"When Technology Hides the Cross"

Eric Mack writes that "a wonderful thing happened at church yesterday" -- the projector bulb burned out on both projectors but the light went on! They survived. The pastor preached from the Bible and his notes - no powerpoint, "just clarity and focus on the message." Eric goes on to write that had the projectors and powerpoint worked, he might have missed the message. In fact, ironically, since the projectors weren't working, there wasn't any point in keeping the screen down, so it was raised which allowed the congregation to see the cross as outlined in the windows at the front of the church. What would be one of the tech department's worst nightmares ended up being a "clearer view of the message of the cross."

A good reminder for us to stop and evaluate if our technology hinders our presentation of the message more than helping to communicate the truth. As Eric points out, technology is not inherently evil and certainly can be used to accomplish some things effectively, but it is not the solution to every issue. See Eric Macks blog, "Don't let what you see hinder you from your vision"

Learning Life Lessons from a Fall

I have been trying to glean some life lessons from the meltdown of a high profile religious leader in recent days. It has caused me to contemplate two things: 1) what are some of the warning signs that something is wrong, 2) what are some means of preventing a life wreck.

Warning Signs:

Gordon MacDonald has provided some insights that ought to be helpful to all of us to evaluate ourselves in light of these events. (click here for MacDonald's article)

1. When people become leaders of large or multiple organizations and movements..., "when they become famous and their opinions are constantly sought out by the media, we ought to begin to be cautious." When we see individuals promoting themselves or their churches, it ought to become a warning sign. "Look at what I have done," or "look at what my church has done," or "look at the publicity that we have received." This can also be demonstrated with leaders who continually drop names of important people with whom they have had contact.

2. "A leader who becomes stubborn and rigid, who becomes less compassionate toward his adversaries, increasingly tyrannical in his own organization, who rouses anger and arrogance in others." MacDonald suggests that this might be generated by something dark within the person's own soul.

3. A leader who develops the feeling of entitlement. This is the feeling that certain privileges are deserved because one gives so much to the ministry and this is a cause for concern.

Preventative Measures:

Steve Gallagher cites 4 causes of failure in the life of a minister from of his studies. His observations ought to cause us to seek measures to prevent these from taking place in our own lives (click here for Gallagher's article)

1. The devotional life has not been properly maintained. Not difficult to figure out what to do here.

2. There is an over-busy life. Ministry can be downright busy, but Gallagher points out that some of this business might be self-inflicted as we are involved in things that stroke our egos. They may be things that others ought to be doing instead of us.

3. There is a habit of going to the world for comfort. Ministry can be very draining, but the temptation to sit down in front of the television set, or internet can be detrimental. Regular physical exercise is an important part of prevention as well as developing other wholesome means of diversion.

4. Satan often takes advantage of discouragement to lead a person to sin. Being worn out by ministry can weaken a pastor's determination to live a holy life. "The ministry is both stressful and sedentary by nature" which is a dangerous combination. I doubt that we can prevent discouragement in our lives, but we can be aware of the enemies strategies of attack during these vulnerable times. Perhaps those are the times to share with a trusted colleague and/or spouse that discouragement has arrived once more. We need to be more open with one another on this one.

We need God's power to "deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age" (Tit 2:12) so as not to bring reproach upon the name of Christ, His Church, our families, and our lives. May God help us all!

Symbolizing the Centrality of the Scriptures.

I was listening recently to an audio file admonishing pastors regarding the importance of expository preaching. The speaker (Alistair Begg) referred to an incident in which he shared the "preaching" assignment with another speaker who would move the podium out of the way and just give a talk. When it was Begg's turn to preach, he would grab the podium and put it back in the center of the platform and put his Bible on it. His purpose in doing so, was not because the podium (pulpit, lecturn, etc) was a "sacred piece of furniture, but because he wanted people in the congregation to know that the Bible had the central place in his preaching. He didn't put the podium off to the side with his Bible on it for reference, but put it front and center (as much as was possible) so that the people knew that this Book to which he was referring was something special -- it has a Divine Author. Begg wasn't there to give a talk, he was there to open the Scriptures.

This has prompted me to think about the way we symbolize the importance (or lack thereof) of the Scriptures to our people as we prepare to open the Sacred Writings. It seems to me that it is important for the congregation to see that we carry a Bible into the pulpit (yes, I know that PDAs, Powerpoint, etc. and other tools are available). They need to see us open the Bible and to develop a sense of the expectation of hearing from God. I have visited a church a couple of times on vacation, and when the Scripture is read, the people stand. We have begun to do this, not because we are moving liturgical, but I want people to be reminded that this is no ordinary book. This Book which we hold in our hands has the power of God to change lives!

Living and Leaving a Legacy

I've been thinking recently about living and leaving a legacy. My father-in-law, Harvey Stoneback (77 years young) went suddenly to be with his Savior the Tuesday after labor day. He went out for his early morning walk, picked up the newspaper as he came back into the house, sat down in his chair to read it -- apparently fell asleep and woke up in heaven. He was a builder by trade -- a craftsman. He would consider himself to be an ordinary man, but he chose to live an extraordinary life. He made his decisions with eternity in view. His impact on people was demonstrated by the fact that there were around 400 people who attended his memorial service. I have been challenged to consider the kind of legacy that am I living and leaving behind. Dad made it his purpose in life to point people to his Savior. I was asked to share a Remembrance at the memorial service. I have included a couple of links to the Remembrance in order to be challenged as to our Legacy (link: html or pdf).

"88% of Evangelical Children Leave the Church After High School"

That is a sobering headline! (I have also been told that 91% of all statistics are made up on the spot;) The article (click here) goes on to quote Dr. Frank Page (new SBC President) as saying that it is his observation that it doesn't seem to make much difference in the drop-out rate, whether the children went to a public school or a Christian school. The article has generated a large number of comments (90 at the time of this writing). A couple of the comments stood out to me. One important aspect is to make sure that high schoolers are given opportunities to serve in the church in meaningful ways. One of the very encouraging aspects that I am seeing is that of a number of our college age young people getting involved in ministry to our youth and children.

A second observation which I have been making, is that it appears that those young people whose parents are spiritually committed to Christ and His church are the ones who are staying connected. A "Pastor Dan" (not me) has also observed this and goes on to say that teens who come from a home where Mom and Dad aren't Christians also seem to stay connected. That has also been my observation. From what I have noticed, it seems that teens have a greater tendency to drop out of church if they come from homes where other priorities choke out regular church participation (attendance and ministry). Often times, parents of middle school or high school don't see the importance of this at the time, "thinking our children will be different." The reality, however, sets in after graduation. That is why it so important for us as parents to model through our lives a commitment to Christ and His church as the priority of our lives. (Of course, it is also important to realize that our children have the opportunity to make their own decisions regarding their spiritual walk.)

Pastor as Shepherd

Bibliotheca Sacra / April-June 2006 carries an article entitled "The Imagery of Shepherding in the Bible, Part 2." In that article, Thomas Golding sums up the role of a shepherd by looking at specific verbs used of shepherding in the Old Testament. Obviously, the image of a shepherd recorded in Scripture is referring to shepherding in Palestine, not in some other country where things might be done differently.

Shepherds were responsible for the physical survival and welfare of their master's flocks. That is a good reminder to us as spiritual shepherds of our responsibility to the Chief Shepherd for how we oversee His flock. I found it fascinating to think through the spiritual applications of each of the functions listed. Golding writes that "several essential shepherding functions." These include "guiding, feeding and watering, protecting and delivering, gathering and returning the scattered or lost, bringing healing, providing security and rest, and culling and promoting productivity." (p. 173).

Golding then goes on to describe the qualities of a good shepherd which involve things that the sheep lack. These include:

Guidance: this is one of the shepherd's main responsibilities.

Feeding and watering: Golding writes that shepherds never "wander," they have a plan as to where they are going. The shepherd knows where the "essentials of life can be found, whereas the flock does not."

Protection: the flock is inherently vulnerable to predators and so protection is another of the key roles of the shepherd. The ideal shepherd is "wise but also strong and brave."

Concern: the shepherd might be wise and strong and brave, but it is mostly valueless if he does not demonstrate concern for the flock. The concept of seeking the lost and gathering the scattered is reflected in this role. Golding writes that the "fact that the shepherd counts the sheep by making them 'pass under the rod' indicates his concern for individual sheep that might be missing." (p. 174).

Care: wounded and sick sheep require special care. The good shepherd will bind up and heal those who need it. Tenderness is also depicted in lifting up the small or weak lamb and carrying it. He demonstrates compassion by giving rest to the animals and causing them to lie down in green (lush) pastures.

Purging: sometimes it was necessary for the shepherd to purge animals from the flock in order to maintain a healthy flock. Ezekiel 20:38 (cf. 34:16b-22) suggests this kind of purging. (This is a thought provoking role of the shepherd in overseeing the health of the flock!)

"One of the main goals," writes Golding, "was to see the flock grow in size under his care."

The Pastor as Theologian

Been thinking recently about the importance of a pastor having a good understanding of theology. I was recently reading a ffew entries in a blog written by individuals who were involved with the emergent church. Unfortunately, the writers were fogged on salvation and future judgment along with other significant issues suggesting that Biblical statements were merely metaphorical. Paul declares the church is "...the pillar and support of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15 NASB). We cannot delegate the responsibility of the theological integrity of the church to anyone else. It is our responsibility. Al Mohler (President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) has written a challenge to pastors to be theologians (Click here for: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). He declares that the "health of the church depends upon its pastors functioning as faithful theologians teaching, preaching, defending, and applying the great doctrines of the faith." In the earliest centuries of the church, the pastors were the main theologians.

Mohler goes on to write that in far too many cases, the ministry of the pastor has been devoid of serious doctrinal content and many pastors seem to have little interest or understanding in taking theology seriously. The pastoral calling is basically theological. Much in the Pastoral Epistles emphasizes maintaining sound doctrine, guarding the treasure, etc. The Pastor must be able to defend the faith and identify false teaching and make corrections to aberrant theology. Preaching is primarily theological it is the transfer of Biblical conviction. "Congregations that are fed nothing more than ambiguous 'principles' supposedly drawn from God's Word are doomed to spiritual immaturity which will become visible in compromise, complacency, and a host of other spiritual ills," writes Mohler. Evangelism is theological - we must be able to give a clear statement of the gospel if a person is to be saved. Counseling is primarily theological. The vast majority of pastoral ministry is theological.

Pastoral ministry assumes that the pastor has theological convictions. True preaching is not giving the congregation a set of theological choices. The pastor must stand ready to "define, defend, and document his own deep convictions, drawn from his careful study of God's Word and his knowledge of the faithful teaching of the church."

Mohler illustrates the importance of theology when he states that in the "history of Christian theology, the difference between orthodoxy and heresy has often hung on a single word, or even a syllable." And so Mohler challenges pastors, "...we are the stewards of sound words and the guardians of doctrinal treasure which has been entrusted to us at the very core of our calling as pastors. The pastor who is no theologian is no pastor."

The challenge to us as pastors is to continue to grow in our theological understanding.

The challenge to those who are training the next generation of pastors is to maintain a high level theological education, rather than reducing theological education in favor of more "relevant" matters such as learning powerpoint, etc.