A long obedience in the same direction.
Hello leaders.
Here is this week's round-up of the things I have been learning as I try to follow Jesus while helping others do the same.
ONE Thing I'm Learning While Following Jesus from the Leadership Chair.
The beauty of walking with people is not the cost of leadership. It is a perk. When I was a younger pastor, I thought of hospital visits, late nights at the emergency room, and tearful counseling sessions as the cost of doing ministry. It is only as I have become older that I realized it is our ministry. CS Lewis once said that we never meet a "mere mortal." The person we see today is an eternal creation. There are no normal people. Therefore, when we see others, we must remember that God calls them His own. The people we lead are the ministry we have been called to do. God, in His Sovereign wisdom, has given us the privilege of leading them.
ONE Scripture I'm Processing.
(Psalm 42:11) "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."
We have two choices. We can focus on the problem or focus on our solution. Focusing on God doesn't mean we don't work on the problem. It means we realize that God is actively helping us.
ONE Thing to Try This Week.
Try this: Long form journaling. I have been working on this idea of "Morning Pages." The goal is to dump all your thoughts on a page, first thing in the morning. It has been a great help to get everything out of my head. Many of the thoughts were mainly where I was processing ideas. Give it a try and see if it creates a sense of peace.
ONE Thing Worth Your Time.
WATCH: Interview with Malcolm Guite.
Dr. Guite is new to me. I have been very interested in how the Lord has chosen stories to teach us His ways. Malcolm was a priest for years and seems intent on helping us rediscover the power of story to share deep ideas. As ministers of the Gospel, this can be a powerful thought.
ONE Question/Thought For our Spiritual Formation
What if we could no longer do ministry? Would we still love God the way we do now? Ministry should be the overflow of our love for God.
You are more than you do. You are God's child.
Keep learning. Keep leading. Keep following Jesus.
— Dr. Cannon (Fellow Traveler)
