Archive for October, 2007

No Whining!

Trey Morgan has written an excellent piece about complainers in the church. With his kind permission, I share it with you:

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SPIRITUAL TEMPER TANTRUMS

1 Peter 2:2-3 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

What a great picture for those whiny Christians, who are in every church in America. They wear their spiritual feelings on their sleeves and whine about everything. Churches just can’t ever seem to get everything perfect enough for them and so they are never happy.

  • The worship arrangements are just not what they think they should be.
  • They have never liked one single preacher the church has ever hired.
  • They are the ones that constantly cry, “So-in-so hurt my feelings (or did something I didn’t like) so I’m just going to quit coming to church.”
  • “But we’ve never done it like this before.”
  • They whine, “I don’t like the decision the church leaders made about this, so I’m withholding my contribution to show my displeasure.”

Come on people, it’s one thing for my six year old son to occasionally show his immaturity and stomp his feet or fall in the floor and throw a fit because he’s not getting his way. But when you’re an adult and STILL showing your spiritual immaturity by stomping your feet and saying, “Fine, you’re not my friend anymore, and I’m not playing with you again” something is wrong.

Unfortunately, churches everywhere are spending too much of their time trying to deal with these “two year old” adults and their spiritual temper-tantrums, instead of trying to reach the lost around them. When will we catch on that God says it’s about unity, growing up and becoming mature spiritual adults.

So my advice to those adults who are continually throwing these spiritual temper-tantrums because something isn’t the way you like it, is the same advice I tell my little boy when he throws a fit … “Grow up, you’re acting like a big baby.”

By Trey Morgan

treymorgan.net

Pray for my friend Dave

Jeff and Dave.jpg

Dave Doederlein is one of the best friends I’ve ever had. We were almost inseparable in high school, we were roommates in college, and he was the best man in my wedding.

Dave had a brain tumor removed last month, and everything went well. But a follow-up MRI revealed that there was still some of the tumor left, so he will have to have surgery again — probably next week. Dave has been married for almost 19 years and has four children.
I’m asking all of you who read my blog to Please pray for Dave. Ask God to completely heal him, and to give his family peace as he goes through this.

Thanks so much.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month

This is a repost from last year.

For those of you who are not aware, October is Pastor Appreciation Month.  Don’t know what to do for your Pastor or Minister?  Here are some suggestions from the Pastors Retreat Network:

12 Ways to Appreciate Your Minister

 

When we look at our minister what do we see?  A spiritual giant?  Someone who can go it alone?  Someone who works a day and a half a week?  A servant of the congregation? Someone who does it all? 

 

The truth is that ministers are real people with real families, dreams, needs, desires and gifts.  And like all of us, they shine best in situations where they are appreciated and supported.  Here are a dozen ways you can bring out the best in your minister:

 

  • Write a note of appreciation.
  • Pray for your minister regularly.
  • Stop the rumor mill.
  • Invite him out to lunch, golfing, or some other shared interest, without an agenda.
  • Offer to babysit the kids so your Pastor and his spouse can have an evening together, even better, offer them a gift certificate to a restaurant they enjoy.
  • Honor his day off – allow time for rest, personal renewal and family time.
  • In times of loss, offer sympathy, care and practical help.
  • Consider holidays and other family days – if the minister is far from their family of origin, invite them to your celebration – no strings attached.
  • Ask him how you can help and then follow through.
  • Tell him what you’ve learned from their sermon.
  • Go to http://parsonage.org/cam/index.cfm for ideas on how to celebrate your minister during Pastor Appreciation Month.
  • Consider a sabbatical time for your minister and find a way to provide one as needed.
  • Links

  • TheoBloggers
  • Ashland Church of Christ
  • The Christian Chronicle
  • USS Slater
  • ESPN
  • Detroit Free Press
  • I Need Coffee
  • Google
  • Detroit News Auto Insider