Hey Mike! I think this is my favorite of your posts. And that’s a high bar. Your struggle with your conflicts of ambition, health, and Godliness is a universal one, no matter our professions. More of that, good sir.
What incredible courage it took to actually confront these questions. I think a lot of us think we can outrun them or stay busy enough to ignore them. But I can only imagine the relief that came once you stopped running.
Dan. Are you a well programmed bot designed to offer thoughtful engaging comments on these posts? How do you respond so quick??? Bot or not, I appreciate your words. Grateful to be a part of Phygital with you.
Haha - I am too tied to email and checking boxes, so when these posts hit my inbox, I try to respond. Maybe one of the signs I need to engage with the very questions you address in this post…
Almost 40 years in the greatest temptation/soul burden I bear is the belief that I have to “make things happen.” I’ve been working through repentance on this front but keep being reminded that I still have a good way to go. The passage that keeps coming back to me for the past year or so is from Zechariah 4: “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD.”
That is such a huge temptation - especially when there are challenges or straight up problems, and you feel like it is all on your shoulders to figure it out and, as you said, make things happen.
For example, in the churches I’ve led I’ve seen the death tsunami in the distance every Sunday for twenty years. I’ve seen the majority of the congregation of people over 65, deeply committed and faithful to the life of the church. I know it’s highly unlikely that those people, if still alive in ten years, will be as active and involved then as now. I see so many saints in their 80s & 90s - and so few stepping up to fill the gaps. For my whole ministry too many have said of ministry with children, “I did my share when my kids were young, now it’s someone else’s turn.” And we’re reaping the fruit of that mindset. And I feel like it’s on me to make the difference. And yet I KNOW it’s beyond my capacity. Now if I were like Well Known Pastor X, not only loaded with awesome skills but also willing & able to work 60-70 hours a week, every week, I could Make It Happen - well, at least that’s what they say in their books and podcast interviews. But I can’t.
I’m at the stage now of retreating to what I think is the right attitude: praying for a move of God, in my life, in the lives of my people, and in my community.
Richard. You have always been a light for me. Your intellect, thoughtfulness, love for twitter, and the one-year membership to Carey Nieuhoff’s ministry thing where I learned to begin every homily with a relatable personal anecdote to build rapport with an otherwise disinterested congregation have blessed me lol. I think pastors would be better off to not correlate the downturn of mainline protestant worship attendance with a reflection of lack in spiritual hunger or an absence of God’s presence in the world. We could talk at length about the rise of the megachurch or the dominant frameworks of consumer and producer as the undergirding approach towards church and ministry, but I love your conclusion. In the end our own character and lives will bear a greater witness than the sociological interest in weekly religious events during the particular history of our lifetimes. Not that this matters, but in my rolodex of ministers I’ve come across, I rank you among the top. Grace and peace, brother.
Mike I remember you sharing when we all met, and like Mary, I have pondered these questions you ask, in my heart. Thank you displaying your courage and faith and God's faithfulness. I love this: "Slowly, I began to imagine new ways of being a pastor. Not in a prescriptive manner for others, but for my own soul,..." 🩷
Juana. My Asian-American upbringing prompts me to deflect your kind words and suggest that another word for courage may be stubbornness! I am praying for you and your ministry this morning. See you soon!
Hey Mike! I think this is my favorite of your posts. And that’s a high bar. Your struggle with your conflicts of ambition, health, and Godliness is a universal one, no matter our professions. More of that, good sir.
What incredible courage it took to actually confront these questions. I think a lot of us think we can outrun them or stay busy enough to ignore them. But I can only imagine the relief that came once you stopped running.
Dan. Are you a well programmed bot designed to offer thoughtful engaging comments on these posts? How do you respond so quick??? Bot or not, I appreciate your words. Grateful to be a part of Phygital with you.
Haha - I am too tied to email and checking boxes, so when these posts hit my inbox, I try to respond. Maybe one of the signs I need to engage with the very questions you address in this post…
Almost 40 years in the greatest temptation/soul burden I bear is the belief that I have to “make things happen.” I’ve been working through repentance on this front but keep being reminded that I still have a good way to go. The passage that keeps coming back to me for the past year or so is from Zechariah 4: “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD.”
That is such a huge temptation - especially when there are challenges or straight up problems, and you feel like it is all on your shoulders to figure it out and, as you said, make things happen.
For example, in the churches I’ve led I’ve seen the death tsunami in the distance every Sunday for twenty years. I’ve seen the majority of the congregation of people over 65, deeply committed and faithful to the life of the church. I know it’s highly unlikely that those people, if still alive in ten years, will be as active and involved then as now. I see so many saints in their 80s & 90s - and so few stepping up to fill the gaps. For my whole ministry too many have said of ministry with children, “I did my share when my kids were young, now it’s someone else’s turn.” And we’re reaping the fruit of that mindset. And I feel like it’s on me to make the difference. And yet I KNOW it’s beyond my capacity. Now if I were like Well Known Pastor X, not only loaded with awesome skills but also willing & able to work 60-70 hours a week, every week, I could Make It Happen - well, at least that’s what they say in their books and podcast interviews. But I can’t.
I’m at the stage now of retreating to what I think is the right attitude: praying for a move of God, in my life, in the lives of my people, and in my community.
Richard. You have always been a light for me. Your intellect, thoughtfulness, love for twitter, and the one-year membership to Carey Nieuhoff’s ministry thing where I learned to begin every homily with a relatable personal anecdote to build rapport with an otherwise disinterested congregation have blessed me lol. I think pastors would be better off to not correlate the downturn of mainline protestant worship attendance with a reflection of lack in spiritual hunger or an absence of God’s presence in the world. We could talk at length about the rise of the megachurch or the dominant frameworks of consumer and producer as the undergirding approach towards church and ministry, but I love your conclusion. In the end our own character and lives will bear a greater witness than the sociological interest in weekly religious events during the particular history of our lifetimes. Not that this matters, but in my rolodex of ministers I’ve come across, I rank you among the top. Grace and peace, brother.
Thanks, Mike! I miss our conversations!
I join you in that prayer 🙏
Mike I remember you sharing when we all met, and like Mary, I have pondered these questions you ask, in my heart. Thank you displaying your courage and faith and God's faithfulness. I love this: "Slowly, I began to imagine new ways of being a pastor. Not in a prescriptive manner for others, but for my own soul,..." 🩷
Juana. My Asian-American upbringing prompts me to deflect your kind words and suggest that another word for courage may be stubbornness! I am praying for you and your ministry this morning. See you soon!