Finally, a Retreat That’s a Retreat

Coming off of a fast-paced summer has always been part of my ministry experience–from youth ministry, to missions, to serving the church as pastor. This year has been no different.  We hit the ground running by taking a “vacation” in late June to help celebrate my parents 50th (congrats again, mom and dad), followed almost immediately with a gruelling, but energizing, week of Vacation Bible School; then a mission trip to Madison, WI, where our work was not exactly as we expected (for the uninitiated, this is common when taking mission trips). The Blushing Bride and I were ready for a moment of pause, a rest.

We knew ministry was like this when we started. We both grew in preachers’ homes. So, we purposefully scheduled a retreat with Shepherds’ Haven of Rest (SHOR) Ministries. We’d been looking forward to it for nearly a year now. Before I describe the days with SHOR, let me point you to Paul Littleton’s post that highlights the need for this ministry to exist.

So, here’s the scoop. About 8 years ago, Charlie and Suzanne Grigsby (Charlie was the Bride’s pastor when we got married), stepped out on an endeavor to “keep healthy pastors healthy.” What they discovered in the process of the first year or two was the kind of hurt that leads to the statistics Paul is quoting. And so was born SHOR Ministries. Through this venue, the Grigsbies (along with partners in the ministry) have been conducting approximately 20 (give or take) retreats of 3 to 5 days a year.

The week before my 46th birthday, grandparents took our three offspring and kept them at a condo (thanks again Mom & Dad) while the Blushing Bride and I hustled off to a serene setting to unwind.

Here’s what we encountered: four other couples (a total of five pastors and their wives) in a luxurious setting overlooking Table Rock Lake (just outside of Branson, MO), and our hosts (the Grigsbies) ready to serve us. Our responsibilities for the week: 1) find childcare so we could attend, 2) provide our own transportation, 3) relax.

Here’s the catch — participants were asked to enjoy the evening meal (served around 6:00 each evening) with each other, fellowshiping around the table, AND set aside about one hour (it turned into a bit longer, especially since we had a connection with our hosts) during the week to visit with Charlie and Suzanne and allow them to pray for us. All lodging — we spent the week sleeping in a bed that sported Wayne Newton’s headboard — and meals were provided, without charge. There was no set agenda, there was not special “teaching time”.

I got to spend some special time with my Bride, was able to begin work on a fiction that I’ve been trying to start for almost two years, and just plain refresh.

If you are a pastor/minister, I would suggest that you would do a great service for your spouse, your family, and your church by signing up for an upcoming retreat (space is limited at each of their locations — five couples was the limit at the house in Branson that used to be owned by Wayne Newton). If you are a conscientious church member, you should suggest such a retreat for your pastor.  I cannot emphasize any more enthusiastically that taking a retreat that takes you away from doing ministry or learning about the latest ministry techniques is just what is needed in a climate that chews up preachers and spits them out.

 

Faith Out Loud

You’ve seen the news already. Sunday, tragedy struck in the form of a mad gunman. A church was devastated, a family ripped asunder, and still God can be glorified. In the midst of the ocean of prayers lifted up in behalf of First Baptist Church of Maryville (just down the road from us) and the family of Fred Winters, I raised the question “What do you say when there’s nothing to say?”

Today I want to pose an even more pertinent question: What do you do in light of faith?

Fred Winters (others would be much more qualified to eulogize him than I) was a man of great faith. He lived his life as the pastor of a church, the husband of a wife, and the father of two girls, in such a way that his faith was evident. Without having known him personally, I stand back and see the fruit of his life knowing that he walked with Jesus. So, how do you honor his memory? How can you let your faith be evident?

This morning I heard at least part of an answer. FBC Maryville was slated to host one of the concerts involved with the “Opening Act” contest sponsored by our local/regional Christian Radio Station. It seems that WIBI and the church have been in dialogue as to what to do about the upcoming concert (scheduled for this Friday night).

At latest word, it seems that the church membership has decided that carrying on for the Kingdom is the best way to honor their fallen pastor. The current plan is to treat this worship-filled service as a tribute to Christ in honor of Fred Winters. This I applaud. Dr. Winters would not want to stand in the way of advancing the Kingdom of God–in life or in death.

As we continue to pray for the church and for the family, let us keep on spreading the Word.

 

Getting on the Same Page

A recent post at sbcIMPACT has generated strong emotions and great consternation from opponents of the article. In the post, the author (known as From the Middle East – FTME) shares an example of an initial witness to Jesus Christ which he would use in the context of bringing the gospel of Christ to a muslim setting. Mainly because of the language used (for example – use of the word “Allah” in place of the word “God”) a plethora of commenters queued up to point out the short-comings of the testimony. Some addressed the specific words used, others have been convinced that FTME did not address the deeper theological truths that we know. From the discussion, I can only assume that the majority of the participants hold several commonalities—they are Americans, trained in American theological seminaries (for example).

Additionally, the good folks over at SBCToday enlisted a teacher of theology to respond to the original post. I would encourage you to read both posts (with comments) if you’re interested in the whole shooting match.

And now to my thoughts—I am not here defending or rebutting FTME (others are more capable of arguing against him than I, and FTME is well able to defend himself). Instead, I would like to develop a few thoughts that were sparked by the overall discussion. It will probably take a few posts to say all I intend, so be patient.

To begin with, whenever we are engaging someone new in the conversation leading to Christ it is important to get on the same page. We must not assume that their understanding of the Christ is the same as ours. Often we must not expect that they mean the same thing with their words as we do although we may be using the same words. I have discovered that whenever someone says what they mean, I interpret it with my understanding of the words they use and often hear what I hear—which isn’t always what they said. Therefore, it isn’t any wonder that our witness is often hampered when we use language that is ambiguous at best to our unbelieving friends and acquaintances.

I recall a time of particular evangelistic zeal we experienced in my high school youth group. One of my friends (a Catholic in background) approached me with concern in her face. She had literally be accosted by one of my fellow youth group members with the hearty question, “Are you saved?” and then left to ponder the question while he went merrily on his way. Her question to me, “What did he mean? I don’t understand.” I don’t recall my answer, but I remember thinking There must be a better way to find out somebody’s spiritual situation—one that doesn’t require damage control.

My advice at this point: write a dictionary for yourself. Include all the terms that you use specifically addressing spiritual condition. Define those terms without using language from the church. Then stop using the terms as part of your testimony, but only in the church setting where everybody’s on the same page.

(More to come.)

 

And It Ain’t Football

I’ve been kind of quiet lately — just haven’t been fired up about much with all the responsibilities outside of the blogosphere. But I’ve been thinking again (and you know how dangerous that can be).

I’ve been thinking about an old saw that preacher’s love to repeat –
“In my life I’ve learned two things: There is a God, and I’m not Him.”

As I bump elbows with my congregation and with my friends (physically and via the Internet) I’m discovering that while most people are comfortable with the fact that they are not God, often God is not God for them either.

Here are some of the replacements we regularly substitute for God:
Religion
Family
Food
Football
Baseball
Basketball
(insert favorite sport here)
Music
Things
. . .

I could go on, but you get the idea. And for many Americans, it seems that the sport du’jour is what takes the place of the One True God. Especially guilty are those of us who serve Christ as ministers.

We find ways to pipe special games into our worship centers in the guise of outreach. We spend more time worshiping our team than we do our Lord.

At the risk of sounding overly pious or stuffed into my halo too tightly, I think that it might be worth our while to let God be God. Because I’ve learned a thing or two in my life: There is a God, and it ain’t football.

 

Here’s a Thanksgiving Gift – a Couple of Links

For those of you who are “ministry” oriented, I thought I’d share a couple of links that might be of interest.

 First, I’ve been talking about our new foray into local mission work by teaming up with Angel Food Ministries. For more information you can visit their website at http://www.angelfoodministries.org

Also, ministers and their families often face stress. Wouldn’t it be great if you could find a retreat program that would allow you to relax, maybe reconnect with your spouse and even unload some of the baggage that keeps you from being the most effective minister possible? Well Shepherds’ Haven of Rest Ministries (SHOR) provides just that. To find out more visit http://www.shorministries.org. The good folks at SHOR are especially good for helping hurting pastors heal.

Happy Thanksgiving, all!