Praying for Pastors

About a week ago, Jaime and I received a booklet at church produced by NAMB that guides you in praying for your pastor for 40 days. We took it and did like most people and put it in the designated pile of "things we intend to get to" that, for us, resides in our kitchen. It sat there for a week with the fast food coupons, catalogs and sales papers until Jaime and I straightened up the house. At that point the booklet made its way to my bedside table which is where I noticed it this morning as I sat on the edge of the bed trying to enter the world of the living. Because I like to start my day focused on Christ (I usually say a brief prayer or quote a verse) I decided to pick up the booklet and start with Day 1. As I prayed for our pastor, I began to wonder things about him. You see, we currently don't have a pastor and this exercise is designed to strengthen the one God sends. I wondered things like his age, background, experience, attitude toward missions and so on. I wondered if he was married and had children and were they young, teenagers or all grown up. I wondered if he would take well to the unique New Orleans culture or be a bit resistant. I suppose that's part of the reason I ought to be praying for this fellow. But there's one other thing that ran through my mind this morning; we're not the only church in the metro area praying for a pastor we've never met. Since Katrina, more pastors have left the area than have come, leaving many of our churches without a shepherd to teach and guide them. As a missionary that works with our association, praying for pastors both here and yet to arrive has been an important part of my prayer life. In truth, I should spend more time praying for these men and I invite you to join me in that prayer. Our churches need God called, Spirit led, Christ focused leaders to wet their apatite for Scripture and to turn their eyes and hearts beyond the front doors and into the community and all the world.

I Need an Asprin and Some 23rd Psalm

After a good and productive week, shouldn't I go into the weekend with a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction? Then why do I feel like I've been dragged through the mud by a team of wild horses only to want to crawl into a hole and hide away from the world. My guess is that it has something to do with life. Jesus said that He came to give us life and to give it more abundantly. Good life? No, just life - warts and all. Sometimes life is bad and nothing seems to be going your way. Sometimes life is great and you feel you're on top of things. More often than not, I suppose, life is somewhere in the middle where good and bad mingle together. This week I check several things off of the to-do list, saw plans come together, and made positive strides on others. But I'm tired and emotionally drained. My spiritual battery is near zero and the resulting emptiness only adds to my overall sense of burnout. Burnout, that's a word we don't like to use in ministry. We're suppose to be supermen and women who put in 16-18 hour days 6-7 days a week for 52 strait weeks without a break. That's a lie by the way. You know who started it? Narcissistic ministers who truly believe they are important and who equate being a workaholic with faithfulness. Here's my advice, get over yourself. If Jesus was smart enough to take rest during His earthly ministry, so should we. David spelled out what that rest is like in the 23rd Psalm and I am encouraged by it and seek it for myself. Praise to our God who gives rest to the weary.



The Lord is my shepherd, (To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul.)
I shall not want. (O my God, in You I trust)
He makes me lie down in green pastures; (Make me know Your ways, O LORD)
He leads me beside quite waters. (Teach me Your paths)
He restores my soul; (Pardon my iniquity, for it is great)
He guides me in paths of righteousness (Lead me in Your truth and teach me)
For His name's sake. (For You are the God of my salvation)

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, (For I am lonely and afflicted)
I fear no evil, for You are with me; (My eyes are continually toward to LORD)
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Good and upright is the LORD)
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: (For He will pluck my feet out of the net)
You have anointed my head with oil; (Do not let me be ashamed)
My cup overflows. (Let integrity and uprightness preserve me)
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, (All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth)
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (For You I will wait all the day)

Closing the Open Window - On Purpose

After the events of September 11, the nation, in its grief, became more receptive to things of a spiritual nature. Churches across the U.S. saw an instant increase in attendance and a significant number of decisions for Christ were reported. However, this window of opportunity following tragedy was short lived. In a matter of a few months, it was all over. The window had closed and things went back to the way they were. Why? These types of opportunities are tied directly to the crisis that created them. When the crisis is over, so is the opportunity for evangelism that results in an increase in responses to the gospel.

Here in the New Orleans area things are a bit different. Our window of opportunity is still open. As we approach three years post Katrina the questions that begs to be answered again is "Why." Whereas the crisis in New York and across the nation abated after several months, Katrina continues her destructive ways in the hearts and lives of the citizens of Greater New Orleans. For reasons that seem to numerous to count, our people still live in crisis and thus retain a heightened sense of receptivity to the gospel. Although it is not as acute as immediately after the storm, it remains because Katrina is still with us.

With the restructuring of BAGNO now underway, we are faced with an interesting paradox. We desire to move to the forefront of the recovery effort of our city while becoming a more united and effective witness for Christ. We see the problems that plague our fellow citizens and we are resolute to do something about it. We are not trying to move towards a social gospel but are embracing the Word of God found in James 2:17 which says, "In the same way faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead by itself." Imagine an united group of churches providing an authentic, irresistible witness for Christ throughout the New Orleans area. It is our hope that by the year 2020 we will have played a major role in helping our region through the first phase of its recovery and rebuild.

Here's the paradox. Doing so will no doubt usher in a sense of normalcy in the lives of individuals that live and work in our city as the new New Orleans begins to truly be realized. This strive towards normalcy will ease the Katrina crisis and thus close the window of opportunity now before us. While we embrace the openness of our city our compassion for its plight will lead us to have a hand in bringing that openness to an end. We are essentially pushing the start button on the countdown clock and then racing to plough up as much hard ground and plant as many seeds before the clock reaches zero and "thud" the widow closes behind us. Once closed, the obstacles of normalcy and complacency will again be before us. The questions for us then will be, "how much darkness did we drive back" and "how many did we add to the Army of God." The answers to these questions will determine whether normalcy and complacency will be mountains or mole hills. If we've done our work and fought hard for the Kingdom we will see the gospel continue to move forward, but if we fall into normalcy and complacency before our city does then we will have much to answer for when we stand before God on the Day of Judgement. The window will close and we will be the ones to close it. Let us commit to seeing as much of the city reconciled to God through Christ before this happens. The clock is ticking. The race is on. Ready, set, GO!