What About Faking It?

A smart pastor always has their t's crossed and their i's dotted perfectly. If not, it is grounds for disgrace, shame, and could result in the loss of their job.

But what happens when a pastor loses that "fire" or desire or maintain a relationship with Jesus Christ?

I believe it is possible for a pastor to struggle with their personal relationship, under the pressures of a vocational ministry. It is dangerous on many grounds for this to happen to not only the minister, but their family, and church congregation.

The minister could lose all desire or hope, trying to hold together the church's problems and successes. And once the feeling of hopelessness sets in, it could effect family life. The minister could become distant from their family and pull away from social events. Once the family begins to feel distant from the minister, a long series of events could cause the family serious problems. At the same time, if the minister is feeling a sense of struggling himself, how could they possibly hold together the congregation as well? Sermons could begin to lose their luster. Counseling sessions could become unavailable. Openness and transparency of the minister may begin to become more of a stone wall.

I think one way of helping to stand in the opposition of this could be to have a close mentor to talk to, no matter what situation. Also I believe ministers should never stop learning too. There is never a point in anyone's life where they become too good or too knowledgable to participate in a small group as a learner, or a Sunday school class. This way the learning keeps the minister accountable.

Never stop learning. 

What About Division and Politics In The Church?

Division... Politics... Church...

ooo... Taboo right? I said Politics and Church in the same sentence.

But why is that taboo? Where has the church gone too far? And where has the church not gone far enough?

Lately, in studying about the SBC, I have learned the importance of "disagreeing agreeably". But over such trivial topics that make me nervous to even talk about honestly. And it is silly to feel nervous to talk about issues among our church and conventions. But I feel nervous because I know how much others get upset over differences of opinion; thus so many different national and state conventions.

The first of many issues we can talk about is where we can draw the line between cooperating and division in order to protect and preserve important doctrines and ministry practices. To break this down, I believe that the Word of God is the Law. And the only Law. There is earthly law, but all law stems from the One, True Law. To follow God's Word in the Bible is right. Now doctrines and ministry practices vary, and I believe to each his own, as long as they are according to God's Word. This is the point where most people get lost in translation. Literally. "What exactly does the Bible say about Baptism?" "What exactly does the Bible say about taking communion?" "What exactly does the Bible say about homosexuals, abortion, women pastors, contemporary worship, using instruments, allotting tithe and budget money, what picture should the stained glass windows be, how should the bulletin look," and so on and so on and so on... Now some of these are very trivial, and others seem so petty, yet why have all these concerns above been a cause for a church to split? I believe that every church should have a mission statement of the ideals they stand by. If they are disagreed with, find a new church home. Do not stir up trouble.

Also, there is the issue of using politics in order to further agenda that is believed to be biblically important. This is so sticky... As are politics these days... Why do churches and conventions stand so firm behind conservative law? Because it backs up their beliefs and confirms their ideals. I believe the proper role of politics in a convention or church is non existent. As did our founding Baptists fathers believe in a separation of church and state. As the church we are a body of baptized believers, both locally and globally, working together under the Holy Spirit to inaugurate the mission of God for the glory of God. We are called to be disciples of Jesus and follow his example. He did not sit around political debates and argue his stance of Christian doctrine. Jesus went all over, loving on others and spreading his good news to ALL who could hear. And if we are constantly bickering and arguing over proper doctrine, how can other people see that we love them? We are not working together for the glory of God.

I will end with this, which is my biblical opinion on how politics should be handled:

Proverbs 17:14, 19, 24, 27
"Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction. A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth. A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered." 

What About Being Baptist?

We live in a society today that looks down on denominations. I have been harassed and made fun of for being a Baptist for years now. Honestly, I am a Baptist because that is where my great-grandparents went to church. I can say on my own now, I am a Baptist because I actually know what being a Baptist is all about.

We need to stand for something.

I think it is important to remember your heritage in any part of your life. Knowing where you came from can help you see where you can go in the future.

Baptists are not just 402 year old, hymn singing, eccentric, pot-luck eating, conservatives. What a Baptists believes is what a Baptists stands by. A founding and important belief that makes Baptists so wonderful to me is their ever-ancient, but ever-true stance on baptism as a key to true belief in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." We are called to follow Christ and his example for us, therefore we are called to be baptized, totally submerged, publicly professing our faith to the world. Romans 6:4 confirms this by saying, "we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

Another principle upon which the Baptist denomination stands firm to is mission support. It is no hidden fact that we Baptists can evangelize. But it was our founding conventions, the faith of our fellow Baptists, that brought us to over 100 million members in over 100 countries across the globe. In 1609, the first Baptist church was formed in a bakery in Amsterdam. 402 years later, Baptist is the largest Protestant denomination in the world. Why you may ask? Because we go. We send. And we will continue to go and send until the end of time. The first Baptist association formed in Philadelphia, in 1707, to help support Adoniram and Ann Judson in their missions work to Burma. The associations today still hold together for the cause of missions.

Johann Gerhard Oncken once said "every Baptist is a missionary".

I believe that can be true, as long as we remember our past, and how our forefathers held each other together through support of baptism and missions.

I am a proud Baptists believer!

What About Prayer Life?

I have already confessed my failure in prayer.

But I will say it again, I am not good at praying. Not good at praying with out ceasing. Not good at praying before meals. But I do always pray as I am falling asleep, and when needed aloud in social settings.

The problem with all that praying (or lack there of) is it is totally formless. Now, you could say, "there is no wrong way to talk to God Brittany..." But George A. Buttrick disagrees in his writings from "Prayer".

To add a bit more depth and meaning to my prayers, I have noted his guidelines for prayer, and want to apply them to my bit of formlessness.

First, I am just getting out there and saying words. Half the time, nothing is premeditated. I want to begin by pausing, to soak in God's great glory, before I even speak to Him.

Second, I am an over-generalizer. I just say broad blanket prayers so as not to leave anyone or anything out. "Thank You for everything, God" usually just covers it. But why can I not just say what I am truly thankful for? I want to start getting specific with God, not just in prayers of thanks, but also prayers of need.

Lastly, I am a selfish person. Mostly, I just say what I need or what is bothering me. In class we have begun discussing the idea of "adjusting ourselves to God, instead of trying to adjust God to us." I have been working on this, and will constantly continue to be focusing my prayers outward.

In Richard Foster's book, "Celebration of Discipline", he discusses meditation as well. My favorite thing he said that has stuck with me since I read it was the "palms up, palms down" method, but I have tried over and over to apply it to my prayer discipline. Palms down - releasing all the conflictual issues and concerns in my life. Then Palms up - receiving strength and guidance to leave those problems in the hands of God and to be renewed to walk strong in faith.

I have a lot to work on.

Amen. 

What About Time Management?

Time Management.

The thorn in every soccer mom/business man/college student/heck...everyone's side.

Personally, I find it incredibly difficult to focus on one thing at a time. I like to say I am a multi-tasker, but really, I am a multi-time waster. Studying for World Civ, checking Facebook, and texting my friends back all at the same time spreads out my thought process to 3 different activities, than the over all studying I am trying to accomplish.

I really want to start using my time more effectively studying. And this is not just for my school work, but for my daily walk with God as well.

We are called to be good stewards of what God has given each of us. He has not just provided money in your life, but 365 (or 366) days a year with 24 hours in each day with 60 minutes within each hour to use yourself for His glory. And how can we do that with out checking our phones every 5 minutes and looking on Facebook for no other reason than to not focus on what task we really have before us?

The strategy I would like to try is Batching.

Batching is simply a form of time management that allows a person to maximize concentration and decrease distraction. As a result, it increases your productivity, creativity, and mental sharpness, while decreasing fatigue, procrastination, and stress. Batch processing is the grouping of similar tasks that require similar resources in order to streamline their completion.

Studies have shown that "every time we become distracted, it takes an average of 15 minutes to regain complete focus." Some of us get distracted again while trying to regain focus, thus never really regaining that complete focus.

The Pomodoro Technique. - This technique was featured in one of Michael Hyatt's blogs about maximizing time management.

1. Plan and prioritize the tasks that need to be completed, by writing them down.

2. Set a timer for for 25 minutes and devote that time to a task, or to a group of similar tasks. Larger tasks can be broken into multiple blocks or “pomodoro’s,” and smaller tasks (responding to email, returning phone calls, etc) can be grouped into a single block. After completing each Pomodoro, you put an “X” next to it and mark the number of times that you were distracted.

3. Take a 5 minute break.

4. Begin another block of time or “pomodoro.”  

5. After completing 4 pomodoro’s, take an extended 20 minute break.

I plan on giving this a try in all my studies this week in hopes to begin using my time more effectively.

What About Passionate Learning and Living?

Here at ETBU, I am constantly challenged in my daily walk with God to slack off. Studying Greek, being in Survey of Civilizations, having a job, writing this blog! All these things are taking up time that I could be spending with God, if I did not participate in completing them.

But my attitude towards school is much like that of Jonathan Edwards. I believe that the environment of being at ETBU is only aiding me in my walk with God. I am always tempted to not read my Bible in the morning, but just the thought of not reading drives me nuts and encourages me to not walk out the door in the morning before spending a few cherished moments with the Almighty Creator of the universe.

Being a religion major is a huge driving force in my passionate chase for a closer walk with God. My classes supplement my own understanding of the Bible, and listening to my professors only excites my heart to yearn for more understanding and knowledge of my Great God. Even if I was not a religion major, I truly believe that ETBU is holding me to more standards than any other educator has ever challenged me to uphold before.

I believe that right now, I am called to be a student. And in being called to a certain ministry, we are commanded to bring God glory through everything we do. So why do some of us slack off in schooling, knowing that we are not giving our best to the glory of God?

I am a student at ETBU. I am also a student of Jesus. I am determined to use both of my continuing educations together to strengthen my relationship with Christ and further my abilities to continue to inaugurate God's kingdom here on Earth. 

What About Defensive Driving?

Kelsey's blog, "Defensive Driving" (http://bit.ly/nbMzbt), she discusses her struggles with giving up control of her life.

"Reluctant to give God control" is a feeling I know almost everyone can relate to. It is so deeply related to the issues discussed by C.S. Lewis in "Mere Christianity". It reminds me of his writings on "Harder and Easier", how God does not want us to just prune parts of out life, or just give Him control over a few little portions of our lives, but to cut down the whole tree, give God control of everything in our lives to become successfully reliant on God's will for our life. She related her spiritual life to her addiction for driving, never letting anyone else drive, but constantly needing to be in control of the situation.

It is refreshing to know that I am not the only control freak out there.

Thanks Kelsey.

What About Solitude?

Today, I participated in a self experiment of solitude.

An hour before church, I went into the sanctuary and prayed alone for an hour.

An hour.

The longest hour of my life.

I would not say that I am a diligently prayerful person. This is something I struggle with in my daily walk with Christ. But it starts somewhere. Right?

Initially, I would say that my attitude toward this activity was negative. Not that I did not want to pray, but that I did not want to talk to God for that long.

I sat in the first pew, I looked around for a while, then I decided I would really put all my effort into making this activity really meaningful. I began walking up and down every single aisle, touching the back of every single pew. I prayed aloud for every person that would sit in that seat. I then went up to the balcony and prayed over those pews. I laid my hands on the sound board and prayed for its successful longevity in service to the church. I touched every single offering plate, praying for the adequate funds for the church. I sat in every seat in the choir loft and lifted up their voices to God's hands. I prayed that everything in the building would work together for the glory of God. I prayed over the pulpit. I prayed over the piano, organ, and microphones. I was feeling good. I stepped off the stage and sat back in my initial first pew. Looking down at my watch, (which I really tried not to do at all the whole exercise) I saw it had only been 25 minutes.

25 minutes.

To say the least, I was really frustrated. I had a wonderful struggle with God at that moment! It was like all of the sudden I truly realized the importance of solitude. That I was in no hurry. That I could just sit with God for the remainder of my time in the sanctuary. So I proceeded to just listen. To be still and calm in the presence of the Almighty God. I begged God to just show Himself to me and let me know that this experiment was not in vain.

Once I surrendered to His awesome presence, I felt relief. The worship service was the best yet! The songs spoke so closely to my heart. The message was so relevant. The people were responsive. The Holy Spirit made Himself ever present. It was just the incredible God moment I had asked for.

"God is so good. He answers prayers. God is so good. He is so good to me." 

What About Simplicity?

Simplicity.

The quality or condition of being plain or natural.

Uncomplicated.

I really struggle with upholding this virtue. I could really use some simplicity in my life.

Everything must be lavish and over the top; the best of the best. When I feel I can not meet expectations of exceeding the bottom line, I just do not do it.

In Matthew 6:22, Jesus says, "the eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light."

In my spiritual walk, if I can not say a perfectly eloquent prayer, I simply do not pray at all. If I do not have the time to fully complete my prayer journal, I just do not do it at all. My eyes are not clear of what the true purpose of these daily disciplines are, thus causing a dark spot over my relationship with Christ.

To just meet God at the bare minimum, the natural or plain setting of functioning, it is so hard; probably because I love to overcomplicate my life.

Baseline simplicity.

That is what I am in need of. 

What About The Enemy?

The enemy.

Different in each person's own life, the enemy seeks to destroy God's plan for our life. He plots to tempt us, trick us, and lead us down the wrong way, opposite of where God is trying to lead us.

The enemy is not God though. He is not perfect, omnipotent, or omnipresent. He has fear.

He fears God! When we come to God with the problems, struggles and temptations in our life, the enemy does not stand a chance at winning! When we ask God to help us through a trial, He is ever present.

James 4:7-8a in The Message says, "So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud NO to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time."

In my own life, when ever I come across something I feel is a spiritual attack from the enemy, I just talk to God. I tell Him what is going on, and I beg Him to come near to me and protect me from the enemy.

At Vacation Bible School we say: "OOO! AHH! Sock It To The Devil!!!"

God never let's me down.

God always wins. 

What About My Desires From God?

There are three things I absolutely desire from God, not with personal intent, but with a hope that I may better live a life that is pleasing and glorifying to God.

1. I desire to be free from all the bitterness and hurt in my heart. - I often use the events that have happened over the course of my life to harbor hatred and bitterness and resentment. Sometimes I feel, when I finally let one hurt go, another wound comes along.

2. I desire to only serve the will of God, with no desire to myself at all. - In this life, I am far too concerned with my here and there. I am a planner by nature, but I want to be rid of my plans and let the plans of God be the true governance of my life.

3. I desire to be in fellowship with God in everything I do, without ceasing. - Day to day life can be so similar; routine. Constantly, I find myself in the midst of selfish thoughts, desires, and conversations. I yearn for, desire, even hurt for a fellowship with God that is with no end. To be in sync with the heart of God is my deepest longing.