DIGGING DEEPER DEVOTIONAL AUGUST 29, 2024
MINISTRY
IN SEARCH OF THE WORDS AGAIN
I have written here about the projects going on with the physical property of The Vicarage and the micro-forest gardens. I have written about some of the projects going on at Cornerstone Church. All of those are still in process. If time allows today and the rains hold off I will be working on the chicken paddock and bringing in some more of the fall harvest (which is not huge but is keeping us in healthy vegetables just now). I also have a plant shelf to set up sometime this week and an office to clean. Today I am also putting together a worship set for THE WORSHIP ROOM HOUSE OF PRAYER and I am writing my sermon for Sunday.
That said, there are other projects I have shelved for years now that I am finally taking down and dusting off.
I am talking about my writing projects. When I took on the lead pastorate at Cornerstone and then when Mom’s health failed, I just didn’t have the brain space to keep up with writing regularly. Life has changed, now, and I am seeing my way clear to what I think my next steps in life are supposed to be.
The rhythm of prayer and ministry is the constant anchor of life drawing me continually to my Divine Center in Christ. Cornerstone Church, The Vicarage and its gardens are the launching pad from which my life goes forth. These places are the earthly center from which I currently work. They create a context for me. But I think that I have long neglected the part of my life which brings me so much joy. That is the story telling. That part of me feels like it is coming back to life even as I reorient in this new phase of living.
This blog and my other blog LILLIE-PUT are becoming part of that storytelling work. I have been enjoying editing NOTES FROM THE VICARAGE over the last several weeks. I have added pages in the heading and I have begun going through old posts, deleting those that do not lend themselves to the story and figuring out what I really want to say here in the days to come. I have come up with an intentional writing strategy that I have begun to practice. I am not successfully writing everyday yet, but I am closer to that goal than I have been in years.
Searching for the words again is giving me great joy. I am having fun with life right now and all its many projects.
WHAT IS BRINGING YOU JOY THESE DAYS?
DIGGING DEEPER DEVOTIONAL AUG. 26, 2024
THE LEADERSHIP RHYTHM
This week God has been speaking to me about fully embracing the rhythm of my leadership. I believe, there is a leadership rhythm that spiritual leaders must follow consistently if we are to walk in the fullness of our giftings from God. Without the consistent rhythm we will not walk in the fullness of our gifts or reach the fullness of our ministry callings.
I don’t believe that this rhythm looks the same for everyone. Each of us are called to discover the rhythm of our spiritual leadership for ourselves, and then to live it constantly We must no longer allow distractions of the world to take us away from the rhythm.
For me, this involves a rhythm of constant prayer throughout the day, everyday: Matins, Laudes, Prime, Terce, Sext None, Vespers, Compline. For me, work and the rest of life flows out of prayer and back into prayer. Prayer is the constant rhythm and it must not be allowed to stop…ever.
The Lord showed me that this rhythm is the manifestation of the armor of God for us as leaders in the church, this is why Paul says…“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground” (Ephesians 6: 11-13)
This means that letting go of the rhythm is akin to taking off the armor, and therefore not being able to stand in the day of evil against the agents of evil.
Here is the struggle I am having. I have sought God and told Him how overwhelming this thought is. I know I cannot be consistent to this level of constancy on my own. In my own nature I am too distractible, too flighty.
The Lord has sent me a quiet assurance in prayer that the rhythm is not something I accomplish on my own. It is something He accomplishes and I receive.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.Ephesians 2:10
So now I am taking time everyday to believe and receive the rhythm that is God’s gift to me and which opens up my ability to use my gifts for Him.
DO YOU HAVE A RHYTHM GOD IS TRYING TO ESTABLISH IN YOUR LIFE?
DIGGING DEEPER DEVOTIONAL AUGUST 23, 2024
A BRIEF RETURN TO YOUTH MINISTRY
This summer, as my daughter entered her six weeks of radiation treatment after cancer surgery, I took over a few pieces of her church ministry. One of the ministries I have been covering this summer is youth ministry.
I was a youth minister for 19 years, but I have been retired from it for almost a decade. Which means the last time I seriously addressed this ministry I was still in my forties. Now as I approach sixty I am in a very different body than I was back then.
I knew going in that I was going to need to lean on the youth team in a way I never had before. Fortunately for everyone, my daughter has spent a good deal of time raising up a very talented and capable team of people to help lead our youth group.
This summer the brother and sister team of Trinity and Christian helped out. Trinity was our chief sound and media tech. Christian actually shared the preaching responsibilities with me and helped with games.
Troy operated as one of our games masters and an alternate media tech.
Patrick in the lower left hand corner of this picture was our worship leader.
And Pam, the lady on the right, was our chief administrator on site and called the weekly announcements for us. My daughter organized us each week, by making sure all of our supplies were set up weekly and by sending out the weekly duty roster for us. I was really just the pastoral presence in the room which was good because honestly I felt really rusty going in.
Still we managed to pull off the summer program and the fellowship trip to Kimball’s ice cream.
It was a very active summer.
We drew in some extra help for driving to the Kimball’s event. Carrie Hackett (pictured at the end of the table) stepped in with her car to help us get to Kimballs. Carrie is our adult Doing Life and outreach coordinator.
Sadie Bauver pictured here with the blue baton is one of our youth and she is finishing up the summer as our worship leader. I am finishing out the summer as the youth preacher. This has been an all hands on deck situation. I am so blessed that all the hands have risen up to help!
DIGGING DEEPER DEVOTIONAL AUGUST 22, 2024
DIGGING DEEPER DEVOTIONAL AUGUST 17, 2024
DIGGING DEEPER DEVOTIONAL AUGUST 16, 2024
MINISTRY LIFE AND TWR
I think the most important work a minister does is the work of prayer. Without the work of prayer everything else we do is devoid of power. I try to spend between three and five hours a day in prayer around the rest of my schedule. If you have read my blog before you know that much of that is restorative prayer. “They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” Isa. 40:31
But restorative prayer is needed corporately as well as privately. I believe that the prayer ministry is perhaps the most corporately neglected ministry in the church, and if the church is to have power in the days ahead then the people of the church not just the pastors must learn to pray deeply.
One of the ways I am encouraging that in my own church is by encouraging people to attend The Worship Room House of Prayer in our town.
According to its website. “TWR is a missional ministry where singers, musicians, and intercessors lead live prayer and worship meetings with a focus on growing in intimacy with the Father as well as doing the work of missions from the place of prayer. This Worship Room is open to the public providing a place to pray and be in the presence of God. We believe the Lord is strategically calling His Bride to walk out the prophetic promise of Isaiah 56:7 that declares, “Gods’ house shall be called a house of prayer”
I feel so strongly about this I spend two hours of my prayer time each week at the worship room. One of those hours is spent leading the devotional hour on Mondays from 5-6 P.M.
Notes From the Vicarage 