The Barnabas File

Introduction

When statisticians tell us that fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches, a high percentage of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce and seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression, something certainly needs to be addressed. Have you ever considered that your pastor might need a time away from ministry in order to be refreshed and possibly even extend his years of service to the Lord and His people? In my study I am finding that Baptists are far behind some denominations in caring for their pastor’s physical and spiritual welfare, many even having a “sabbatical policy” in their constitutions. Please consider with me, the concept of pastoral sabbaticals.

Early one dreary fall morning I sat, as usual, on our sundeck enjoying a hot cup of “Michigan Cherry” coffee and doing my devotional reading.  The day before had been rainy and cloudy but at this particular moment the dark puffs of clouds were moving swiftly to the south, past the tree tops and out of sight.  I could see pieces of blue sky starting to appear and a circle of light becoming brighter and brighter. The momentary sight was beautiful.  Grayish blue blotches fading into wavy puffs of white with a backset of bright blue sky.  It was just one of those scenes where our heavenly Father took His paintbrush and illustrated with aesthetic hues a striking portrait of His splendor for all creation to see.  The ominous clouds continued to glide quickly by, the bright circle of light soon became white and I thought to myself while gazing on that artistic panorama, “It’s going to be a beautiful day – here comes the sun!”

Then my thoughts went to I Thessalonians 4:14-18 when one day we will not say, “Here comes the sun,” but rather “Here comes the SON!”

Mother’s day should always be very special. After all, mothers have been around a long time. Eve, the first mother, was called the mother of all living. Mothers never go out of style; as long as there is life there will be mothers! Preachers, on Mother’s Day, you should make a fuss over them. The Bible does (Proverbs 31)! Set your regular sermon series aside and fuss over the mothers! You had one, too, you know.

In one church I pastored, Mother’s Day always brought the largest attendance of the year, even larger than Christmas and Easter. Children and grandchildren, even many who were spiritually wayward, would always honor their mother and grandmother on Mother’s Day by coming to church with them. It was a great opportunity to preach the Gospel and the importance of walking with Christ. That same church always provided carnations for everyone present, white ones if your mother was still living and red ones if they had passed away. It was always a very special day of the year and we always tried to make it that way.

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“…for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, to be content.” Philippians 4:11

“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” Psalm 119:71

“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths….teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.” Psalm 25:4-5

I am writing to leaders. I don’t know about you but I never sought or chose to be a leader. It was not on my “bucket list” of things to do as a child, as a youth, or even when I began ministry. I would say that I was chosen by default. In checking the word “default” in my handy dictionary, one of the meanings listed states: “a selection automatically used by a computer program in the absence of a choice made by the user.” It might sound facetious, but from my perspective, I was absent in the “choice decision” made by God in calling me to be a leader (Ephesians 3:7). I think Moses was also. He definitely came sputtering and dragging his feet into the position that God had for him in leading Israel.

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“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” I Corinthians 15:3-4

For several years I pastored in the Detroit area where within one mile of each other there were three Baptist Churches. On I-75 south at the 10 mile exit was Calvary Baptist Church; at 9½ mile was First Baptist Church; and at the 9 mile exit was Tabernacle Baptist Church. The Calvary Baptist Church for 35 years was pastored by Dr. David Allen, noted pastor and Bible conference speaker; the First Baptist Church was pastored for 30 years by Rev. Bill Bach; and I was the new kid on the block, just having come to the Tabernacle as a rather young pastor. When we would get together they would call me the “Rookie Rector!”

Each of the churches would have summer daily vacation Bible schools and many children of the community would go to all of them, including mine. Calvary Baptist Church had an active bus ministry so they would reach out into surrounding communities to pick children up. At the very front of their auditorium was a large sign that read, “Christ Died for our Sins!” On one particular day, sitting in front of our children, were some kids, who upon arriving and seeing the sign, shouted, “We been here before – Christ died for our sins!” Our family still chuckles about that when we reminisce the past. [Read more…]