This question from the inventory often feels like one of the most superficial and yet difficult to answer questions. Age should not matter in our life or ministry and God can and will use us in the midst of the benefits and drawbacks of any season of life. This question is rooted in our physical […]
Blog Posts
Do I check in with a counselor at least yearly?
This is one of those questions on the self-care inventory that could easily make anyone uncomfortable. There is still something in our culture, perhaps even more so amongst ministry leaders, staff and clergy that makes us think that we should not and cannot have problems, and if we did, we would never share them. This […]
Conflict & Care
I have yet to meet a leader who is not impacted by conflict. We all experience it as it is a reality of leadership and life. Conflict can be one of our greatest enemies to personal health and self-care. For this blog entry I am including an article I have written about some of my […]
Do I Practice Spiritual Disciplines on a Regular Basis?
The spiritual disciplines are the practices we utilize to form habits that cause us to more freely live in God’s grace. They should be consistent with Scripture, tradition, reason and history. Reading the scripture, prayer, solitude, meditation, fasting, and many others constitute the spiritual disciplines. Often as ministry leaders, we practice these things as part […]
What are the obstacles I face that prevent me from a greater focus on self-care?
Self-care is hard for most human beings, at least those in the United States. I believe it to be especially hard for Christian leaders, because it does not seem to be a priority in the church or other Christian organizations. Whether is based out of some flawed understanding of sacrifice, the temptation to produce to […]
Do I stay in ministry because I feel called by God or do I feel trapped?
I thought it would be good to get back to the main goal of this blog and return to reflecting on the various statements and questions in the self-care inventory that I have posted in the blog. This is one of the important questions that everyone in ministry (in any capacity) should carefully consider. Many […]
Identity
Most people struggle with identity at one level or another. In fact, many of us struggle with identity in varying intensities throughout our lives. Our gender, culture, churches, media and families influence and often try to force particular aspects of our identity upon us. As leaders in the church, identity is important as so often […]
Pruning
Seasons are important, not just for our climate, but for our lives as well. There are weather seasons, seasons in the church, and seasons of life. As we reflect on our spiritual lives the gospel of John contains a lot of helpful imagery on the seasons we face as we journey with Jesus Christ. The […]
Sabbath
An excerpt modified from a sermon I wrote on Sabbath: Sabbath. It’s the third commandment. It’s one of the top ten for God, and it even made the top three. It follows not having other Gods and not taking God’s name in vain. It’s important. I have never been one to believe that the Ten […]
How is your Path?
In one area of Africa where Christianity began to spread, converts were zealous about daily devotions. They would find their own spot within the wild thickets and our their hearts out to God. After some time the spots became well-worn, and paths were created. Soon, one’s prayer life was made public. If someone began to […]