Faith Like A Beach House
Left dormant for too long, left to the buffeting effects of wind and rain, waiting out the scorching summers and unattended winters, my faith begins to stink. I had foolishly thought that time would be the vehicle of sanctification, that being an older Christian would automatically make me a more Christ-like Christian. But it hasn’t. The veneer on my faith looked uncomfortably like the veneer on our shack.
The excitement ebbed away with my first breath. Now, to be honest, I’m not an overly excitable guy; I’m fairly reserved in my displays of emotion, but I had been undeniably excited, that much was clear. But not any more.
A week or two earlier, my wife and I had purchased on old van, circa late 70’s, that had been permanently parked on a slab of concrete, wrapped in old corrugated iron, and had numerous little extensions tacked onto it over the last 30 years or so. Our intention was to make some small renovations, tidy it up, and use it as a beach house retreat for family holidays, and as a place for others in need of some Sabbath rest to have an inexpensive break away. The location is stunning. Nestled among the Australian bush landscape, overlooking a quiet stretch of water that winds its way out into the Pacific Ocean, sits our little shack. In my mind, the primary vision was wrapped in all the potential, the finished product, the place where I and others could rest. Of course, somewhere in the back of my consciousness was the annoying voice of the realist the dwells within, “You got a fair bit of work here, mate. It’s not going to be easy.”
I’d say that my sense of expectation was most akin to the hopes and dreams of my youth—full of visions for how thing will be, without giving much thought for the journey required to get there. I recall the zeal of my early 20’s, the vision I’d constructed of my victorious Christian life, the ministries I’d have transformed, and maybe even built. I remember thinking about how much easier my Christian life would be when I was older, when I’d conquered youthful lusts, had overcame the temptations that assailed me, and looked more like Jesus than I did then. I guess I must have thought that with enough time, things would get better, as though the passing of years would, in and of themselves, achieve something that I longed for.
But now, here I am looking at my Beach House—the passing of time had not been kind. Of course, there was a kind of rustic charm, a weathered patina that told a story of the years that etched themselves into it—yet there was no mistaking it, more time was not the cure for what ails my crumbling little shack.
-
Let Down Your Nets For A Catch
If the workers obediently cast their nets into the deep Christ’s way then those drawn into the net will be genuine because they are effectually called by God Himself. When He saves someone, it is always genuine for it is not simply a human decision, but it is the result of the washing of regeneration and belief in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. These are justified by God’s grace through the faith given to them by Him.
4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4 (NASB)
The builder and sustainer of the Church, the Body of Christ, is the Lord Jesus not any man (Matthew 16:18). The building of the true Church is accomplished as God works through the foolishness of preaching to draw people from the darkness into the light and life that is found in Christ alone. It is built up in Christ through the means of grace, which are ordained by God not men. While we see that it is God who actually is doing the building, He has chosen to work through His servants to accomplish that which will bring Him glory. These servants that He uses as fishers of men are symbolically like the fishermen in their boats on the Sea of Galilee who cast their nets to catch fish to sell as their business. Let us make some comparisons.
1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. Luke 5:1-7 (NASB)
This event happened immediately prior to our Lord calling His first disciples. Notice that without our Lord being with Peter, James and John they toiled all night and caught nothing. However, our Lord got in the boat, taught the people and told Peter, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” The difference this time was that this is a divine command, although Peter does not know it. The partners who had to come and help drag the great catch to shore were the brothers James and John. I don’t often like to make these sorts of analogies from Scripture for I have heard so many that are man-made things that some take and overuse to the deception of many. However, in this case, we are looking at something our Lord used to teach these men the truth about God and how He uses His servants to do His will in the preaching of the Gospel and the building of His Church.
If we compare the mindset of many Christians, they believe that it is their efforts, their ideas, their inovations that when added to preaching the gospel (if it even includes it) that will cause numbers to go up and that many will be added to the Kingdom because of their efforts. From this analogy, however, we learn that a true catch, the saving of many souls is always the work of God as He labors through His obedient servants. If He is not present then the fruit will not be genuine. If our Lord is not part of an evangelical push then it can only accomplish what men can do. Some may ‘decide for Jesus’ as the result of the entertainment or the glitz or the personality of the preacher, but is it genuine? No, it is as these fishermen laboring all night and catching nothing. However, if the workers obediently cast their nets into the deep Christ’s way then those drawn into the net will be genuine because they are effectually called by God Himself. When He saves someone, it is always genuine for it is not simply a human decision, but it is the result of the washing of regeneration and belief in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. These are justified by God’s grace through the faith given to them by Him. Numbers may or may not be large, but these who are effectually called and drawn by God are the real deal. The “catch” is miraculous for it is God’s work not man’s.
Read More -
The 8 Stages of Long-Term Pastoral Ministry
Shepherd for the long run, brothers. Avoid living for the short blazes of glory. One day every shepherd will give an accounting to the Chief Shepherd. May we be able to offer a good report from every stage.
You’re a recent seminary grad, and you’ve just been elected to your first pastorate. What might a young pastor expect in the years ahead?
Or perhaps you’re starting year 10 and everything’s going well, but you feel tired, even stagnant. How can you continue to navigate the twists and turns of pastoral ministry and endure over the long haul?
Unique experiences and challenges grace every stage of ministry. If only I’d known the tendencies common to age and experience, I might’ve better navigated the sometimes rough terrain. If hindsight is 20/20, then allow some hindsight to offer perspective for a pastor’s future.
Here are eight lessons I’ve learned related to ministry stages.
1. Seminary is behind me, and I’m ready. (Years 1–2)
Illusion engulfs many who venture into pastoral ministry. They’ve spent years parsing Greek verbs, wrestling with theological conundrums, and tracking through centuries of church history. Well-armed, they attempt to wield ministry tools with zeal—only to find disinterested congregations.
Most churches are happy to have a seminary graduate as pastor, but they don’t really care about the Puritans or the Synoptic Problem. They want to know how to hold their congregation together so it can live to celebrate another anniversary. Generally, size has limited their ability to keep a pastor for very long, so it’s hard to trust a new pastor, especially a fresh-faced seminary grad.
The young pastor starts with a handicap.
What must he do? Learn to shepherd. They’ll listen more intently if you love and listen to them. They’ll teach things you never dreamed about in seminary, things you’ll need for subsequent years.
2. Why did I bother with seminary? (Years 3–5)
At this stage, you realize seminary prepared you for the study and pulpit, but not the grind of counseling, meetings, leadership struggles, conflict, and personal endurance. Seminary has its place. It’s needed. It loads your wagon for years ahead. But it cannot equip you for the interpersonal challenges erupting weekly.
Pastoral work is about relationships. No wonder it tests your mettle! You’re called to love and shepherd even the unkind and hardened. And that can’t happen without working on your own heart.
What must a pastor do? Go deep in devotion and prayer. Fight your sin. Die daily. Learn to love as Christ has loved you. Some give up on pastoral ministry because they’ve met hard people and can’t continue shepherding in the face of rejection. But pastoral ministry is “a long obedience in the same direction,” to borrow Eugene Peterson’s phrase. At this stage, the best lesson is that you must grow as a Christian, too.
3. Will the real church stand up? (Years 5–7)
After weathering some battles, in years five to seven the pastor is ready to see his congregation live like God’s people. He’s walked in faithfulness, learned about loving the body, grown in his personal disciplines, and now longs to see the church manifest the beauty of unity in Christ.
Glimmers of love, holiness, and unity emerge. He longs to see more. His passion for the church grows. His love for the people matures. He begins to see his congregation’s uniqueness and how it might best display the glory of the gospel in relationships, ministry, and mission.
What must a pastor do? Keep a steady pace to avoid burnout. Take breaks to recharge. Don’t grow weary in doing the work of ministry, and don’t try to do it all yourself. You can’t and you mustn’t. Some trees need years of pruning and care to start bearing good fruit. Fight complacency and weariness; your best days are ahead. -
German Catholic Priests Come Out as Queer, Demand Reform
The Vatican, home of the pope and the Roman Catholic Church, ruled last year that priests cannot bless same-sex unions and that such blessings weren’t valid. But the ruling also reignited a debate on the matter, and there was considerable resistance against it in some parts of Germany.
The Roman Catholic Church in Germany on Sunday faced renewed calls for better protection of LGBTQ rights and an end to institutional discrimination against queer people.
Around 125 people, including former and current priests, teachers, church administrators and volunteers, identified themselves as gay and queer, asking the church to take into account their demands and do away with “outdated statements of church doctrine” when it comes to sexuality and gender.
The members of the church community published seven demands on social media under the “OutInChurch” initiative. These demands range from queer people saying they should be able to live without fear and have access to all kinds of activities and occupations in the church without discrimination.
They said their sexual orientation must never be considered a breach of loyalty or reason for dismissal from their occupation. They ask the church to revise its statements on sexuality based on “theological and human-scientific findings.”
Read More
