ministry

At the moment there are some people in my extended world who I am watching making some pretty interesting decisions. As I have pastored for over 20 years (officially) I have spent a lot of my life watching people make decisions and then observing the consequences of these decisions . I am a professional people watcher !

I have celebrated with many people who have enjoyed success and joy from those decisions. I have also watched some pretty spectacular crashes, and sometimes been privileged to help people pick up the pieces and rebuild.

(I have also been in both those categories. I know I have often caused people to scratch their heads in bewilderment at some of the decisions I have made.)

Right now though, when I think about a few people I know in particular who are making decisions that I can see will not end well for them, I feel incredibly concerned for them.

I want to help them avoid mistakes I have made. I want to rush in and give them lots of wisdom and advice and I want them to change the direction they are going in. I have seen these patterns too many times, and lived these patterns, to know that they can be avoided. I want to fix these situations before any more damage is done.

However at Easter, more than any other time, I need to know there is only one Saviour. His name is Jesus, and he did not resign and give me the job.

My responsibility is to pray, to support and help where it is asked for, but it is not not to be their Saviour. I cannot take responsibility for another person’s life.

I cannot jump into that sacred place between a believer and their God.

I have to remember that each person’s life is a journey of making decisions. It is part of the joy of being human, made in the image of God. It is what theologians call free will. For believers it is a journey of walking with the Holy Spirit to make those decisions.

As a pastors and leaders we can so easily get saviour complexes. Our care can become a burden we were never meant to carry.

We need to pray, believe and love people but ultimately we need to let Jesus be their Saviour.

He is the only one with shoulders broad enough to carry that load for all humanity.

At Easter I am so grateful that Jesus is Lord and Saviour of all!

The job of Saviour of the World, was and is, His to do. How magnificently he fulfils that purpose.

Happy Easter Everyone!

(If you would like to get content like this in your email regularly just put your email address in the subscribe section . My goal is to help you avoid some of the mistakes I have made and to encourage you on your journey !)

Painting by Phil Pringle used with permission. http://philpringle.com/artstudio

After much deliberation I am starting a blog. It is aimed primarily at girls who are in ministry or leadership or some sort.

It comes out of my desire to help young women avoid some of the rookie mistakes I made .

I know I don’t have all the answers so my hope is that it will become a discussion where we share wisdom gained.

I hope to post every week- but we will see how it goes- I will also get friends from all over the world to write in areas that I know I have no clue in.

The first few blogs are not about the most flashy area- but they are foundational to everything else – so I am putting them up front.

Here’s my first blog

It’s About Serving Jesus –Not a Man or a Church. Part 1

In church life we hear so much about serving; and well we should. The heart of the ministry of Jesus was to serve- “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve”. We frequently hear about it as serving our local church or serving leadership. Understanding that the church is the body of Christ on the earth and the Apostles, Pastors, Teachers, Prophets and Evangelists are His gifts to the earth serving them is obviously an extension then of serving Jesus. Or is it ?

We have to have it clearly delineated in our hearts that we are serving Jesus first and through our service to Jesus we are serving the leadership he places above us. It may appear like semantics and hair splitting to make a distinction but I believe it is the way for health and longevity in ministry.

The way to best explain the importance of this concept is to show what happens when this is not in place in our hearts.

When we loose sight of serving Jesus and focus on our current role or place there is a tendency within all people and particularly women to hold onto it very tight. We have to maintain our position to maintain our area of service. When we are serving Jesus, where we are and what we are doing matter less.

This was aptly described to me in a recent conversation with a long term worship leader who has been the main singer on numerous C3 worship albums, been front and center of worship teams at large international conferences, toured with the C3 band and is currently singing BVs way out to the side of her church stage. On commenting on her incredible dedication and passion on the side of the stage she said to me “I am worshipping Jesus and it doesn’t matter where they put me (or don’t put me) on stage I will worship him with all I have”. What a woman!

It takes maturity and a clear understanding that we are serving Jesus to live this, my guess is that is has also taken tears and soul searching to get there.

Parts 2 to follow next week- but in the mean time – How do you keep Jesus central ?

The Job of Saviour of the World is Taken

I’m Starting a Blog!