Oversight of Souls

Suetonius’ The Twelve Caesars, written about 120 AD, provides interesting historical information.  His description of Nero resembles some of celebrity culture today- egotistical, pursuit of applause, self-centered, exaggerated sense of self-importance. “He [Nero] also chose a few young equites and more than 5,000 ordinary youths, whom he divided into claques to learn the various Alexandrian […]

In 1990 Saul Bellow, Pulitzer and Noble Prize winning author made this observation: “In today’s Chicago Tribune I learn that the American Catholic bishops have hired, at a fee of five million dollars, a public relations firm to direct their anti-abortion campaign… to ‘practice paid persuasion,’ says the writer of this Tribune article.  Evidently the […]

This past Sunday I completed our class on “True Spirituality,” with a lesson arguing that one key work of the Spirit is empowering believers to speak the gospel boldly (and often to suffer as a result).  This can be seen in 2 Timothy 1 and as a theme in Acts where, I argue, speaking the […]

Brian Denker recently posted this quote from Kierkegaard and I thought it was a wonderful portrait of the church.  Here we have a pastor accomplishing his duties well, but even more a godly individual in the congregation making a powerful impact. “The church itself attracted me greatly, the clergyman who I heard every Sunday was […]

Last Sunday Lee Tankersley preached a searching sermon on 2 Kings 14-17, “A Sobering Call to Turn from Sin.”Â  Walking through the text, the refrain of the continuing impact on the Northern Kingdom of the deeds of Jeroboam is unmistakable.  The picture is clear- the first king of this group set an example and trajectory […]

Another Baptist voice from the past on the importance of oversight and pastoral care: “The leader of a church must love his people.  He must watch over them with the tender solicitude of a shepherd.  He must exercise wise oversight of their lives, thinking ahead and planning ahead for their welfare, keeping them busily and […]

I am finishing our class, “True Spirituality,” at church seeking to argue that biblical spirituality is earthy, everyday and communal, rooted in the gospel.  This quote from Donald Bloesch is very helpful: “A spirituality that can ignite the church will furthermore be churchly.  It will seek not the elevation of believers to a higher spiritual […]

Of Enoch: “Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.” (Heb 11:5) This was also Paul’s ambition: “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” (2 Cor 5:9) A fitting goal for life. May it be said of us.