Hello my friends! It's been a long time, hasn't it? I apologize for the absence of my thoughts on the internet lately. It's been a fairly hectic time. For the last three weeks, I have spent much time in other places, busy with many things. I took my final class toward my doctoral degree in St. Louis, MO, for two weeks, and then followed that up almost immediately to spend time with 3 young people from our congregation at the National Youth Gathering, along with about 25,000 young people from our church body. Needless to say, it's good to be back home with my family, in my familiar bed, and to get back into the routine of life.
In some ways, though, ministry is not "routine". During my weekly schedule, I attempt to set aside regular time for things such as reading, studying, preparing for studies and sermons, and the like. But you know what typically happens, right? The phone rings. And rings again. Then, someone stops by for a few minutes. Then there are the occasional really big things that pop up. The funeral. The wedding. The hospital visit, sometimes for something relatively minor, and other times for something fairly major. The youth that needs some guidance or direction. Planning things out with the rest of the staff. And suddenly, lack of routine becomes the routine.
That was no less true for Jesus, by the way. How many times did He want to go off and pray or sleep, but the crowds needed more from Him? How often was He hungry, but the needs of the people nourished His soul more than any bread would have? And yet, Jesus took it far more graciously than how I tend to take interruptions and disruptions. So every once in a while, I need to remind myself that life is not simply about my routine.
However, at the same time, it's good to know what's coming, and to work to create some sort of plan or routine for life and work. It's so much easier when you know what's coming up, and where you are expected to be. It's easier to get into the proper frame of mind when you know you are going to be studying, or preparing a bible study or a sermon. Routine brings a level of anticipation and preparedness, which we so often need in our lives.
Anyway, the long and the short of it is, you can probably expect a few more frequent posts now. But don't be surprised every once in a while when routine gets disrupted, and you might not hear from me for a day or two (or more).
In some ways, though, ministry is not "routine". During my weekly schedule, I attempt to set aside regular time for things such as reading, studying, preparing for studies and sermons, and the like. But you know what typically happens, right? The phone rings. And rings again. Then, someone stops by for a few minutes. Then there are the occasional really big things that pop up. The funeral. The wedding. The hospital visit, sometimes for something relatively minor, and other times for something fairly major. The youth that needs some guidance or direction. Planning things out with the rest of the staff. And suddenly, lack of routine becomes the routine.
That was no less true for Jesus, by the way. How many times did He want to go off and pray or sleep, but the crowds needed more from Him? How often was He hungry, but the needs of the people nourished His soul more than any bread would have? And yet, Jesus took it far more graciously than how I tend to take interruptions and disruptions. So every once in a while, I need to remind myself that life is not simply about my routine.
However, at the same time, it's good to know what's coming, and to work to create some sort of plan or routine for life and work. It's so much easier when you know what's coming up, and where you are expected to be. It's easier to get into the proper frame of mind when you know you are going to be studying, or preparing a bible study or a sermon. Routine brings a level of anticipation and preparedness, which we so often need in our lives.
Anyway, the long and the short of it is, you can probably expect a few more frequent posts now. But don't be surprised every once in a while when routine gets disrupted, and you might not hear from me for a day or two (or more).
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