Last week I shared quotes I have posted on Google+ (G+) over the years. I compiled that list of quotes more out of necessity than because of some divine unction. G+ is closing down in April. I had been saving G+ information to another WordPress site for backup. Then I started noticing themes, first prayer, now a theme that reflects my heart as a pastor.
I shared on Prayer and received some good feedback. So I would like to continue to share some of these themes that have resonated with me over time. Am I following a divine unction? I don’t know, but the least I can do is encourage someone. This theme is on Pastoring and Leadership (from the G+ collection), and it includes some of my own thoughts as well along the journey.
2014
“The side of education that has been neglected is embodied truth, the truth that lives in me and in you, the truth that we are called to live out, to be.” – Robert E. Webber (G+ 05.05.14)
“If thou wilt be perfect [Matthew 19.21]. Great enterprises are always left to the free choice of those who hear of them.” – Jerome (G+ 11.08.14)
2015
Joseph the next couple weeks – the enemy attacks dreamers. I’m not sure anyone has had it as rough as Joseph has, yet he never loses sight of God’s Providence and faithfulness. If Joseph can hold on to God, and God can come through for Joseph . . . we can’t use the past as an excuse that stops us from what God has for us now! (JVI, G+ 05.20.15)
“When God reveals His vision to a local assembly, it’s a signal that He has already made provision for its realization.” – Jean-Paul Engler (G+ 08.03.15)
“Why do you think thousands joined the Church in the early days? Very simple – people heard not only a teaching about the Kingdom of God but actually witnessed practical Kingdom living among God’s people. They saw it in their devotion toward God and His word, in their love for each other, and in their fervency in prayer . . . the greatest responsibility of leadership is to implement a Kingdom ‘culture’ in the local church.” – Jean-Paul Engler (G+ 08.04.15)
“One of the greatest difficulties a local pastor faces in leading a body of believers is when the people of his church have not yet made the transition from being attending believers to participating disciples.” – Jean-Paul Engler (G+ 08.05.15)
“The local pastor to whom God has communicated the specific vision, regardless of how much help and support he may need, must have the freedom to implement his God-given vision . . . we should be very careful never to hinder the specific expression of the Body of Christ in a particular location or cultural setting” – Jean-Paul Engler (G+ 08.06.15)
“God instructs Habakkuk to make the vision he’s about to receive ‘plain’ [2.2]. Most will agree that plain means simple, uncluttered, not redundant, and to-the-point. God is not, nor will He ever be, the author of confusion. When God communicates His vision for a local church to a pastor, He will only let His servant in on the portion of the vision he is able to handle at the time he receives it.” – Jean-Paul Engler (G+ 08.08.15)
“For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountain of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.” – Dr. Robert Jastrow, Physicist, Founding Director, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (G+ 08.25.15)
“When we lead as shepherds, our confidence is in only one thing: the word of the Great Shepherd, coming through us or, otherwise, to his sheep. We know that they know his voice and will not follow another (Jn 10:1-16). We do not want them to follow another, even if we ourselves are that ‘other.’ Only this supreme confidence frees us to be true ministers of Christ.” – Dallas Willard (G+ 09.19.15)
“Old Testament prophets looked ahead to the last days without indicating just when they would be. Their purpose was not to satisfy people’s curiosity, but to focus on God’s purpose and to use the prophecies as an incentive for obeying God’s will in the present.” – Stanley M. Horton (G+ 11.07.15)
“The preacher must in a very real sense become a sociologist analyzing the social and ethical needs of the flock before applying the text to meet those needs. In some ways it is as important to analyze the congregation’s needs accurately as it is to exegete the text correctly.” – Grant Osborne (G+ 11.13.15)
“The role of the biblical scholar, as scholar, is to be a servant of the biblical text, to guard its otherness, to help make its substantive content something modern people can in some way experience and understand, in its particularity and in its otherness.” – Michael LaFargue (G+ 11.18.15)
2016
“Thou art a preacher of the Word; mind thy business.” – Old Puritan Saying (G+ 01.20.16)
“The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.” – John Sculley, former Pepsi and Apple CEO (G+ 02.10.16)
“Jesus used the word ‘servant’ as a synonym for greatness, contrary to popular opinion today. He taught that a leader’s greatness is measured by a total commitment to serve others.” – Frank Damazio on Mark 10.43-45 (G+ 02.15.16)
“The New Testament pattern of preaching the gospel consists of more than verbally communicating the rational content of the gospel. It also includes proclaiming the full gospel, which includes demonstrations of the cross and the power of God. It is preaching with full authority and power with faith for the supernatural to break out among us.” – Frank Damazio (G+ 02.16.16)
“The devil does not mind the written word, but he is put to flight whenever it is preached aloud.” – Martin Luther (G+ 08.01.16)
“Preaching is not just a science or an art. It is impartation into life.” – Frank Damazio (G+ 08.01.16)
2017
“The texts of the NT [New Testament] were formed in the cauldron of community formation and witness; as a consequence, interpretation of those texts that does not lead to vital discipleship and mission hardly has a claim to being New Testament interpretation.” – Joel B. Green (G+ 03.06.17)
“One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that its leaders constantly gave in to the temptation of power – political power, military power, economic power, or moral and spiritual power – even though they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not cling to his divine power but emptied himself and became as we are.” – Henri J.M. Nouwen (G+ 08.14.17)
Sometimes when researching intense NT Theology it’s good to listen to groups like Altar Boys, The Choir, and Mad at the World really loud in the house . . . when everyone is gone (JVI, G+ 09.24.17)
No disrespect meant at all and probably only a few of my friends will get this anyway, but I couldn’t pass it up . . . “Apophatic Tea-ology” (JVI, G+ 10.25.17)
2018
“. . . no one alone can understand any of the prophecies . . .” [2 Peter 1.20-21, CEV]. Alone is the Greek word “idios.” Guess what word we derive from it? Idolizing great Christian individuals the way we do, of our day or of the past, would have nearly been considered neuroticism by our spiritual ancestors. Maybe one perspective isn’t enough. (JVI, G+ 01.19.18)
I’ve just completed a writing project to be published in the summer of 2020! I serve as part of a cross-denominational team of discipleship authors. (JVI, G+ 03.10.18)
Leadership Question: “‘What is the ratio of time I spend solving problems to the time I spend scaling successes?’ We need to switch from archaeological problem solving to bright-spot evangelizing.” – Chip & Dan Heath (G+ 03.19.18)
“If you are leading a change effort, you need to remove the ambiguity from your vision of change. Granted, this is asking a lot. It means you need to know how to script the critical moves.” One study categorized organizations: Top (most successful 1/3), Middle (1/3), and Bottom (least successful 1/3). It was discovered that almost everyone sets goals. However, 89% of the Top 1/3 set behavioral goals vs. 33% of the Bottom 1/3. – The Heath Brothers (G+ 06.02.18)
I had the honor of preaching at Harbor Light Christian Center on Sunday. Although we know some of the members already, it was great to get acquainted with the congregation. I thoroughly enjoyed the extended time of worship and prayer before the sharing of the Word. Thank you Pastor Peter for the opportunity! (JVI, G+ 08.18.18)
I’m grateful to have become a ministerial colleague and friend of Father Christopher Jarvis, who returned to Traverse City a couple years ago after studying in Rome. He is a light in our region. He now returns to Rome for further studies, where I know he will continue to shine the light of God’s grace. Please pray for wisdom, and the mind of Christ, as he pursues his interests on the virtues, charisms, and gifts of the Holy Spirit. FYI: He joined me for one of the first podcasts on my blog. We took time to discuss how Protestants and Evangelicals could participate in the season of Lent. (JVI, G+ 09.07.18)
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