Back from The Front

Over the weekend Annette and I were involved in a Ministers' Support Network retreat. We got to be a part of the team with Paul and Gladys Faulkner, Charles and Judy Siburt and David and Jeanne Wray. The ministry began in 1997. This October retreat concluded ten years of work with ministers and their spouses. The purpose of the retreats is to rebuild lives, encourage hearts, lift marriages, refocus vision, restore hope, confirm faith and rekindle fire. Some folks who come are pretty beaten up. Some have self-inflicted wounds. Others bear the marks of friendly fire. Some are just tired. All are in need of companionship and clarity.

I want to reflect for just a bit on what we have learned over the years as we have listened to over four hundred of these sweet, committed hearts. Here are seven thoughts:

1. A critical word is much more powerful than an encouraging one. We should pray hard before we criticize and then not do it for a while if at all. Do these words pass the Golden Rule test?

2. The will of God is not always easily discerned. Being persons willing to submit to the word of God and live out the love of God is more important and faithful than sitting immobile waiting to find the "plan of God for our lives." When we cannot find God's will for our life, we should do something — take food to a widow or visit the hospital. Get up!

3. Churches can be dangerous places. Really bad stuff happens in churches sometimes because that's where the Christians are. Christians can be dangerous. They are not finished. We are not finished. We can have really dark, desperate places in our hearts. We can carry weapons of mass destruction concealed in us. But Jesus loves his Body. He loves the Church — and we cannot give up on anything Jesus was willing to die for. Still, be careful in church. It can be dangerous.

4. Ministers like to portray things better than they are. Spouses of ministers are inclined to tell the truth. The only thing harder than being a minister is being married to one of them.

5. Pray for the elders of your church. Pray often for them. Pray intently. Being an elder is scary. Being a good elder is one of the greatest blessings a man can bring into the life of the church. A bad elder can do much damage. A toxic eldership can poison a church. Pray for the elders. Love and encourage them. No church grows past the spiritual capacity of its elders.

6. Ministry as a member of the paid staff of a church is a sacrifice. Just because one is supported financially by the church does not change the fact that ministry is going to cost the minister his or her life. In a broader sense, being a Christian is fatal; it costs us our lives. A great church is one that never forgets to die in Christ. Problems in churches arise when someone decides to save his or her life and not give it to Jesus.

7. Churches changing ministers and ministers changing churches rarely help anything. If the church has problems, it will have problems no matter who the ministers are. If the minister has problems, he or she will have problems no matter which church he or she serves. The first thing to try in a time of church trouble is to get well where you are with the folks you have.

Is seven a perfect number? Surely seven is enough truths for one day. Maybe seven is six too many. It is an honor to serve on this team and meet these servants of the Lord. Think about the ones who serve you in the Lord.

May God bless us all.