Wrapping it Up in Wilmore

Beeson Break
Looks like fun, eh? That's Chris and me "mugging" for the camera during an official photo shoot that the Seminary is going to use to promote the Beeson program. We're thinking this particular one (shot and copyrighted by Gabriel Tate) won't make it in Christianity Today…but one never knows.

Well, it has been fun and an incredible learning experience…and its only the beginning. We just finished up our "Theology of Ministry" course this morning, had our closing lunch at the old Shaker Village just south of here and are now cleaning up a few loose ends before departing campus. Tomorrow I'll be meeting with my dissertation advisor to narrow down some research targets as well as finishing my last paper for the first course. It'll be good to leave Asbury with most of my fall work done, save for the 25 page paper that will be the first chapter of my dissertation. That will be due in December, but will require some "hunker down" days in my home office to get it done. I hope to have it completed by Thanksgiving so that I'm not trying to do Christmas prep and write a paper at the same time.

 I leave early Thursday morning and, Lord willing, should be home in time to greet my kids when they get home from school. It'll be good to be home…to give everyone hugs, eat dinner with my loved ones, and not have to slap a single mosquito!

This first session of my doctoral program, however, has been enormously helpful in setting some goals for both the program itself and, more importantly, for my personal and professional life. Number one on that list is the care and nurture of my own relationship with God, out of which will flow the necessary strength for leading our congregation into the future. I've been very grateful for our prayer team: Milla Bilbrey, Anita Ball, Jennifer Kaylor, and Kathleen Fisher, who have been gathering every Wednesday morning for prayer. I have felt the results of their engagement with God on my behalf and their prayers for the church. I know that many others have been praying on their own, too. I come away from this experience more convinced that we often "have not because we ask not." When we are deepening our relationship with God, God's work and will becomes more evident to us.

We also talked a lot about self-care–setting appropriate boundaries, effective time management, taking Sabbath rest, and being "in God for the world" instead of simply working "in the world for God." To be in ministry for the long haul involves crafting a proper balance of work and rest, relationship and solitude, prayer and practice. We have been developing a personal Rule of Life to guide us as we go forward. That was an extremely helpful exercise.

We also revisited the theological basis for ministry and many of us realize that often we buy into the culture's idea of leadership instead of a biblical paradigm. We looked hard at Paul's theology of ministry, which was all aimed at "reconciling people to God." We spent a lot of time examining a trinitarian view of ministry–that we follow Jesus in his ministry to the Father through the Holy Spirit. It's so easy for us to try and operate the chuch as any other organization and fail to lead out of a spiritual center. A trinitarian view recognizes that ministry is God's activity that is Christ-embodied and Spirit-empowered. We're not asking God to join our mission in the world…rather, we're to be looking to join God where God is already at work. This is the "missional" paradigm for ministry and you'll be hearing me talk a lot about that in the coming months.

I'm looking forward to getting back into the pulpit, though I must avoid the temptation of trying to tell the congregation everything I studied this month in one sermon. In some ways, I feel like I've been drinking from a fire hose…but in another, I feel more like I've been refreshed by the gently flowing Living Water of Christ.

Thanks again for all your prayers during this time. I hope you'll continue to pray as I continue this journey!

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