Category Archives: Shepherd’s Care

You may notice that I occasionally refer to Dr. Archibald Hart in my writing about ministry and stress.  Dr. Hart taught for many years at Fuller and was a great help to countless clergy in my generation.  I believe he … Continue reading →

We make a mistake in thinking that “hurry sickness” (Archibald Hart’s term) is a modern phenomenon.  About 3,000 years ago, Solomon wrote, “he who makes hast with his feet misses the way” (Proverbs 19:2). “Busyness” is a state of mind, … Continue reading →

In his classic work, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Thomas Merton captured the essence of the problem when we violate the pace of grace… There is a pervasive form of violence…activism and overwork. (p. 86) These words were written more … Continue reading →

I want to return to a theme I’ve noted previously, but this time I want to spend an extended period of time in relation to it.  The theme is “Renewing the Pace of Grace.” The phrase ‘pace of grace’ came … Continue reading →

Today, we conclude our examination of a few selected “I am” statements that shape our lives and ministries.  The point of the past few weeks has not been to be comprehensive, but rather to illustrate the fact that (as Henri … Continue reading →

We are continuing to look at a few of the key elements that shape our lives and our ministries.  We have considered the roles that personhood and location play.  Today, we turn to the shaping power of our choices. None … Continue reading →

One of the mistakes I made early in my ministry was to unintentionally think that all places are pretty much alike.  We had experienced some really good things in one church, so when we moved to the next one, I … Continue reading →

I am not a psychologist or therapist, so in exploring the personhood of the clergy, I am not attempting to be comprehensive in my definition or analysis of personhood.  I simply want to write a few weeks on this subject, … Continue reading →

We’re exploring the personhood of clergy.  Most of us have lived long enough to have met pastors who were “bulls” and those who were “blessings.”  The question is what makes us one or the other? The answer is—Christ. He is … Continue reading →

I want to use upcoming posts to look more closely at a much-needed dimension of pastoral life—the necessity of remaining rooted in our personhood. The basic definition of “person” is human.  Related to the general definition is also the idea … Continue reading →

Jesus’ call for us to have “eyes to see,” includes the need to recognize that there are things others see in us that we do not see in ourselves. This can sometimes come in the form of a compliment.  A … Continue reading →

We’re exploring Jesus’ call for us to have “eyes to see.”  We turn to a second area where clear vision is necessary—the behavior known to us, but not to others. In historic Christian spirituality this was contrasted with the deadly … Continue reading →

Jesus said that the people of his day had eyes to see, but did not see.  The lack of vision led to multiple perils and was arguably the major reason why he could not break through to reach their hearts. … Continue reading →

I’m on the lookout for statements which surprise me—statements from people I would not necessarily expect them to say.  Some years ago, I found one from Bill Hybels. A friend asked Hybels, “How can pastors stay spiritually vital?” Hybels’s response … Continue reading →

I was speaking in a Pastors’ Conference some time ago.  I was talking about how our decisions inevitably affect others.  I illustrated it by the story of a pastor who rarely took a vacation.  After I told the story, it … Continue reading →

Every profession has a built-in danger—the danger of becoming so role-defined that we lose the personal dimension of our vocation.  As we consider ways to recover the wonder of ministry, we must return to the cultivation of Christian experience apart … Continue reading →

I want to continue to ponder with you the matter of ordinary holiness, but today in relation to the danger of “quantifying” ministry and coming to the false notion that “more is better.”  So much of North American Christianity has … Continue reading →

We have laid down some major planks in the renewal of our hearts for ministry:  recovering the wonder, restoring our personhood, renewing our pace, and reforming our spirits. Now, I want to go back and add some brush strokes to … Continue reading →

Today, we look at the final element in renewing our heart for ministry:  “Reforming the Spirit.” Roy Oswald at the Alban Institute has said that the majority of clergy have been sent to their places of ministry with minimal training … Continue reading →

We continue our exploration of ideas that help us to renew our heart for ministry.  We’ve looked at “Recovering the Wonder” and “Restoring Our Personhood.” Today, we look at “Renewing the Pace.” Years ago, Richard Foster told me that one … Continue reading →

As we continue our exploration of how we might go about renewing our hearts, I want to write today about a second avenue: restoring our personhood. I first realized the need for this through the writings of Thomas Merton, and … Continue reading →

For the next several weeks, we will zero in on some ways to renew the “heart of the shepherd” which we have begun to examine in this weekly post.  One of the best ways to do so is to recover … Continue reading →

Before we move on to consider other elements of a shepherd’s heart, I want to stay with the idea of “professionalism” one more week.  This is one place where I run the risk of being misunderstood, and when I speak … Continue reading →

Continuing our look at “the heart of the shepherd,” the place where a devoted heart and a discouraged heart come together for me is in the word determination.  To have a “determined heart” is to consciously order your life in … Continue reading →

In addition to the devoted heart of today’s clergy, many of us also know what it feels like to have a discouraged heart. Despite our fervent prayers and best efforts, mainline Protestantism is losing members at an alarming rate.  I … Continue reading →

We’ve spent a lot of time in the Bible, seeking to lay a good foundation for ministry.  I’m sure we will return to Scripture down the road.  But for a while, I want to look at the spiritual formation of … Continue reading →

We have now spent more than a year on five passages:  Acts 20:28, Mark 1:17, Mark 3:13-19, Mark 6:30-31, Luke 5:15-16, and 1 Peter 5:1-4 I’m going to suggest that you consider taking these passages and having conversations about them … Continue reading →

We conclude our look at 1 Peter 5:1-4. Peter’s words end with the summation of ministry.  When all is said and done, our ministry will be received by Christ, the chief Shepherd, and it will become part of all the … Continue reading →

It’s funny how some things stick with you.  Whenever I think of “lording it over” others (1 Peter 5:3), my mind immediately returns to an experience I had at a Billy Graham Crusade. One of the staff persons had been … Continue reading →

Peter moves on to address the spirit which should characterize our ministry—a spirit that serves “not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it–not for sordid gain but eagerly” (1 Peter 5:2) The two key words here … Continue reading →

Peter moves next to explore supervision.  He describes it as “exercising the oversight” (5:2) It would be nice sometimes if the Bible spelled things out a little more.  This is one of those times for me.  I’ve read enough leadership … Continue reading →

The shepherding we wrote about last week is connected to a third dimension of ministerial spirituality:  specificity. Peter wrote, “tend the flock that is in your charge.”  Years ago, I was influenced by Eugene Peterson’s exhortation that the best way … Continue reading →

We’re exploring the shape of pastoral ministry as we find it in 1 Peter 5:1-11 The second dimension comes to us through the  phrase “tend the flock.”   Pastoral ministry means being a shepherd. I realize that some today interpret that … Continue reading →

Today, we begin an exploration of another helpful passage:  1 Peter 5:1-11.  It gives us an excellent look at what the shape of pastoral ministry was becoming nearer to the end of the New Testament era. The first thing we … Continue reading →

I’ve already revealed that I believe Luke 5:15-16 is one of the primary passages for clergy in shaping an authentic and life-giving spirituality.  As we bring our look at this text to an end, I want to step away from … Continue reading →

Before we leave Jesus’ pattern of prayer, I want to share one more post with you about it. The phrase “was withdrawing” has triggered a new thought in my mind.  I’ve already noted that the phrase in Greek indicates that … Continue reading →

Luke makes it clear that Jesus withdrew to pray (5:16).  The pattern he gives to us in these two verses climaxes in the priority and practice of prayer. I have no doubt that Jesus prayed in the midst of the … Continue reading →

I had originally planned to give only one post to the idea of the “pace of grace.”  But I’ve felt a prompting to write about it one more time—and from a different angle. Henri Nouwen is my source for this … Continue reading →

The rhythm Jesus established in Luke 5:15-16 between service and solitude enabled him to live in what my friend, Susan Muto, has called “the pace of grace.” I’ve written about this previously, but posts eventually fall into a large pile, … Continue reading →

Last week, we saw that in Luke 5:15-16, Jesus modeled for us the pattern for ministry.  St. John Chrysostom put it this way, “It was his will to live his live in an ordinary rhythm of interaction and solitude.” But … Continue reading →

Luke 5:15-16 establishes the formative pattern for ministry:  action/reflection. The situation Jesus found himself in is one any clergyperson would covet.  The word about him was spreading. Crowds were coming to hear him and be ministered to by him.  This … Continue reading →

The ministry of Jesus is too rich to claim there is a single “secret” to it.  We learn from the whole Christ, not just from isolated passages. But as time has gone by, I have come to believe that Luke … Continue reading →

For many of us, the final segment of Jesus’ invitation to the apostles will be the one that touches us the most: the invitation to “rest awhile.” After monitoring my own life and interacting with other clergy for decades, I … Continue reading →

We live in a noisy world.  The great danger of unceasing sound is that it either distracts us or it drowns out our ability to hear things that matter more than our latest musical download.  A whole industry has come … Continue reading →

Jesus’ invitation to the apostles in Mark 6:31 was a call to separate themselves from the frenetic pace of ministry which they had been experiencing.  But it was not a call to become isolated; it was a call to be … Continue reading →

We move to the third phase of Jesus’ relationship with the apostles in Mark 6:30-31.  Having “returned” from the ministry Jesus had sent them to perform, and having “reported” to him all that they had said and done, he invited … Continue reading →

The apostles reported everything to Jesus.  But they also did it in community. My mentor, Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, taught me long ago to pay attention to the pronouns.  In Mark 6:30-31, the pronouns are plural, indicating that what is occurring … Continue reading →

When the apostles returned from their taxing ministry, Mark says that they reported to Jesus (6:30).  This rather obvious dimension is very important for us to note in our exploration of long-haul ministry. I’ve been in ministry nearly 50 years, … Continue reading →

Mark 6:30 says that the apostles returned from their ministry trip and told Jesus “all” that they had done and taught.  From the single word “all,” we learn that Jesus wants to care for us in relation to the totality … Continue reading →

We continue our look at Mark 6:30-31.  The apostles returned to Jesus having experienced anxiety, stress, grief, and fear.  We return to Christ with these same things, and also with the things Dr, Archibald Hart called “the downward spiral.”  It … Continue reading →