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…
Soul Shepherding’s Sabbatical Guide has met a huge need. In has been downloaded over 21,000 times so far. We’re thankful that pastors and leaders like you have found this resource and then passed it along to your staff or colleagues, whether in church, Christian education, or nonprofit ministries. It is our hope that our Soul Shepherding…
“Play! Play!! Play!!!” that’s what our friend Papa Joe Johnson said to Kristi and I in our time of need. How do you play? When do you have fun? Do you know how to have fun with Jesus? This is an important question for your living and loving. Play rejuvenates us in the happy joy…
As you read this Kristi and I have just begun a Sabbatical together! Since starting Soul Shepherding in 2009 I’ve helped other pastors go on Sabbatical, but even though I was ordained as a pastor back in 1995 this is our first Sabbatical. We’d very much appreciate you supporting us by praying for God to bless…
What were Jesus’ personal Sabbath days like? He went to the synagogue and rested (alone or with a few friends), which included him taking walks through grain fields or by the lake and having conversations with people. Something we often see Jesus do on Sabbath days is to respond to the needs of the people…
“Wave after wave of God’s love washes over me.” This little prayer inspired by Psalm 42:7 is a good summary of the ten days Kristi and I have been enjoying in Kauai. We’re thankful for our friends who provided for us to stay in their timeshare! As I write to you I’m sitting on the…
We just took our youngest child to college and arrived home to an empty nest. I said to Bill, “I feel like a baseball batter who has had balls constantly being thrown to me, one after the other, and I keeping hitting them even if I don’t like the pitch!” I was emotionally spent and…
Readers of our Soul Shepherding Devotionals will know that being unhurried with Jesus is a theme I often write about. That’s because hurry is such a problem for many of us. So I was thankful to have Alan Fadling, a friend and colleague of mine, give a talk for a group of pastors and leaders on his new book, An Unhurried Life: Following Jesus’ Rhythms of Work and Rest. Here are my notes.