I try to pastorally visit all the families in my church regularly. With the growing scope of ministry it takes me about a year and a half to work my way through all the regular attenders once. At this week’s staff meeting I gave my personal assistant, Carrie, the next twenty or so names on my list. Between these pastoral check-ins, connecting with new people and then regular ministry board meetings, I get to do quite a bit of relationship building.I really love it!
The idea of prioritizing intentional visitation is new to our church. Before COVID we were busy building programs that people could come to, but we did not do much going out for deep personal connection. It’s not a criticism, just a different way of looking at ministry. I am enjoying this work of intentional relationship building. I believe it is what God has called our church to during this season.
Today one of our DLT (Doing Life Together) groups invited Pastor Amanda and me out to a luncheon to celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month. They wanted to have it back in November, but our schedules could not coordinate until this week.
I think there were about 20 of us there. The ladies made lasagna, meatballs, salad and appetizers and then for dessert we had strawberries with ice cream.
One of the ladies let me hold her puppy, Teddy.
In my follow up prayer time this afternoon (some of you would call it vespers) I started sensing that I need to be visiting all of our groups for intentional connection. I don’t always need to be fed, but just being present with the people and hearing what the Spirit is saying to each of these groups will be very powerful, I think.
“Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! Prepare you Spirit (come out of the decay of your strongholds). Prepare your Souls(Prepare to practice and feel compassion). Prepare your facility (your structures, infrastructures and plans). Prepare for the storm (Pray for action plan, Pray for a spirit of perseverance). Prepare your witness (know your gifts, earn the right to speak, build your relationships with those outside the church, build your example). Prepare your hope and faith (think hope, speak hope, act in hope). Prepare your love (love each other, love the people in your towns, love those who disagree with you, love through the doors that open).“
PREPARE YOUR SPIRIT(COME OUT OF THE DECAY OF YOUR STRONGHOLDS).
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WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL STRONGHOLD?– Paul the Apostle defines stronghold like this in 2 Corinthians 10:4, ” 4 [a]We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”
I. Some strongholds take the form ofHUMAN REASONING. Any thought that causes us to reason our way out of obeying the Scripture. Satan used a stronghold of human reasoning to ensnare Eve when he convinced her to the eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil…
“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it.” Gen. 3:1-6
II. Some strongholds take the form ofFALSE ARGUMENTS. These are lies we tell ourselves to make ourselves feel better about the wrong choices we make: “My behavior is justified because of the bad behavior of other people towards me”; “This is just part of who I am. I can’t help it.”
III. Some strongholds take the form of PROUD OBSTACLES THAT KEEP US FROM KNOWING GOD. Saul became prideful and decided he was worthy of offering the sacrifices of God in place of God’s priest Samuel. He lost the kingdom because of it.
David became prideful and took his friend’s wife and then covered it up by using his authority to have his friend killed. He ended up losing his infant son and bringing a judgment of permanent war on his reign.
IV. Finally, some strongholds take the form of REBELLIOUS THOUGHTS. “in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. 2 TIMOTHY 3
DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR STRONGHOLDS ARE? ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU WHAT FORM YOUR STRONGHOLDS HAVE TAKEN.
A few years ago I actually toyed with the idea of moving wholesale into professional writing. It didn’t turn out quite the way I thought it would. I ended up walking away from writing completely because of the demands of ministry.
I thought I probably would never write again. I actually tried to pick it up again several times.I just couldn’t make the writing commitment and keep up with the call of the church. I contented myself with writing a few family blogs every month or so, and the daily devotional video, but the life of stories became a thing of the past.
Lately, the desire for story has returned. I don’t really know where this will lead, but I am taking my word for the year, “PREPARE”, in hand.
During the 21 days of fasting and prayer I PREPARED a blogging plan for the next year along with the next year’s preaching schedule.
It is not God’s way to give us the destination before we start on the journey. He only ever gives us the first step with clarity the rest is just “looking through a glass darkly” to quote the apostle.
SO, as I come out of the 21 days of fasting and prayer, I am committing to get on the page God has given me. I am beginning with the blogging plan and let’s see what develops from there.
WHAT IS DEVELOPING IN YOUR LIFE AS YOU LAUNCH INTO THE NEW YEAR?
It has been a week at The Vicarage. I came down with a cold that stole my voice after Sunday service and I have been out of commission for most of the week.I feel OK but there is a clog on my throat that sets me to coughing if I talk to much and then I end up without a voice for several hours. I haven’t been able to sing all week. I have a funeral tomorrow. Believe me when I say, I am praying deeply into that one.
Mom has had a lot of muscle and join pain this week and she has been sleeping a lot. It is good to have Brenda home as she has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting with Mom during my illness. Mom needs someone to walk with her anywhere she goes now because her legs are so weak and she cannot get up under her own power even when she is at her strongest.
Life hasn’t stopped at The Vicarage in spite of my illness.Brenda has had time this week to meet with a couple of supporters and she is going out to lunch today with our cousin, Dan. Amanda and Joe have kept up their regular work schedules and Kristine found out yesterday that she has landed a part time job starting in the next couple of weeks. So we will be talking over the next few days about what Sevy care is going to look like.
Melanie and James have been working and getting the girls to doctors appointment and eye appointments. Lela got her new glasses and they look great!
James had to cover for me at Boy’s Group on Tuesday. One of our other youth workers, Troy, stepped in to help him. I appreciate my son-in-law so much!
Life goes on and the family goes on. I am amazed at how fast the changes and the growth come.
I heard from one of you that my blog which got posted at 12:01 A.M. today did not count as writing for yesterday, even though most of it was written before the stroke of midnight. Well, I am not going to let that happen again. It is 4:48 P.M. and I am finishing up my writing for the day. This one will “count” as being written today!
Actually today I managed a lot of writing. I finished up the last devotional thoughts for our churches annual 21 days of fasting and prayer. They are ready to be printed off in hard copy form tomorrow morning.
Our theme this year for the 21 days was, “PREPARE” and as we finish up our time of prayer I am asking the Lord to show me what our first steps are to do the work of preparing our church for what lies ahead. I am also asking God to show me what I need to do to prepare myself personally.
I don’t have all the answers yet. This one thing I know, I want what we do as a church to make a difference. I want what I do as a human being and as a Christian pastor to make a difference. I don’t want to show up only to find I am too late to do any good. I want this moment in time, this year, to…count.
I can’t believe it has been six days since I have taken a moment to breathe and write here on “Notes…”.
It’s not that I haven’t written anything. I am doing daily VLOGS and daily written devotionals during the 21 days of fasting and prayer. Our congregational word for the year is “PREPARE”
God is sharing with me during this season, that I will be leading the church through a time of preparation and carrying out the fruit of that preparation. I feel like we are at the beginning of a great race. I also sense it may not be a very long race once it begins, but it is going to consume every bit of energy and resource we are preparing.
One thing I am learning is that oof I am going to prepare I need to do a little everyday without missing a day. Consistency is going to be a very important part of my days ahead.
WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR YEAR AHEAD?
It has been three days since I have written here. In my defense, I have produced two daily devotional videos, and I have written six meditations for our 21 days of prayer and fasting.
I have also been doing some pastoral care for sick parishioners. Phone calls, visitation and what not.
Today was given to more writing and a trip to the Verizon store to reactivate Brenda’s American cell phone and then to Walmart for supplies for all of our weekend activities.
This day started at 1:30 A.M. Mom was struggling to get up to the toilet. I heard her on the baby monitor in my room and went down to help. She has been having a lot of muscle and joint pain. So I massaged her back and got her settled back in after she used the bathroom. Her legs are getting very weak now and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone. So I opened up the recliner and went back to sleep.
I heard Joe leave at 6 and then prayed until I got the dogs up to walk at 7.
By 10 I was t the office for staff meeting. (Kristine was home with Mom today. I am so grateful for extra hands).
At noon a group of us hosted some missionary friends from China for lunch.
Then Joe and I braved the weather to Walmart to pick up pillows for Brenda’s bed. She flies in tomorrow to help with Mom for the next few months.
By 5:30 the storm had really picked up, but we were home for supper and tucked in for the night.
After supper I walked the dogs and then settled in to write for a bit.
Now I am ready for my final prayers and sleep. Life is not a sprint for me. It has become, is becoming a daily marathon. I think I need to get in better shape.
IS YOUR LIFE MORE A DAILY MARATHON OR A DAILY SPRINT?
It is a universal truth that we humans come from stories and we are moving into story. All of our lives are made up of the mingling of many stories. We are books that tell of the intersection of lives and the conflicts and wonders those intersections create.
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psm. 139:16
I have noticed this common truth about the people I have worked among, that life flows from the stories we tell ourselves and each other. We live until we stop telling our stories. We grow until something comes along which causes us to stop making our stories before ourselves and others. As soon as we stop adding new chapters to the book of our lives we begin to die.
There are signs that we have stopped the authoring process. When we decide that the story is done, when we decide there is nothing more to add we stop trying to make more story and we just begin rereading the story that was. We begin to live in the past and only the past.
One of the great dangers of our society today is that so many people who should be making stories are just sitting and watching other people’s stories. It is one thing when a ninety year old stops telling their story. It is quite another when a twenty something gets so wrapped up with Facebook or Twitter or Instagram that they stop telling their own story.
I guess this post is an encouragement to people of any age. One of the great keys to life is to not let anything stop you from adding a new chapter to your story. Whatever is happening to you…around you don’t let the roadblocks stop you from adding something new to the book of your life. Keep making story. Keep living!
WHAT ARE THE ROADBLOCKS TO YOUR NEXT CHAPTER? HOW COULD YOU CHANGE THOSE ROADBLOCKS INTO THE NEXT DEVICE THAT PROPELS YOUR STORY FORWARD?
Amanda had a meeting of her cohort of women ministers.
Meanwhile I watched Sevy.
When Amanda got home, she and I bounced back and forth between keeping an eye on Sevy in the playroom and cleaning the front office in preparation for Brenda’s arrival on Wednesday.
Mom’s health has reached a place where we are beginning to need the extra hands (even with everyone residence). So Brenda is coming home on a quasi-leave of absence/ fund raising tour.
Sunday morning has begun as most Sundays do with a few hours of prayer in preparation for the on-line service. Then morning chores: shoveling snow, setting up pills for the week, walking and feeding the dogs, making the coffee and getting Mom up and ready to meet the day.
The air pressure has set off Mom’s arthritis so it is a Motrin and Aspercreme morning ( the type of day that is becoming most common for her recently). She seems to be settling in well now, though the pain was bad enough to bring tears first thing this morning.
Amanda is setting up for her children’s on-line meeting at 9. I am getting ready for the morning service at 10. Joe is doing pre-approval paperwork for a home loan and Kristine is out cleaning off the cars from the five inches we got last night.
So… happiness…activity. I am pretty happy, but I would say it’s not just any activity that makes me feel that way but activity that builds family…activity that makes a difference.
Notes From the Vicarage 