Pastoral Inefficiency

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I have recently read Julia Duin’s Quitting Church: Why the Faithful are Fleeing and What to Do about It and I hope to post some thoughts from it. For now, I wanted to post this quote from Eugene Peterson. As usual, when talking about pastoral ministry, he is so good!

In a day when hard-edged efficiency is the buzz word, really living with, walking alongside people falls on hard times. The real life of human beings is messy, and we will not be able to minister in those lives if bottom-line efficiency is our high priority. Efficiency is a good tool but is harmful as a “greatest good.” Duin documents the dissatisfaction of church members who feel like their pastors run a well-oiled machine but do not know or shepherd them as individuals. In that context she references Peterson:

“It’s the job of pastors, he added, to know about their sheep and not dump the job on a subordinate. ‘People deserve to have their name known,’ he said. ‘They deserve to have somebody who is a spiritual guide and a preacher and pastor to them and who has had a cup of coffee in the kitchen. The is so much alienation, so much loneliness around us. Classically, that is what a pastor does. We’ve lost that. Of course some people think I’m out to lunch because we don’t do that in America. We do something big and influential and cost-efficient. Well, a pastoral life is not cost-efficient, I’ll tell you. You don’t spend three hours in a nursing home and come away feeling like you’ve been cost-efficient'” (p. 126).

Amen.

Psalms as Lyric Poems

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Dr. Ryken’s address this morning, “The Psalms as Lyric Poems for Private Worship,” was wonderful. He essentially argued that to appreciate and benefit from the Psalms we need to appreciate them as poetry (appropriate for National Poetry Month!). He accurately noted how our approach today is so often to try to flatten out the imagery simply to get the “idea” in the psalm, failing to appreciate that God sovereignly chose to give us this revelation in poetic, image-laden language. If we are going to appreciate the Psalms (I would add, either personally or for preaching to others) we must experience the evocative imagery they contain.

Dr. Ryken made the point that poetry is not simply a delivery system for an idea but a way of thinking. Further, he stated (in words reminiscent of John Witvliet’s address) that “the poet [psalmist] is our representative, saying what we want said, only better. Citing Milton, Wordsworth, and Shelley, he showed that it has been commonly understood that one of the functions of poetry is to train our affections, our feelings. Milton said poetry is to “set the affections in right tune.” How desperately we need this! In a day when we tend either to be ruled by untrained affections or to seek to ignore the affective realm altogether, this is a particularly good word. God expects feeling! And he has given us a tool to train us to feel properly.

I encourage you to listen to the audio when it is available. As soon as it is available the link will be posted on the Psalms Project site.

Ryken on Psalms

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Our Psalms Project continues this week with a visit to chapel on Friday by Dr. Leland Ryken, professor of English at Wheaton College. Dr. Ryken is known for his works on the Bible as literature like the ESV Literary Study Bible. His chapel address is titled “The Psalms as Lyric Poems for Private Worship.”

I have enjoyed conversations with and addresses from Dr. Ryken on the Psalms. He is passionate about our reading of the Psalms for personal devotional benefit and I think this address will be very helpful.

As before chapel is at 10 am and is free and open to all. The audio of the address will be posted at the Psalms Project site as soon as it is available

Basil the Great, "Speak of God’s Glory"

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Several weeks ago now Dr. Craig Blaising was in Union’s chapel as a part of our Psalms Project. He gave a wonderful address titled “The Psalms in Early Christian Worship.” Blaising basically demonstrated how the early church fathers sought to teach their people to pray from the Psalms. Drawing from his work on the recently published commentary on Psalms 1-50 in the Ancient Christian Commentary series, he cited a number of powerful quotes from the Patristics.

Here is one from Basil the Great which deals with how we approach worship. This struck me as particularly relevant in our busy noisiness which often fails to have a place for quiet in the presence of God:

One who is in the temple of God does not speak out abuse or folly or words full of shameful matters, but “in his temple all shall speak his glory.” … This one duty, referring glory to the Creator, belongs to every army of heavenly creatures. Every creature, whether silent or uttering sound, whether celestial or terrestrial, gives glory to the Creator. But wretched people who leave their homes and run to the temple, as if to enrich themselves somewhat, do not lend their ears to the words of God; they do not possess a knowledge of their nature; they are not distressed, although they have previously committed sin; they do not grieve at remembering their sins, nor do they fear the judgment; but, smiling and shaking hands with one another, they make the house of prayer a place of lengthy conversation, pretending not to hear the psalm that solemnly protests and says, “In the temple of God all shall speak his glory.” You not only do not speak his glory, but you even become a hindrance to the other, turning his attention to yourself and drowning out the teaching of the spirit by your own clamor. See to it that you do not at some time leave condemned along with those blaspheming the name of God instead of receiving a reward for glorifying him. You have a psalm; you have a prophecy, the evangelical precepts, the preachings of the apostles. Let the tongue sing, let the mind interpret the meaning of what has been said, that you may sing with your spirit, that you may sing likewise with your mind. … This statement, “In his temple all shall speak his glory,” was made not unfittingly in a digression, because some in the temple of God talk endlessly until their tongue aches; and these enter without profit.

(Homily on Psalm 13.8).

Particular Baptist Ecclesiology

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I am excited to see James Renihan’s dissertation now available in book form! The full title is Edification and Beauty: The Practical Ecclesiology of the English Particular Baptists, 1675-1705. In the past I have only been able to access this for brief periods of time through interlibrary loan. Here is my blurb on the back cover of the book:

“This is an important work on the history of Baptist ecclesiology and I am delighted to see it published. It is well argued, insightful and timely given the increasing interest in Baptist ecclesiology. I expect this book to play a significant role in the ongoing discussions of Baptist history and polity. Renihan’s work has benefited not only my academic considerations but also my direct pastoral work.”

In rethinking how we “do church” I have often found myself without models. I was heartened in reading Renihan’s book to find that I was thinking similarly to brothers who have gone before. We desperately need the help of those who have gone before us, but it is often difficult to find access to the voices of our forebears. Renihan gives us great helps us in this regard, sharing the thoughts of Baptists from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

9 Marks, Advice for Young Pastors

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The latest 9 Marks ejournal is now available (in pdf as well).
Below is the table of contents with links.

This is a great resource for younger and older pastors. The article that most caught my eye is Leeman’s “Love the Church More than Its Health.” I have too often had pastors want to tell me how they were about to initiate a new direction but it was clear there was little love for their people. This concern is reflected in an ordination charge I posted a couple of years ago.

Enjoy!

Editor’s Note – Young Pastors: Where Do You Begin?
A Pastor’s Priorities For Day One
So you’re a brand new pastor. What do you do when you show up at the office on Monday?
By Bob Johnson

The Goals and Benefits of an Installation Service
More than a formality, an installation service gives you a chance to set the tone for your pastorate and begin the work of shepherding.
By Aaron Menikoff

Young Pastors: What Did You Inherit?
8 Steps for Dealing with Difficult Leaders
What do you do when influential members of your church are – shall we say – less than helpful?
By Ken Swetland

Dealing with Bad Documents
You’re the pastor now, but the church constitution is clunky and the statement of faith is almost heretical. What do you do?
By Greg Gilbert

Young Pastors: How Do You Lead Change?
Is This a Hill Worth Dying On?
Some pastors make every dispute a hill to die on; others wouldn’t fight to save their grandmother’s life. Schmucker offers some guidance.
By Matt Schmucker

What I CAN and CANNOT Live With as a Pastor
What issues are worth fighting – or leaving – over? Are there any criteria?
By Mark Dever

Love the Church More than its Health
Pastors need to love the people in their church more than their dream of a healthy church.
By Jonathan Leeman

Should Pastors Change Anything in the First Year?
An old maxim says, “If you don’t change something in the first year you never will; and whatever you change in the first year will be a mistake.” Is that right?
By Phillip Jensen

One from the Vault:
Mark Dever’s classic article from 2000, How to Change Your Church Young Pastors: How to Persevere

WWJD – What Would Jim Do?
James Montgomery Boice’s successor shares a few lessons he learned from watching a master.
By Philip Graham Ryken
Shepherding and Trust
A church doesn’t learn to trust its pastors overnight; he better be in it for the long haul.
By Robert Norris
A Pastor For Now
Why Mark loves the pastorate, but will be happy to proceed to what’s next.
By Mark Dever

Calvin for Children

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John Calvin, Simonetta Carr
Christian Biographies for Young Readers (Series)
(Reformation Heritage Books, 2008), hb., 63 pp.
Ages 5+

In this 500th year since Calvin’s birth many books about his life are being released. I have already commented on Doug Bond’s forthcoming book on Calvin.

This book is the first in a new series which looks promising. It provides a nice overview of Calvin’s life and work for a younger audience. With nice illustrations, it covers the key points while also making comments on Calvin’s impact and connecting him with the broader historical and Reformation context.

This is a good resource.

Shackelton and Camaraderie

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I recently finished listening to The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition, by Caroline Alexander. Ever since I first heard the story of Shackleton’s perseverance through a year and half adrift on ice, the sea and an isolated, frozen island I have been captivated by it. It is a moving story of leadership and perseverance. Much could be said about it, but here I simply want to point out one quote that caught my attention. One of the men on the journey commented in his journal, stating:

“Never is etiquette so carefully observed as by experienced travelers when they find themselves in a tight spot.”

He was commenting on how easy it is to begin to annoy one another when you are all suffering through amazingly difficult conditions, trying to survive and knowing you need one another to survive. This made me think of how we as Christians need one another and how we also find ourselves in “tight spots.” Perhaps if we were more keenly aware of our difficulties and need of one another, we might be more gracious to one another. The illusion of comfort and being in control fools us into thinking we have the luxury of dismissing one another. But we deeply need one another.

Bud & Me- Amazing True Story

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Bud & Me : The True Adventures of the Abernathy Boys, Alta Abernathy
(Dove Creek Press, 1998), hb., 162 pp.
Ages 4+

This is a truly amazing book! It relates one of those stories which make me think, “Why have I never heard of this before?” For sheer remarkableness and fun it deserves a wide circulation.

The author, Alta Abernathy, is the wife of Temple Abernathy who is the “Me” of the book’s title. Mrs. Abernathy has put in print the story as told by her husband, and we are deeply in her debt for doing so. The story then comes from the first person perspective of “Temp” Abernathy as he describes the incredible but true adventures that he and his brother “Bud” (Louis) had. The touching dedication of the book captures well the spirit of the book. Mrs. Abernathy writes:

In memory of my loving husband,
Temple, and his brother, Louis, who had
more excitement and adventure in
the short span of four years than most
little boys have during a lifetime.
The book tells the story of 5 main journey/adventures of these two boys. On their first journey, in 1909, when the boys were five and nine years old, the boys rode horseback, alone, from their home in Frederick, OK to Santa Fe and back- a trip of over 1000 miles! The next year, again alone, they rode horseback from their home in OK to New York City! Then, having met up with their father in New York and seen Teddy Roosevelt, they drove a car (a new thing at the time, and before laws about age limits for driving) from NY back to OK. The following year, the boys (now ages 7 & 11) were challenged to make the trip from NY to San Francisco on horseback in 60 days. A prize of $10,000 was offered if they were successful. The boys and their father were drawn by the challenge, but quickly stated they would not ride on Sunday. So, the days would have to be calculated without including Sundays. Also, the boys were not allowed to eat or sleep under a roof on the journey! In the end it took them 62 days! Not a bad “failure.”

This amazing story just left us shaking our heads repeatedly. The matter-of-factness of the boys reporting, their clear faith and their grit were impressive. When 5 year old Temp asked his 9 year old brother, on the first trip, if they would encounter any scorpions, Bud just replied, “Keep your boots on.” Nine year old Temp carried the rifle on their trip and used it well when they were surrounded by coyotes one night. The boys slept through snow storms, forded rivers, encountered bandits (ones who had recently been in a gunfight with their father who was a marshall), lost their horses in a desert, and had many other adventures. The inclusion of a number of photos helps you really grasp that these were little boys doing all these things.

One might wonder what sort of parents allowed such things. Their mother had died, and their father was famous for catching wolves bare-handed- which led to him becoming a friend of Teddy Roosevelt. When they planned their first journey (completely on their own initiative, setting up late studying their father’s maps), they simply saw themselves as following their father’s example. Wow! Oh, to be such an example of boldness and daring.

Reading this book was a real treat. We all enjoyed it, and I think it challenged my boys to take initiative. It challenged me all the more to be sure to encourage my boys to be bold. There is a right level of protection, but if it is overplayed it can be emasculating. The balance can be difficult, but I want to affirm my boys’ attempts in this direction. It was also good to see the clear faith of these boys along the way. There was no concerted effort to share the gospel in the book, but it became clear that faith in Christ was simply part of the way of life of this family as they took their New Testament with them and interacted with others along the way.

Read this book and be amazed, encouraged and challenged.