiritual leader does not understand how to relate to others in deep and meaningful ways. Read more.

Add this to the recent Barna Survey that says 61% of Pastors have no real friends in their own congregations and this is a topic that someone needs to addres more fully.

1. One book that changed your life: Dick Keyes, Beyond Identity: Finding Yourself in the Image and Character of God or True Spirituality or The Pleasures of God or Holiness
2. One book that you’ve read more than once: Richard Baxter, Reformed Pastor
3. One book you’d want on a desert island: Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov . Maybe this way I'll actually finish it.
4. One book that made you laugh: Mark Driscoll, Confessions of a Reformission Rev
5. One book that made you cry: Billy Graham, Just As I Am:The Autobiography of Billy Graham
6. One book you wish had been written: Stan Grenz, The Pastor in the Trinitarian Community
7. One book you wish had never been written: I dont think I hate anything that much
8. One book you’re currently reading: Shari Caudron, Who Are You People?: A Personal Journey into the Heart of Fanatical Passion in America
9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: Stephen Seamands, Ministry in the Image of God
10. Tag 5 others: I waited too long for this one

This is the last conversation on the topic of spiritual formation. Chris Davis and I yak about how serving others benefits our souls and our mission.

Being Formed By Service