My former pastor Bill Hybels did not learn how to fall safely. We all fall down in life, but have we learned to fall safely? When pastors and leaders for Christ fall unsafely it hurts them, their families, and the people they serve. As a mega church pastor with worldwide influence, Bill Hybels’ recent fall…
One thing that helped turn me around before I totally burned out was to look prayerfully at the life of Jesus. I studied the Gospels carefully and learned some surprising things that I hadn’t been taught in church. I saw Jesus setting boundaries repeatedly. I share the full results of this study into the confident…
We all want to be happy, but that can depress us! A pastor in my counseling office forced a smile, “I’m happy to support our friends who left our church to help out at a new church.” Aaron sounded so mature, so loving. But I could see disappointment in his eyes and discouragement in his…
“If there were a blood test for workaholism I’m sure Dallas would come up positive.” That’s a comment Jane Willard made to Gary Moon for his new biography Becoming Dallas Willard. (p. 138) You may relate to Jane or to Dallas. Kristi and I do, as do many of the men and women in ministry…
If you’re caring for people that have been traumatized or are in crisis then you’re suffering with them vicariously. If you’re a pastor, you probably think you live in a nice city, but actually you’re in a spiritual and emotional war zone! Just being a tender-hearted person in our world today exposes you to vicarious…
What do you hate the most about yourself? What is the thing about you that most frustrates and embarrasses you? The thing you wish you could change but can’t? At Soul Shepherding we care for pastors and recently they’ve confessed: “My ambition is causing me to neglect my wife.” “We keep pumping up our successes…
Our thoughts can be “like monkeys jumping around in a banana tree,” Henri Nouwen writes. (The full quote is in our article on “Solitude and Silence”.) Have you noticed any monkeys jumping around in your brain? Do you find yourself over-stressed, distractible, irritable, judging yourself or others, or anxious? That’s the impish monkeys! They screech…
If your church isn’t growing numerically or in spiritual depth or if it has been torn apart by conflict a major reason may be the neglect of Sabbath. It’s through continual Sabbath rest that we learn to trust God, waiting on his leadership and joining his work — rather than trying to control people and…
“I’m busy all the time,” a pastor told me. “And I love it!” But a few years later he blew out and lost his church. Then he let me inside the world of his soul. “Growing my church was like a drug,” he confessed. “I miss being the one in charge and on stage. I…
“The reason I share my junk with you,” a pastor disclosed. “Is because you’re not a monkish spiritual formation guy. I can’t relate to the contemplative spiritual direction types.” We hear this a lot from pastors. This is one reason why in last week’s Soul Shepherding blog/email I blurted out, “Spiritual Disciplines are Dung!” I…