My Sabbatical In Review

Tomorrow represents the final day of my sabbatical. It has been an interesting month for sure. I was curious to see how my mind and body would react to stepping away from the day to day and having a sense of freedom that few get to experience. In looking back, I would say that mentally and emotionally, I could break this time down into three phases.

First, was the shutdown and withdrawal. For about the first week I did a lot of sleeping and felt generally tired. It was hard to really motivate myself to do a lot. I would spend time in the Bible, in prayer, and reading in general, but that was about it. At times, I would take two naps a day. I was coming off of having COVID, so I’m not sure how much was general exhaustion and how much was due to being sick.

The second phase was probably the richest. I guess I would define this as the digging deep phase. After the first week I started to settle in. My heart and mind began to turn toward my personal walk with God, toward ministry and where we need to go as a church, and a general evaluation of how I have been approaching everything. This phase involved a lot of thinking, praying, and white-boarding. Yes, I have a giant whiteboard (4’ x 6’) in my upstairs den.

The third phase of the sabbatical I would describe as reentry. With about a week to go, my mind began to kick into gear. I started asking questions as to how I would apply the things God had shown me? How will I adjust my leadership? What is God leading us to do? All these and many more. Hopefully good questions that will help me to lead forward.

So, what did I do with my time on the average day? How were my days spent? Well, here is a snapshot.

I read the New Testament through in 30 days. Reading the New Testament in this way requires that you read about 10 chapters a day. This proved to be a very fruitful time for me. I think too often, we chop the Bible up and take deep dives of small sections. If we are not careful, we can forget that these sections are connected, and it is one flowing story. Reading through the NT in this way really helped me to make connections and see the flow.

I read. In total, I read five books:

The Carnivore Diet by Shawn Baker – Obviously not a book that you would think would be helpful for ministry, but I was surprised. I will explain in a bit.

The Subversive Sabbath by A.J. Swoboda

Knowing God by J.I. Packer

Spiritual Leadership Coaching by Richard Blackaby and Bob Royall

Cover for Glory by Dale Partridge

Each of these books spoke to me in interesting ways. I do not agree with all that they said, but it was interesting to see the themes that developed. I obviously read The Carnivore Diet for personal reasons. However, a theme began to develop as the author talked about how our systems are designed (of course he said evolved). He pointed out that our digestive systems are not designed to run 100% of the time. Our systems need a break.

The next book I read was the Subversive Sabbath which pointed out, our bodies are not designed to run 100% of the time (see the theme?). The author expressed that God created a 6/1 rhythm and this rhythm predated the giving of the Law (see Genesis). Thus, the idea of the Sabbath is not wrapped up in the Mosaic Law but is simply a part of God’s design.

Probably one of the most interesting reads was A Cover for Glory. I read this book as the result of an ongoing conversation with a friend. The subtitle, A Biblical Defense for Headcoverings. I will say that the author makes an interesting case by exegeting 1 Corinthians 11. I will leave it to be a matter of personal conviction, but I will say this: I was reminded that God has created this world and His church with a certain order in mind, an order we tend to forget.

I spent time with the Lord. In the past, I have had a very solid habit of reading the word and journaling my prayers. Of late, I have let my discipline of journaling wane. I used this time to get back to spending unhurried time with the Lord. Spending this sort of time in prayer always brings me peace, clarity, and a general sense of well-being.

I went to counseling. As I entered into this time of sabbatical, I was aware that I have been serving as a pastor for 27 years. In that time, I have never taken more than two weeks off in one setting. Over 27 years, I have buried several babies, done a ton of marriage counseling, I have done weddings and wept over divorces. I have celebrated births and sat with devastated families that were saying goodbye to a loved one who experienced an untimely death. I have had good times in ministry, and I have had times that only the call of God has kept me from walking away. I have seen churches grow and I have seen people say goodbye in anger, walking away from the church and friendship. While there was no one big thing I felt would drive me to counseling, I knew there was stuff.

I thought ahead. Not only did I try to think ahead as it relates to Northside, but I tried to think ahead as it related to my own life and ministry. One of the concerns that was mentioned to me as I stepped away was a fear that I would decide I no longer wanted to serve as pastor of Northside. I can tell you just the opposite has happened. God has confirmed in my heart and renewed my sense of calling to serve as the pastor of this wonderful congregation.

One thing I did not do, social media. If you follow me on Facebook, you know that I am more than occasionally active there. Unfortunately, it is truly an addiction for me. As my sabbatical started, I logged out of everything. This alone was an interesting journey. For several days, I was actually anxious about what I was missing. It felt as if the world was passing me by and I did not know what was going on. Once I got past the withdrawal, I truly enjoyed the peace of being away. For the record, I’m not sure my wife will allow me to return.

I look forward to what God has for us as a church. I also want to say thank you. Our church honored our time away in such an amazing way. I was able to truly step away without a hundred phone calls or pleas to step back in. You folks are awesome, and we love you more and more every day.

Paul and the Gospel

Recently, I have set out to read the New Testament in thirty days. This plan requires that you read ten chapters a day, on average. It has been interesting as I have proceeded through because you connect dots and stories that you might not have otherwise connected. You begin to find a rhythm and see a pacing that you (or at least I) usually miss. One of the things that has stood out specifically is Paul’s commitment and total surrender to the gospel.

For 21^st century Christians, we tend to look at the gospel as a few truths, presented in a staccato like fashion, to which we must give ascent. We are sinners. Jesus, who was God in flesh died on our behalf, and we must accept Him as our Savior. I think that Paul would find such a thing incredibly shallow and void of any real weight or purpose.

Here are several things that stand out about Paul as it relates to the gospel. First of all, we see that Paul is radically called to salvation on the road to Damacus. This was no mere “gospel presentation,” calling for a decision on Paul’s part. Paul met the living Lord face to face and was called to give an account of his life and the sin therein. Paul was stricken blind and had to wait for God to move on his behalf. Once God did move, nothing was ever the same for Paul. His encounter was life changing, not a mere course correction.

The second thing that stands out is that Paul was willing to give up everything for this gospel. Paul says in Philippians 3:8, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” When Paul met Christ, he did not view Christ as something merely added to his life. He viewed his old life as a total loss, and a new life was birthed that was founded in Christ.

Third, Paul was committed to getting to the gospel to others. Really and truly, the vast majority of the New Testament is committed to this reality. However, we see it clearly stated in several places. One specific passage is Romans 9:3, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” Seeing others come to Christ was not a mere prayer request for Paul, but the driving mission of his life.

Fourth, Paul was committed to raising up others for this gospel mission. While one can find numerous people that Paul invested in throughout the New Testament, one really stands out in the person of Timothy. Paul challenges Timothy in his second letter to him, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 2:6-7). Paul wants Timothy to be strong in the proclamation and defense of the gospel.

Finally, Paul defended the gospel with all that he had. Every book in the New Testament that Paul wrote was in one way or another related to his defense of the gospel. Preserving the integrity of the gospel was no small, secondary task to Paul. He took these things very seriously. He says, in Galatians 1:8, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.” Paul believed that life and death existed within the gospel. To change the gospel, even a little, would put people in danger of a fiery eternity.

Here is my question: If Paul was willing to give his life to, and willing to die for (which he did), this gospel, how have we become so casual about it? How is it that we fail to proclaim it? How is it that we do not defend it? How is it that we do not prepare others to share and defend it? What happened to our passion?

Could it be that we simply do not believe what Paul believed? Could it be that the gospel does not mean to us what it meant to Paul? What must we do to rediscover such a passion? How do we come to the point that we feel the weight of this gospel as Paul did? Until we figure it out, Christianity will continue to lose ground in our land, our churches will remain anemic, and we stand to lose the next generation all together.

Lord, stir within us a passion for the gospel.

Ministry GPS

 

Ministry GPS

When a family gets into a car and prepares to take a trip, there are certain things that are in place. First of all, there will be an agreed upon destination. Few families jump into the car and say, “let’s just see where we end up.” They have a plan for where they are going and usually a purpose for going there.

Additionally, there is an agreed upon route. We live in the day of GPSs, Apple Maps, Google Maps, and Waze. When you put a destination into your chosen device, it will give route options. Some of these routes are quicker, some are shorter, some eliminate traffic disruptions, but you have to choose a route.

Once your journey has commenced, there are regular check-ins with the route. Sometimes, your device will tell you that there is a faster route. It will tell you how to avoid traffic jams, police officers, and road closures. As you travel, you will frequently check the route to make sure you are on the best route to reach your destination.

Occasionally, you will find that course corrections are necessary. Maybe there has been a traffic accident, maybe weather has forced a road closure, maybe you took a wrong turn or missed a turn, but course corrections have to happen. If we fail to make course corrections, we may not arrive at our destination or we may arrive much later than we had planned.

This reality of travel and devices can serve as a great metaphor for us as it relates to leadership, especially leadership within ministry. In ministry, we rarely travel alone. In fact, our biblical mandate is to develop others for ministry. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:11-12, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (ESV). So how do we accomplish this task?

1.      Have an agreed upon destination. This destination may relate to the overall vision of the church, “this is who we want to be.” It may also relate to a particular ministry within the church, “this is the scope of what we are trying to accomplish.” Either way, if we do not know where we are going, we will not know how to get there or when we have arrived. Establish an agreement as to what the destination is.

2.      Have an agreed upon route. As the old saying goes, “there is more than one way to skin a cat.” However, you cannot skin a cat in two different ways at the same time. Once we have determined our agreed upon destination, we must decide how we are going to get there. Obviously, the route will shift from time to time, but we want to start out with a planned route so that we are of one accord and one mind.

3.      Next, we must have regular check-ins. This can take on several forms. Sometimes, that is us checking ourselves to make sure that we are still on course and have not become distracted or unintentionally rerouted. Another form this may take is the form of accountability. We have agreed on a destination, we have agreed on a route, and I have released you to accomplish the task. However, there needs to be regular check-ins to make sure you are still on track, that you have not met roadblocks, and for me to see what I can do for you in the process. As has been said, “delegation without examination is merely relegation.” Don’t relegate, delegate.

4.      Finally, there will be needed course corrections. Sometimes these course corrections are a result of getting off course and sometimes the result of the course needing to change. Either way, an important part of the aforementioned check-ins is the willingness to make correction. Having to correct others is never fun. However, it can be done in love and with the mission in mind. The discomfort of having to make corrections must be weighed against the cost of not reaching our destination.

Ministry and leadership are complex. No single plan or method will work all the time. However, having some framework to apply is helpful. So, the next time you sit down with an individual or group, as the leader, think in terms of the GPS. Where are we going? How will we get there? How often will check-ins happen and in what way? And, if necessary, how will course corrections be made?

Jesus is Worth It

Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. The were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. Then went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated – of whom the world was not worth – wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:36-40

What does Jesus mean to you? Is He simply an authority figure to whom we tip our hats? Is He little more than a lucky charm, a place to turn when we need a little bit of “blessing”? Do we merely think of Him as we do some distant cousin that we enjoy being around? Or, is our commitment to Jesus more valuable than anything we possess? Are we willing to die for Him? Does He mean more to us than life itself?

When we read the above passage, we see the commitment level of those who have gone before us. These people were radically committed to their God. Nothing was going to separate them from their passion, commitment, and zeal for serving Him. Hebrews 11 was written for the express purpose of motivating those who were waffling in their faith. It was written to be an encouragement – a motivation.

When we read of people who were mocked, flogged, imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, and killed by the sword – it should move us. And, when we read of others who hid out in sheep skins and goat skins, who were destitute, afflicted, and mistreated – and yet the stood strong – we should be motivated to press on in our faith. These people knew that their relationship with God was more valuable than other thing they had.

Let us evaluate what Jesus means to us. I hope He is more than a few feelings of comfort or security. I hope that He is truly our all in all.

By Faith

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “Hall of Fame of Faith.” In this chapter, we see a survey of many of the people in scripture who, by God’s grace, were able to do amazing things. However, it is not these people who are the heroes of their various stories, but God Himself. It is in this chapter that we see a summary report of the faithfulness of God to those who put their trust in Him.

This chapter begins by defining faith. We are told, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 12:1, ESV). One of the key words in this verse is, “conviction.” If you do not have the conviction that God is going to see you through, that He will provide, that He is guiding your steps – then you will never accomplish anything of significance for the Kingdom.

As we read Hebrews 11, we will see a re-occurrence of the phrase, “by faith.” This phrase in not used once, twice, or even a dozen times. This phrase is used twenty-two times as we are reminded of the great works of the men and women of the past. It is, “by faith,” they were able to accomplish the works that they did. Or, you might say, it was through a strong conviction of things not seen that they were able to accomplish what they did.

How is your faith? Put your name in this sentence and fill in the blank: It was by faith that Darrell __________________________________________. What might we do if we will simply operate “by faith.”

Remember the startling warning of Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please him…” (ESV).