Just listened (again) to this podcast in the car on the way home last night with Jenny. It is at the Catylist Conference in 2002 of John Maxwell interviewing Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ just a few months before Bright passed away after more than 50 years of ministry to the world.
He said some things that resonated with me in a powerful way: Read more
Ed Young Jr. from Fellowship Church has began a video blog that is sometimes worth the time, especially the first installment.? Seriously, somebody get the gun away from that dude!? He looks and sounds beat down.? Totally different than the Ed Young that I know from Creative Pastors and on T.V. (like the second and third installments.)
I appreciate him being able to say what many of us would love to say but are afraid to for whatever reason.
I was talking to one of my mentors the other day and he said that “pastoring is a very lonely place.”? Please pray for your pastor, whoever and wherever he is this week.? (Can you do that??? It’s not pastor appreciation month!? Just kidding.)
Seriously, there are a lot of pastors that don’t get the recognition that they deserve.? As we head up toward Memorial Day, let us remember those who have gone before us who have lead us spiritually.? Take some time this weekend and thank the Lord for those in your life that have helped you spiritually along the way.
Congratulations to our sister church in Ozark, Riverbluff Fellowship.? They had their first service in their new building on Evans Road this morning!? Their pastor is Scott Watson, who was my from 8th grade on.? He married Jenny and I and has been a huge friend and mentor to me over the years.? Congratulations Riverbluff!? We are excited about your new home and ministry to your new neighbors!
Actually, Hayward has a new hip!? Hayward Barnett, a frequent commenter on this blog and my 7th Grade Science teacher had hip replacement surgery this morning.? He is doing well and is recovering at St. Johns Hospital.? You might give him a call of encouragement or drop by . . . but if you said that I said to do it, I’ll deny everything because he doesn’t want people “to make a fuss over him.”? So let’s not make a fuss over him this weekend!
I spent Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning reflecting upon Christ on a Solitude Retreat.? I went with a bunch of pastors from the Springfield area on Monday and Tuesday to Assumption Abbey, a Trappist-Cistercian monastery near Ava, MO.? They are
quite famous for their fruitcakes.? They had several of the clippings in TIME magazine and other news publications on display in the retreat center lobby.
They have a retreat center that is provided for people to come and leave the trappings of this life, including cell phone signal!? There are some very simple rooms and meals provided for a small donation.? You could go to the different masses with the monks, if you could figure out when they were!? I would be a terrible Catholic monk because I was only able to be at one complete service, the evening prayers.? I went several other times and they had already completed the services.? The schedule provided in the rooms were obviously “appoximate” times and they didn’t wait for the retreat guests.
Overall, I had a really great time with the Lord on several hikes in the beautiful Ozarks hills.? Actually only there 23 hours and just when you got acclimated to the routine, it was time to leave. ? The monastic life is quite noble for these men to give their entire lives to God through a quiet life (yes, they speak.)? Actually had a very good conversation with the Abbot, Father Mark.
I have been reading about Sabbath and rest in God.? It was good to go, next time I will carve out more TIME to go.? I could say that about a lot of things.