A Pastors Prayer

As my second full week of senior pastoring draws to an end, I'm glad the week is over. It's been a crazy time, trial by fire.

In the last week and a half I have been to the hospital five times to visit a congregation member and his family. I had my first board meeting. I received an email telling me I had to fill out year end reports and a yearly pastor's report this next week. Funny thing with the pastor's report, it's supposed to be on a new ministry the church started within the last year!

The hospital stuff was trying and I'm so grateful that I have an incredible mentor to walk with me through this stuff. Basically, this first two weeks has been learning the stuff that they can't really teach you in school. It's the stuff that they can't train you for, so you take the training you do have, and figure out how to make it work in this situation.

I've been studying the pastoral epistles of 1 and 2 Timothy these last two weeks. Right now it's just an initial overview, and in the coming weeks and months I'm really going to dive deeply into them, looking at history, original language, and context. But even just initially, there is so much there.

As this week ends I remember the phone call with my mentor in the hospital last Sunday night. His calm instructive wisdom putting my mind and heart at some ease. That experience I can't wait to share with some 24 year old kid in 30 years when he's going through the same thing for the first time. But his words I remember.

My prayer is from a song by Jonny Diaz.

"Help me to love like you loved, to serve like you served, to speak only words of truth. Help me to care like you cared for a world in despair, help me to love like you."

Love is the most important, so God help me to love like you loved.

1 Timothy 1.5, "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

Jesus talked about it so much, "Love your neighbor as yourself," (Matthew 22.39) "By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13.35) "God is love" (1 John 4.8b)

Love is the greatest, love is the most important. My mentor told me years ago, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." If people know that you love them, they forgive your short comings.

God, help me to love these people like you do.

Serving, I'm taking a leadership class right now, and as I've been reading I learned that the word leader only appears in the King James Bible 6 times, mostly the word is translated as servant. The book said its not Moses my leader, but Moses my servant.

Mark 10.43-44, "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all." In college I read a book for a class and this quote stood out to me, "You can't proclaim the Word above God's people, until you live the Word among God's people."

Again my mentor told me, "Separation of Church and state is never an issue when the church gets down on it's knees with a basin and a towel and says, 'How can we serve you?'" Jesus didn't come to be served, but to serve. He came humbly and gave His life to save the world (Mark 10.45).

Jesus, help me to serve this church and this community like you served the world.

Speak only words of truth. Dr. Sanders once said in class, "If you can pull the Bible out of a sermon and have it still make sense, then it's a bad sermon." Paul tells Timothy, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 3.16-4.5).

Holy Spirit, help me always to preach the truth of the Word. May every sermon always be firmly rooted in Scripture and fully covered with your presence.

Peace be with you