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Thursday November 5, 2009

The Church's Educational Ministry

Preaching.jpgIn a post last month I raised the issue of Third Way preaching, and this is what I said:

A genuine Third Way will get beyond the Sunday morning sermon as the primary form of spiritual formation and education in a local church, and neither Belcher nor Pagitt seem to approach preaching through the lens of a larger formational program with clearly defined outcomes. A genuine Third Way will form a well-rounded and adaptable formation program that guides all sermons, all teaching, and all activities in the church. Sermons will be seen as one part of the formational ministry of the church. In other words, Third Way preaching is rooted in the overall outcomes of the church.

I'd like to address this issue this month in a weekly series of outcome-based preaching. Today's post addresses the big idea of outcome based education and how it can impact churches.

The focus shifts from what the pastor-teacher knows and what the pastor-teacher says and how the pastor-teacher performs and that the pastor-teacher informs the congregation to each person in the congregation being a learner whom the pastor is equipping for learning and living.

Friday October 16, 2009

Pastors Teaching Pastors

EugPet.jpgFree book offer at bottom of this post!

Pastors need to hear from fellow pastors. There's a place for pastors listening to biblical experts -- when they study the Bible. There's a place for pastors listening to theologians -- when they need to study theology. But there's a place where only a pastor can speak to another pastor. I've been there, and I have to sit back and listen and sometimes I can't even enter into the conversation because it's out of my (pastoral) depth. I know what the words mean, but they don't resonate with my experience.

Hence, I recommend two recent books on pastoral work. The first is by Mel Lawrenz, pastor at Elmbrook outside Milwaukee, and his new book addresses bringing the whole church into a whole ministry: Whole Church: Leading from Fragmentation to Engagement (J-B Leadership Network Series) . His vision is for a "whole" church -- with God, God's people, the community, and the world. This book is for pastors and by a pastor who has been there: with fragmentation and the concrete steps involved in healing and bringing back to wholeness. I really liked part two:

Tuesday October 6, 2009

Third Way Preaching: A Proposal

Preaching.jpg

In light of Jim Belcher's response to Doug Pagitt's own proposal for "progressional dialogue," I want to weigh in with what I suggest is my own proposal for a Third Way.  I have been in contact with a few persons who wanted to know what I thought about Belcher's response to Pagitt so here goes...

First this: I will critique both Belcher and Pagitt for what they have not said, and I infer from what they have not said to the conclusion that they have not emphasized what I think needs to be emphasized more (and that will be my proposal below). 

I think Jim Belcher's proposal is still traditionalist, and all the terms folks find for preaching they don't like - one-way, etc - is critique of bad preaching and not critique of traditional preaching. There is an important place for public declaration; there always has been and there always will be.  Jim believes this but the problem with the traditionalist approach is bad preaching, not preaching. Jim and I agree on the importance of preaching and the need to avoid bad preaching (who doesn't?), but his approach remains traditionalist (more later).

But Pagitt's proposal, which has progressive features in it and a hermeneutic that needs more definition, is also still too traditional for it is locked too much into what happens on Sunday. I take his suggestion of community discussion of a text to be a step forward, but his "progressional dialogue" model (as I recall from reading his book and blogging about it when it came out) still appears to me to be too directed at what happens in the "sermon" (call it "progressional dialogue" or something else) in one setting. Yes, he advocates participation of the church in the sermon, but it is still focused on the sermon (as far as I know).

Friday October 2, 2009

The Evangelical Flip and a Call for a Conference

Bible.jpgEvangelical pastors have flipped in the last generation. 30-40 years ago what most incited excitement was a new book by the arch-pastor and expositor, John Stott, expositing a New Testament book or a J.I. Packer book on theology. Today's evangelicals pastors are enamored with the latest book on leadership, like that morsel of an idea in the book called Tribes, or the latest book on management, or the latest fad in creativity.

These are often pastors who, if we were to ask them what is in some Old Testament book or some chapter in Ephesians, to take two soundings, would not know what we were talking about.

When good pastors or good scholars come out with insightful expositions of pastoral leadership, and stick to what the Bible says or even plumb the depths of some of the great books on pastoral leadership -- like Pope Gregory, we see almost no interest.

So let me say this: (too many) evangelical leaders have become too enamored with management skills and techniques and have neglected the nitty-gritty of soaking themselves in the great texts of the Old and the New Testament.

We need a conference, at some church, devoted to one thing: two days of exposition of key biblical texts on pastoral theology and ministry. And no one can bring up a modern management or leadership expert; and no publisher or book table present can sell anything but commentaries.

Who will host it? Who wants to know what the Bible says?

Thursday October 1, 2009

Deep Church as Third Way 8

ThirdWay.jpgAre there any new emerging proposals for preaching?  Jim Belcher, in Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional examines the theory of Doug Pagitt. (I blogged about that book with Doug when it came out, and since then I've done more thinking about his proposal.)

The questions I have are these: Do you think there is a problem with preaching in the traditional model? (We need to hear from you.) What are the problems? Is it what Pagitt calls "speaching"? Is there a way forward? What needs to be done?

Do you think Doug Pagitt's preaching proposals are typical or uncommon or rare among emerging types? Or is it unique to Doug and Solomon's Porch? What proposals are you hearing about emerging preaching?

But this post is about Belcher's proposal for preaching a Third Way. Belcher criticizes traditional preaching through a few stereotypes: he calls it "moralistic preaching" and it produces either Pharisees or or dispirited dropouts.

Tuesday September 22, 2009

The Pastor's Schedule: Jim Martin Advises

Recently we had a conversation about the pastor's time schedule, and Jim Martin, a friend, posted a comment I thought deserved a separate post. So here it is...This is such an important concern. Working with a church can eat you...

Thursday July 23, 2009

Plagiarizing Sermons

A repost on a topic that is always relevant: The NY Times ran an article about pastors swiping sermons from sermon sources, and then Out of Ur ran a piece which got some comments. I'm wondering what you think. Here...

Friday July 17, 2009

Tell us what you think: from John LaGrou

John LaGrou is avant garde when it comes to the power and value of technology. In this post, he questions the long term value and survival of the Sunday sermon. What do you think?Antoine at MMM asks, "How Do Faith-Based...

Monday July 6, 2009

What is the purpose of a sermon?

Today I'm following (here and here) the live blogging of the conference on preaching at Mars Hill with Rob Bell, Pete Rollins, and Shane Hipps. In the midst of the comments I have heard is one potent question and I'd...

Monday April 20, 2009

Pastors and Vacations: by PW

By PW: It's that time of year when we as a family usually realize we haven't made a plan for vacation yet this year! Sometimes we make vacation plans at the last minute due to the lack of discretionary funds,...

Monday January 5, 2009

Pastor Pages on Church websites

We live in an era of the informal, an impact of the 1960s. Friday is casual for many businesses; pastors go by first names; professors don't have to wear ties or coats and some wear blue jeans; kids "hang out"...

Tuesday December 16, 2008

Did that just happen?

When Kris and I got to the airport in Atlanta Sunday afternoon, we had one of those "Did all that just happen to us?" moments. Some of you may know that I was asked to preach at North Point Community...

Monday October 6, 2008

Zoe

Kris and I were invited by the good folks connected to the Zoe Conference to come to Nashville last week (Woodmont Hills, Family of God Church): Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We loved it -- and there are so many things...

Saturday September 27, 2008

Join us!

Why they don't have my mug in that set of photos is beyond me. 8) How in the world do they put up Skye's bald melon and not mine?...

Monday September 22, 2008

The Corinth Brethren

This weekend Kris and I were in Twelve Mile Indiana at the kind invitation and warm hospitality of Mike and Joy Thompson. We did a Jesus Creed day with a group from Corinth Brethren Church and some pastors in the...

Friday September 5, 2008

Elders: Only Male?

Let me try to summarize an argument I'm hearing today. It goes like this: Since Paul's statements about elders/bishops/overseers/deacons are clearly addressed to males, those "offices" or "roles" or "leadership positions" are designed by God to be for males only....

Wednesday September 3, 2008

Preaching: Notes or No Notes?

What is the best way to preach? To use notes -- even to the point of reading a sermon -- or not to use notes? Fred Lybrand, a Southern Baptist preacher who seems to be cutting his own path, opts...

Thursday August 28, 2008

Stuart Briscoe's Well Lived Life

One thing I regret about our decades long life in Chicagoland is that we did not more often get up to Elmbrook Church to listen to Stuart Briscoe's sermons, for surely he has been one of our generation's most capable...

Tuesday July 22, 2008

Australian Consolation: Anger

In 2006 Moore Theological College in Sydney Australia held a conference on the consolations of theology and Brian Rosner edited the papers into a little book worthy of pastoral considerations. The title is The Consolations of Theology. Six studies of...

Monday June 23, 2008

Advent Christians

Sam Warren, a former pastor and now the national director of Christian nurture in the Advent Christian Church invited me to give two workshops and be a plenary speaker at the Triennial meetings of the denomination. So, Saturday morning I...

Friday June 13, 2008

Sermons and Plagiarism

There is a very good piece here from the CT gallery of websites that many of us would do well to read and print out and keep near us. It's about the value and dangers -- plagiarism -- of using...

Friday June 6, 2008

A Letter from the Depths of the Soul

Hello Scot, I am a reader of your blog and very much respect your opinion on spiritual matters. Over 10 years ago I had cancer. The treatments I went through were very difficult, but effective as I am cancer free...

Friday May 30, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: Don Johnson

This marks the end of our series from pastors. I have really enjoyed this series, I hope you have too, but I want to acknowledge their contributions publicly. Thanks. We probably won't know who helpful this is. While we were...

Thursday May 29, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: Father Rob

Imagine a big holiday meal with all the trimmings where only one person is responsible for cooking, serving, and cleaning it up. At the end of the day, that person would be pretty tired, wouldn’t they?! Now imagine a big...

Monday May 26, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: Jim Martin

If I were to start over, what would I be sure to practice? Self-care Self-care is not only good stewardship of the self but also a gift to the church. When a Christian minister practices self-care, the congregation is blessed!...

Friday May 23, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: David Fitch

"If I could begin all over again" is a hard sentence for me to apply to myself for I still think of myself as just beginning. I feel like I am learning things today I should have known twenty years...

Wednesday May 21, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: Nancy Lewis

Nancy Lewis is a pastor at the Oakland Covenant Church in Oakland California. What Should A Pastor Focus On? It’s always about the people in your midst. Who is God bringing to you, giving you opportunity to shine His light...

Monday May 19, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: John Ortberg

John Ortberg, pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church outside San Francisco, responds to our question today: If I could begin ministry all over again, I would spend time seeking to become a healthier person, emotionally and spiritually. I spent a...

Friday May 16, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: Alice Shirey

Alice Shirey, pastor in Des Moines IA, responds to our question today: I come at Scot’s question from a unique perspective. For much of my adult life I sat in the pew; I didn’t stand in the pulpit. I listened...

Wednesday May 14, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: John Frye

Pastoring: If I Started Over What Would I Focus On? John W Frye Fellowship Evangelical Covenant Church in near Grand Rapids, responds today to that question. Graduated from DTS in 1975 and have been a pastor since (except for 2...

Monday May 12, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: Rose Madrid-Swetman

This post is from Rose Madrid-Swetman, a missional pastor at the Vineyard church in Shoreline, WA. Scot: If you could begin all over again, what one thing would you have focused on more? Or, put differently, what wisdom would you...

Friday May 9, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: Bob Smallman

If you could begin all over again, what one thing would you have focused on more? Or, put differently, what wisdom would you give to a new pastor if you were asked this question: What should I focus on? Here's...

Wednesday May 7, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: Cindy Nicholson

Cindy Nicholson, Asst. Pastor, Vineyard Christian Church of Evanston; Cindy is also on task forces and committees at the national level of the Vineyard; she responds to our pastor's wisdom question: If you could begin all over again, what one...

Monday May 5, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: Kent Anderson

Today I begin a series devoted to Pastor's wisdom, and our question we asked of seasoned pastors was this: If you knew then what you know now, what would you have focused on? Or, in light of what you now...

Friday May 2, 2008

Pastor's Wisdom: A Series

Starting Monday, and while Kris and I are in South Africa, we will begin a series I've called Pastor's Wisdom. I asked a series of seasoned pastors this question: If you could start all over again, knowing what you know...

Monday April 14, 2008

Pentecost in South Africa

As some of you may know, we will be in Rustenburg South Africa for Pentecost with the Dutch Reformed Church. I will be speaking on Sunday morning and then each evening through Thursday (May 4-8) in a series on Pentecost....

Thursday April 3, 2008

Another Letter from an Emerging Pastor

I probably get asked this question more than any other. Which means quite often. Again, used with permission and only slightly edited. Hi Scot. First, let me say that I appreciate your writing and your heart. I have used some...

Wednesday April 2, 2008

Letter from an Emerging Pastor

A letter from a pastor; permission granted to publish here; we are seeking your wisdom.. Scot, Hello. We met when you visited the area and I have appreciated your blog for a while now. I came to this church as...

Tuesday April 1, 2008

What is community?

From a reader who asks you, Jesus Creed reader, for some advice: So, I’ve been kicking around the question: What is most necessary and essential to Christian community? It’s a word tossed around so blithely. I’d stop using it, but...

Thursday March 27, 2008

Grand Rapids Theological Seminary

Yesterday I was in Grand Rapids -- speaking twice at GR Theological Seminary. First, in chapel (more below) and then later to the Faculty (about future seminary education -- I'll keep this under wraps for now). It was good to...

Tuesday March 18, 2008

A Letter about Pastoring

(Say the Jesus Creed morning and evening during Lent.) I include today a letter from a pastor who solicits your response. Hi Scot, I continue to enjoy the blog each day. Thanks for the daily encouragement and stimulation. I have...

Friday March 14, 2008

Thanks from a Dad to All of Us

Dear Scot, Thank you for your support and insight…and thank you for sharing your blog with me/us. While I am not a stranger to the blog community, my wife has never quite recognized the value that the blogosphere offers until...

Tuesday March 11, 2008

A Father, a Son, and some doubt

I got permission from this father who wrote to me about the eroding faith of his son. The presenting issue is moral relativism. I wrote him back and will share of that tomorrow, but wonder what you'd say to the...

Friday February 29, 2008

NPC -- A Place for Conversation

I wasn't invited to the National Pastors Convention in order to meet with old friends or even to meet new ones. Nope, Zondervan asked me to speak and I was involved in not a little speaking ... Monday evening and...

Thursday February 28, 2008

NPC -- A Place for Friends

I've been at the National Pastor's Convention in San Diego -- wow, beautiful weather -- and one thing that makes the whole event vibrate for me is seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I spent time, of course, with...

Friday February 22, 2008

Thanks

My heartfelt thanks for the response yesterday to the young man who was inquiring about preaching and pastoring. A very kind reader asked for his address and will send him a few books and a publisher contacted me to send...

Thursday February 21, 2008

Letter from a future pastor

(Say the Jesus Creed morning and evening during Lent.) Here is a letter from a reader from a post a week or so ago; the letter is used with permission. Read it to the end because he is asking a...

Monday February 4, 2008

Pastors thinking pastorally for pastors

If you are considering pastoring, I've got a question I'd like you to think about and then read through the comments that our readers will be offering. Recently we posted a series on Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, but...

Monday January 21, 2008

ML King Jr

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. [My source and video of it.] Five score years ago, a great American,...

Thursday January 17, 2008

Sanctity of Life Sunday: An Exciting Update!

I need not comment because I'll leave that to you. Enjoy! Scot, I read each and every comment on your post yesterday related to my letter to you. I appreciated the thoughtfulness of each writer. Only at Jesus Creed could...

Tuesday January 15, 2008

Kent Palmer Installation

Ridgewood Baptist Church, in Brookfield WI, installed Kent Palmer Sunday as senior pastor. We will miss Kent and Phyllis, but we are so glad for Ridgewood. Here are some of our impressions: First, that it was a three generation event...

Monday January 14, 2008

Sanctity of Life Sunday

I'm using this letter with permission. The issue is the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (next Sunday and how many are reducing it to an anti-abortion Sunday). What are your thoughts? (And I assume you'll offer some wisdom for this...

Thursday December 13, 2007

The Wisdom of Anglicans 1

I will be the first to admit that I'm a fan of the great Anglican pastor, writer and apostle to the university student, John R.W. Stott. When I was in college I began reading his books, listening to him speak...

Thursday December 6, 2007

The Advent of Crucifixion: Interaction

Overall, Andrew Purves,The Crucifixion of Ministry , is a profound theological exploration of the significance of the vicarious humanity of Christ and our union with Christ for pastoral ministry. There is much that I like about this; very much. But,...

Tuesday December 4, 2007

The Crucifixion of Ministry 6

We close our survey of Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, with today's post ... but on Thursday I'll offer a brief critical interaction with the book. This chp gets down to brass tacks with what ministry, when conceived as...

Thursday November 29, 2007

The Crucifixion of Ministry 5

Union with Christ, Andrew Purves argues in his book, The Crucifixion of Ministry, is "a key doctrine for practical theology and the faithful practice of ministry" (100). How does union with Christ work out for ministry? Purves draws here on...

Tuesday November 27, 2007

The Advent of Crucifixion 4

At the heart of Andrew Purves' fine book, The Crucifixion of Ministry, is a profound christology: the vicarious humanity of Jesus. I wish more pastoral theologians worked this way. Purves' book is not so much repetitive as it is ruminative...

Tuesday November 27, 2007

My Response to "the letter"

The response yesterday surprised me. I thought all I was asking for was some pastoral advice for a pastor struggling with what he perceived to be overly aggressive Calvinists. What we got was some serious expressions of differences. Here's the...

Thursday November 22, 2007

The Advent of Crucifixion 3

"Who are you, Lord, and what are you up to?" is the question Andrew Purves, in the 2d chp of his book The Crucifixion of Ministry, asks. The minister, to avoid thinking it is all dependent upon him or her...

Tuesday November 20, 2007

The Advent of Crucifixion 2

Andrew Purves, in The Crucifixion of Ministry, contends there are two crucifixions in ministry: the first one about seven years in and the next one a long, steady dying to self and to Christ so that "our" ministry becomes "his"...

Thursday November 15, 2007

The Advent of Crucifixion 1

It is almost Advent so that means it is time to think about the Good Friday. An odd statement, you might say to yourself, especially if you are a pastor. But in Andrew Purves's new book, The Crucifixion of Ministry,...

Monday October 1, 2007

Delaware

We had a busy week. After speaking at Willow's group life conference Thursday morning and then doing a workshop on Missional Jesus Thursday afternoon, we got up at 4:15am Friday and flew to Baltimore where we were picked up by...

Wednesday September 26, 2007

Dinner

At a dinner with some friends last evening we had a question, which we didn't chase down, but which has been one that I have thought about over the years: Which is worse for the kingdom -- the generous, kind...

Monday August 13, 2007

Burnout for Pastors

I recently got the suggestion to make available information about a pastor's retreat center from Jim Watters. The report Jim sent me indicates why this is worth a conversation on this blog. What are you doing? What can be done?...

Monday July 9, 2007

Missional Youth Ministry? A Letter (added "and Response")

Here's another letter used with permission. I'll reply later, but what would you say -- how do we make our ministries, including those with our youth, more missional? Hi Scot, I have touched base with you a couple times in...

Thursday June 21, 2007

When Student Becomes Friend

One of my former students, Kent Palmer, was once asked, "What is your relationship with Scot?" "It's rather complicated, actually." So, let me explain: Kent was a student of mine at Trinity, long ago, and the course I taught was...

Monday June 18, 2007

Teaching Freedom in Seminary

My post last week on thinking about going to seminary unleashed a bag full of suggestions and, in particular, the questions about "to go or not to go" to seminary (its necessity) and "what do you really get out of...

Friday June 15, 2007

Thinking of Seminary?

I had lunch with one of my former students, one who graduated one month ago, because he wanted to talk about going to seminary. I don't know why -- maybe because I'm accessible through e-mail and this blog or maybe...

Thursday May 24, 2007

Educating Youth Pastors

Here's yet another letter that, with permission, I'll post here. I have some ideas on this one, but I'd rather hear yours. What kind of education would you like to see for a youth pastor for your children? Scot, First,...

Wednesday May 23, 2007

Pastoring vs. Professoring

Another letter, now opened for us all, and something worthy of conversation: Hi Scot, Any advice on how you were able to discern between the academic route vs the pastoral route? Do you believe it's best to have a foot...

Wednesday March 21, 2007

The Big "You" and the Bible 2

Pastors, this one's for you -- non-pastors, this one's also for you. Mark Powell's book, What Do They Hear?, assumes a significant distinction between clergy and laity and, if you are in a reasonably traditional church, the assumption is a...

Monday March 19, 2007

The Big "You" and the Bible 1

We Protestants teach everyone this: You must read the Bible for yourself. Of course, we don't want those "you"s to get too clever and start saying things that aren't there, but there is a lot in this teaching we hold...

Tuesday December 19, 2006

Doubting Pastors

It is not uncommon for me to get a letter from a leader or a pastor, and some of them are anonymous and some give me bogus names and some tell me their name honestly, in which the pastor explains...

Friday November 17, 2006

Driscoll responds

I was delighted to see that Mark Driscoll has publicly responded on his blog to recent concerns about his intent in his posts about Ted Haggard. I believe his letter clarifies his intent; and I applaud the rhetorical tone of...

Wednesday November 15, 2006

Loving the Difficult

Recently I received the following letter from a pastor; let's all look this situation over, ponder it and pray over it, and think about what to do. Those of you who feel prompted, tell us what you think the pastor...

Monday November 6, 2006

Ted Haggard and the Evangelical Environment

Most of us probably watched the gospel tragedy unfold this last weekend, and many of us considered whether or not the same could happen to us and to others we know. And we are all grieved, in the very grief...

Thursday October 26, 2006

Preaching and Preachers

Who are your favorite preachers? When I was in college, I loved to hear a Baptist preacher from Lansing, MI, named Howard Sugden. In seminary the red-letter days in chapel for me were when John Stott showed up at TEDS...

Thursday October 5, 2006

Youth Ministry: Where's it going?

Marko has tagged me. He asks me to record some reflections on what youth ministry will be like in the next 50 years in light of the CT article. Of course, I don't know what will happen -- but, in...

Monday September 18, 2006

To Single or Not to Single?

I had a fantastic conversation recently with Steve Burdan about singles, singles again, and the single lifestyle. He heads up a ministry with singles of all ages called Full Life Chicago. Churches have neither reached out to the singles community...

Sunday August 27, 2006

Theocentric Church

Gene Appel preached last night about fear, and he explored that theme through Mark 4:35-41. In this passage Jesus is asleep in a boat while his disciples worry. Gene made plenty of connections to real-life experiences of fear, but what...

Sunday August 13, 2006

Ben Franklin and Plagiarized Sermons

This from RJS: It is amazing how the same things keep coming up - another quote from Franklin's autobiography: About the year 1734 there arrived among us from Ireland a young Presbyterian preacher, named Hemphill, who delivered with a good...

Saturday August 5, 2006

Sermons and Plagiarism

The NY Times ran an article about pastors swiping sermons from sermon sources, and then Out of Ur ran a piece which got some comments. (HT: Garry Poole) I'm wondering what you think. Here are my thoughts: I once was...

Tuesday June 20, 2006

J. Frye's Jesus the Pastor 8

This is my last post on J. Frye's wonderful book, Jesus the Pastor. I will do the final three chps today, and hope I've not said more than I should about this fine book. Chps 10 and 11 deal with...

Monday June 19, 2006

J. Frye's Jesus the Pastor 7

In chps. 8 and 9 of J. Frye's book we encounter one central theme -- that of teaching. What is it? I suggest that if we believed what J. Frye says about what teaching is most of us would adjust...

Friday June 16, 2006

J. Frye's Jesus the Pastor 6

When I opened J. Frye's Jesus the Pastor Wednesday evening for the next reading, I sighed because it was about "spiritual disciplines." I remember the days when no one, and I mean no one I knew of, had ever heard...

Thursday June 15, 2006

J. Frye's Jesus the Pastor 5

One of the reasons I'm blogging through this book is that it was written by a pastor, and it is important for me to understand more deeply what pastors think and do. Chp. 6 deals with the heart of pastoral...

Tuesday June 13, 2006

J. Frye's Jesus the Pastor 3

Where does the pastor, and nearly every one I've met has struggles with this one, find his or her identity? John Frye, in Jesus the Pastor, weaves together one big biblical idea with personal realities to frame a solid answer...

Monday June 12, 2006

J. Frye's Jesus the Pastor 2

John Frye's excellent, Jesus the Pastor, raises two major issues, the value and role of seminary education and the meaning of "pastoring." Here's the question John provoked for me: If you could make one change in a seminary education, what...

Friday June 9, 2006

J. Frye's Jesus the Pastor 1

I will be looking at John Frye's 2000 book Jesus the Pastor: Leading Others in the Character and Power of Christ for a while. John challenges pastors in this book to look to Jesus, not just to pastoral theories and...

Thursday May 18, 2006

Youth Pastors and the Gospel

I had a delightful time with the youth pastors up above Estes Park Tuesday morning. My assignment was to talk about the gospel and how we evangelize in this era when we are trying to get a bigger grip around...

Wednesday May 17, 2006

Youth Pastors, make that Middle School Pastors

Mark Oestreicher invited me to come to Estes Park: Need we ask "Why?" before you know I said "Yes!"? Well, I got there about 8pm or so Monday evening to a lovely place tucked away in the mountains at about...

Thursday April 20, 2006

Study Breaks for Pastors: Yes!

I had lunch Wednesday with a former student from TEDS and now a thriving pastor in Ann Arbor, Ken White. Ken was one of those students who had the gifts to be either a pastor or a professor, and I'm...

Monday January 9, 2006

The Evangelical Giveaway 6

David Fitch's The Great Giveaway turns in chp 5 to the "Preaching of the Word" and he sub-titles his chp "the myth of expository preaching." What do you see as the primary function of preaching? To be an exposition of...

Friday December 2, 2005

Ever hear Steve McCoy preach?

We happened upon Steve McCoy's church on a Sunday morning, came in late, they ushered me to the back pew, and I took in the sermon -- Actually, post-turkey nap at my son's house....

Monday October 31, 2005

Nice sermon

Yesterday we were at Zion Covenant in Jamestown, NY. Brad Bergfalk, the pastor, gave what was for me a memorable sermon on the classic text from Exodus 17 on Moses raising his arms while Israel battled. His points are worth...

Sunday September 18, 2005

Pastoral Life: Ministers of the gospel 5

In this final post on how Paul understands the ministry of the gospel in Colossians 1:24-29, we want to look at the goal and source of this ministry. Again, this is not about what pastors do or professional evangelists, but...

Saturday September 17, 2005

Pastoral Life: Ministers of the gospel 4

In our last post, we looked briefly at how ministering the gospel is to take place. This post continues that. How are we to minister the gospel? Two points today. First, the work of ministering the gospel is hard, strenuous...

Thursday September 15, 2005

Pastoral Life: Ministers of the gospel 3

The ending of Paul's first chapter in the letter to the Colossians is rich for the one who wants to know how to minister the gospel. It should be made clear, perhaps, that I'm not here talking simply of "ordained...

Wednesday September 14, 2005

Pastoral Life: Ministers of the gospel 2

The two focal points of the one called to minister the gospel, or in the gift of ministering the gospel (which is not the whole of our task), are people and the Word of God. Before getting into each, let...

Tuesday September 13, 2005

Pastoral Life: Ministers of the gospel 1

The poll on pastoral skills showed a very clear pattern: the interpersonal skills rated in the top four while the more traditional roles were in the bottom four. Thus: Interpersonal: discipling (25.9), authenticity (22.4), leading (16.1), and interpersonal (13.8). Roles:...

Thursday September 8, 2005

Blogging as Pastoring

Lightning Atkinson, a student of mine who is praying and planning to plant a church with his wife Sara, now has a nice blogsite, called Churchbrew, and he has already put up some good ones. The ones today by Sara...

Monday September 5, 2005

Pagitt on Preaching 3

Scot: I like Doug Pagitt’s idea of “implicating” the audience in the text and sermon. That is, he argues that “application” is an insufficient term to describe the full intention of what the Bible wants from us as we hear...

Monday September 5, 2005

Poll on pastoral skills

Here's a new poll. What do you think is the number-one most important skill or gift or attribute for a pastor? I know, I know, I know -- we need persons gifted with more than one gift for this vocation....

Monday September 5, 2005

Frye's Unholy Pastor

John Frye's post on Jesus as the unholy pastor is worth a read. To which I make this commentary: For Jesus, holiness was not something fragile in need of protection but something powerful in need of liberation. You can quote...

Thursday September 1, 2005

Pagitt on Preaching 2

This is the second post by Brad Boydston and me on Pagitt's new book on preaching. Scot: Doug Pagitt's new book, Preaching Re-imagined, suggests that we compare two kinds of preaching: "speaching" and "progressional dialogue." He sees big problems with...

Thursday September 1, 2005

Jesus on Being Missional 5

Jesus told his missional Apostles not to take money, not to carry a beggar's bag, and not even to take extra clothing and shoes -- and then adds they are not to take a staff (probably a protective device). There...

Wednesday August 31, 2005

Jesus on Being Missional 4

One of those sayings with a funny name, "The Prohibition of Foreign Missions by Jesus," comes from Matthew 10:5-6. Jesus here tells his followers to concentrate on the "lost sheep" of the house of Israel and not go off to...

Monday August 29, 2005

Pagitt on Preaching 1

This is the first in a series of posts by Brad Boydston and me on Doug Pagitt's new book, Preaching Re-imagined. We will be posting these on both Brad's site and this site, so you can go to either to...

Monday August 29, 2005

Jesus on Being Missional 2

The Real Shepherd, the Pastor of pastors, Jesus himself, was a compassionate person whose compassion for people drove him to prayer and to action for the people. A missional orientation will only be genuinely missional to the degree that it...

Thursday August 18, 2005

The Pastor is Ranting

John Frye's got a long rant, ending with a beer, on what it means to be a pastor....

Monday August 15, 2005

Pastor's Letter, Now Open

Here is a letter from a pastor (a former student) to his congregation out in Manhattan, KS, named Steve Ratliff. Great guy; great pastor.Five Things I Love About This ChurchBy Steve RatliffPlease rest assured that I don’t have any illusions...

Sunday August 14, 2005

No Perfect Khakis allowed

John Frye's got another good one....

Thursday August 4, 2005

A word for "little church" pastors

Here's a great blog again by John Frye....

Monday August 1, 2005

A Pastor on Pastoring

I've pointed to John Frye's blog before, but today his blog is especially choice. He's defining "pastor," and this by one who has pastored for years and who has written about it. After all these years, he's now working out...

Thursday July 28, 2005

Pastoring Struggles

More than a few pastors are struggling with what they are called to be and do. I thought this short piece by John Frye, who has authored a book on Jesus as Pastor, is an articulate statement (except for the...

Wednesday July 20, 2005

How long does it take to prepare a sermon?

I was impressed with much of what I read on Sivin Kit's website about Chris Erdman's "preaching on the run."Makes me a bit nervous, but I'm also quite sure that Jesus didn't sit down and take notes, or that Paul...

Monday June 27, 2005

The Practitioner Lobby

In recent blogs I've read, and in some e-mails I've received, I'm hearing a theme, a subtle one but one that appears to have plenty of punch and power with plenty. It is this: "this is an issue for the...

Tuesday June 14, 2005

Pastoral Hearts Now Opened

Check this out by Mark Oestreicher.And this by Brad Bergfalk, called Wanting More -- Part 2....

Thursday June 9, 2005

What Should Pastors Read?

A couple of posts and a couple of e-mails separate from the blogsite lead me to make some suggestions on what pastors should read. I've been asked what I think pastors should read, but I make these suggestions with some...

Thursday June 9, 2005

What Do Pastors Read?

The recent Barna report, forwarded to me by my colleague, Ginny Olson, publishes its findings about books pastors are reading and who their favorite authors are.The question seems to be this: "What are the three books that had been most...

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About Jesus Creed

Scot McKnight is a widely-recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. He is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University (Chicago, Illinois). A popular and witty speaker, Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly asked to speak in local churches and educational events. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986). Click to continue reading Scot McKnight's Bio...

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