A Place For The God-Hungry

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Excellent thoughts from Lynn a mentor to so many of us.  Without a connection to God there is nothing but burnout and destruction for us as ministers.  Psalm 1 predicts it and so it goes. Larry Wishard  

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Thank you for this interview.  I am looking forward to the second part as well.  I believe Lynn has a lot to say to ministers and us preachers need to listen. www.matthewmorine.com

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Christina,

Thanks for your note.  

This is difficult.  Marriage is difficult.  I don’t know that I have any answers.  However, I will make a few comments.

1.  I would encourage you to try to keep the communication lines open with him.  That can be difficult expecially when feeling hurt, rejected, and angry.  However, this is critical.

2.  Pray for him–even when you don’t feel like it.  Pray that God would change his heart.  Pray that you would seek satisfaction in God through all of this when your marriage is less than satisfying.

3.  Sit down with a piece of paper and pen and reflect on the last three years.  What are some unusual factors in your life or marriage?  What has been different?  What have been the stress points?

4.  Note that you can not change him.  We can only change ourselves.  Seek to become the kind of person that God wants you to be in your marriage whether he responds or not.

5.  You might watch the movie "Fireproof" if it is showing near you.  (Look online for info regarding this movie, etc.)  This is a powerful Christian movie about marriage.

Hopefully some of this will help.  Just ignore whatever does not seem to fit your situation.

I will pray for you and your husband.

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Chris,

Thanks very much.  You know, I recall seing Munger’s pamplet about twenty years ago.  I probably picked up the image there and had long since forgotten the source.  Thanks for the reminder.  Thanks for your comment, Chris.

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I really do like your new look here. Very nice. Wish I could do something of the same. Very neat, orderly. And good links as well on the side. But most of all you get to keep sharing your ministry in words on posts. I was wondering if there is anything online by which we can download your sermons/messages.

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Dana,

Thanks for your very kind words.  I am honored that you have chosen  to be a regular reader of this blog.  I am glad for whatever way God uses these words and thoughts in your own life.  Thanks again, Dana.

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Karin,

Thanks very much for your affirmation regarding the thoughts on this blog.  In whatever way you find them helpful to you, I am thankful.  I am always grateful for you comments.

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Dianne,

Thanks for the kind words.  I’m glad that you have found some encouragement in this for your own blogging.  The discipline of writing this blog is very helpful to me in my own walk. 

Thanks so much.

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Nice update! Happy New Year! I look forward to another year of being one of your regular readers. You never fail to encourage and often convict my heart. Thank you for writing.

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Love your new look! Thank you for sharing your life’s journey with others.  Your thoughts are a blessing, inspiration and an education. I’m truly grateful. 

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What great thoughts - exactly where I’m at these past few weeks. Happy new year.

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I apologize for making such a mess, Jim. I really just wanted to say: May your life be filled with happiness as you daily experience the blessings of God in the New Year!

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Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:”";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:”Times New Roman”;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}May your life be filled with happiness as you dailyexperience the blessings of God in the New Year!

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Thank you so much for this post. I’ve always been one who takes time to reflect, especially at the threshold of a new year. But often it is like stepping away from the mirror and we quickly forget what needs our attention or other seemingly more pressing issues demand our attention and we keep going down rabbit trails. I can’t do this clean up process on my own - I need His Holy Spirit.  I thank God that He faithfully continues the work day in and day out.  I thank Him for ever growing intimacy the longer we walk together, my God and I.  I want to let my light shine in 2009!

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Thanks for these thoughts, Jim.  I needed them to get me started this year.  I found your idea of looking at my life as a house very helpful.  One thing I’ve noticed is that when I first move into a house I come in with clear ideas of what needs to be changed inside - replace a leaky faucet in the bathroom, paint scuffed baseboards in the hallway, add lighting over the kitchen sink, etc.  However, once I’ve moved in, unless the changes are made soon, I get to where I don’t even notice what I once saw as quite undesirable!  Perhaps our lives are like that!  We may stop noticing the undesirable traits that need our attention!  To carry this analogy a bit further, when I am planning to have guests over, I take a new look and suddenly I notice the leaky faucet, scuffed baseboards, and poor lighting again!  (This drives my husband nuts, but I won’t get into that :)).  Starting the new year is a good time to invite the Holy Spirit to take a tour with me and identify the areas in my life that particularly need His intervening presence. I appreciate this blog, Jim.  Happy New Year to you and Charlotte!

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I see a great sermon in these thoughts!

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I’ve not read all the comments, so I hope I’m not repeating something already stated, but a huge difference I think this would make would be to move the focus from institutional maintenance to personal ministry. Now that I’ve stepped out of the pulpit and been to numerous churches in search of a church family where we can be used in ministry, I’ve noticed so much energy expended just to maintain systems and make sure people know why we believe what we believe and why we do what we do. I suppose there is a place for that, but I’m really not seeing it these days.Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas season, Jim. Thanks for all you’ve done through this blog to challenge and encourage me. I love and appreciate you, brother!

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This is a quite interesting post…and, I do find a similarity of expressional thoughts when it comes to richness of authority in a church , OR  "the unfortunate have nones". A febble life observed rather…..Matthew 23:27-28  My writings on this subject many times before it seems; this type of poor ethical behavior only creates a grave insecurity before fellow parishioners–causing severity of doubts , and disengagements and withdrawlments from others.  If there is indeed such a tremendous gap between "the reality of a pastors true life; his childrens involvements-and the wifes".  Yipes. Perhaps this church might assume a responsibility too proper Christian continual  education…… before casting anymore doubts , and ferocious critisiums continual on others.  This is incrediably unfortunate, but, is so often seen in huge undesirable forms to say the least.  This sort of  hinderance suggests a great damper relationally on the "Truly gifted with their own Ministries" often entailed .  Sad, but true.  I do believe individually  we are our own ministry-Our lives–each one–God creates for a purpose-called His.  Whether frownd upon by some insignificant leaders-sometimes they almost seem too want to hide the gifted-like a closet case; rather than in a light to help and encourage others perhaps dying from the inside out….sad.      As for Lawyers!….I recently heard at Willow Creeks Community Church,  an incrediable speaker -unbelievably brilliant with a testimony of "Why" he works/lives to protect the oppressed-the abused-trafficted child without a choice, living a life of fear. An amazing ministry he has ….. an amazing leader he is!  Impressed I was for His work beyond wonder…great disciple -a lawyer, go figure for God this man is!  Wow!  Blew my socks off!!!!! Again!     

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Thanks very much Frank.  I saw your brother at the OCU graduation yesterday.

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Thanks Alison–I’m glad this post was helpful in some way.  I always appreciate your comments.

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You’ve done it again, Jim. Thanks for the needed reminder. I think about my own walking-around life and realize that it IS the ministry that I am called to, and it is a gift that I will be held accountable for. Thanks for yet-another thought-provoking post.

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Becky,

Sounds like a good conversation with your husband.

Yes, anyone can subscribe to this.  You might want to look at some of the other articles in this journal that are online to get even more of a flavor for this.

Thanks for your comment.

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Connie,

I had this same conversation with a friend who is an attorney and sees his vocation as a calling.  He attempts to serve his clients as a ministry.  He prays for each of them and endevors to serve them as Christ would.   Yet, part of his frustration is that this is not considered "legitimate" ministry by his church.  Hmmm.

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I like this…of course i do, it lines out with what my husband and I have been discussing daily……we are in the world working not ministers and yet our lives are our ministry….thanks can anyone subscribe to the publication you mention?

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I just heard Francis Chan speaking at the Youth Specialties conference in Nashville.  He spoke about the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4.  Chan challenged us to rethink our ministry approaches.  He said we spend way too much time trying to nurture the seeds growing on the path, among the rocks and among the thorns.  We do this to keep these weak prospects at church (many times because we are judged on numbers in the pews).  Jesus did the exact opposite doing what he could to raise the expectations of those that wanted to follow him.  When he found those he could not run off - that is who he invested in. 

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