A couple of weeks ago I decided it was finally time to go through my books and weed out those that I probably would not ever read or use again. Some of these were books that I had carted from Pennsylvania to Iowa and back and many locations in each state.
These were good books. I threw away a few into the trash but most of them I boxed up to give to a friend who is in Seminary and who will be able to put many of them to good use. Some of them will go by the wayside to be gotten rid of by her and others will bring her new information, insight, and even some inspiration I suspect.
But these books were doubled up on my shelves since I had arrived in Dover, Pa. a year and a half ago. I knew that I hadn't opened them in years and probably never would. So it was time to move them out. Less clutter...more space to find what would be helpful to me at this point in life.
Along the way I found some old friends that I had read a long time ago and that I might read again. One such book is called "Christ in the Seasons of Ministry" by John Killinger. It was published in 1985 for $8.95, a good price for a hardback book, but I saw it was tagged for 99 cents...quite a bargain. I took it home with a few others to read again.
A few days ago I started through it once more. The book addresses the "seasons" of life for everyone and in particular those who have been involved in ministry. Beginning with the spring of youthful exuberance it continues into spring with early adulthood and then into the fall of later middle age and then to the winter of retirement.
I remember reading the book back in another season of life. So many changes since then.
On page 11 at the end of the preface he writes, "Whatever the world may think of the ministry, it is still the highest calling in the world, and we spend the remainder of our lives, once we have been caught up by it, trying to comprehend and justify our presence in it."
Wow. Throughout the book the author keeps coming back to the fact that the answer is Christ. Whether we are excited at the new beginnings of serving Christ or caught up in "success" or "failure" in ministry, it all comes back to Christ. Only Christ can give us a reason to serve...and a reason to keep going in serving.
People used to kid me about being the "church growth guru" in this area back in the 80's and early 90's. It was a joke but I confess that it felt good to be thought of as being on the cutting edge of what was happening in the church and pastoring a "successful" church. I had to keep turning to Christ and realizing it was all about Him. Reaching one more for Christ, not one more to make the church bigger.
Then when things fell apart and the next church I served, planting a new church, wasn't "successful" I had to keep holding onto Christ and onto His calling on my life. You know, holding onto Christ tenaciously isn't a bad thing...it's a good thing and even more important when the joys of summer are moving into the changes of autumn.
John Killinger writes: "Ministry is a lonely place without Christ. Ministry is exhausting without Christ. Ministry is impossible without Christ. Feeding on him is the only way to make it through middlescence in the ministry. It is the only way to find strength to serve." (pg. 51)
Amen to that John, amen to that.
These were good books. I threw away a few into the trash but most of them I boxed up to give to a friend who is in Seminary and who will be able to put many of them to good use. Some of them will go by the wayside to be gotten rid of by her and others will bring her new information, insight, and even some inspiration I suspect.
But these books were doubled up on my shelves since I had arrived in Dover, Pa. a year and a half ago. I knew that I hadn't opened them in years and probably never would. So it was time to move them out. Less clutter...more space to find what would be helpful to me at this point in life.
Along the way I found some old friends that I had read a long time ago and that I might read again. One such book is called "Christ in the Seasons of Ministry" by John Killinger. It was published in 1985 for $8.95, a good price for a hardback book, but I saw it was tagged for 99 cents...quite a bargain. I took it home with a few others to read again.
A few days ago I started through it once more. The book addresses the "seasons" of life for everyone and in particular those who have been involved in ministry. Beginning with the spring of youthful exuberance it continues into spring with early adulthood and then into the fall of later middle age and then to the winter of retirement.
I remember reading the book back in another season of life. So many changes since then.
On page 11 at the end of the preface he writes, "Whatever the world may think of the ministry, it is still the highest calling in the world, and we spend the remainder of our lives, once we have been caught up by it, trying to comprehend and justify our presence in it."
Wow. Throughout the book the author keeps coming back to the fact that the answer is Christ. Whether we are excited at the new beginnings of serving Christ or caught up in "success" or "failure" in ministry, it all comes back to Christ. Only Christ can give us a reason to serve...and a reason to keep going in serving.
People used to kid me about being the "church growth guru" in this area back in the 80's and early 90's. It was a joke but I confess that it felt good to be thought of as being on the cutting edge of what was happening in the church and pastoring a "successful" church. I had to keep turning to Christ and realizing it was all about Him. Reaching one more for Christ, not one more to make the church bigger.
Then when things fell apart and the next church I served, planting a new church, wasn't "successful" I had to keep holding onto Christ and onto His calling on my life. You know, holding onto Christ tenaciously isn't a bad thing...it's a good thing and even more important when the joys of summer are moving into the changes of autumn.
John Killinger writes: "Ministry is a lonely place without Christ. Ministry is exhausting without Christ. Ministry is impossible without Christ. Feeding on him is the only way to make it through middlescence in the ministry. It is the only way to find strength to serve." (pg. 51)
Amen to that John, amen to that.
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