There were many things that I learned in seminary, very valuable things that will enrich my life forever. Then there are always those things that you felt like you didn’t learn. Now if you have been to seminary you know what I mean. You get to your first church position and you realize I wasn’t really taught anything about how to handle a church budget. And after all, maybe you didn’t need to learn that. Or you realize, I was never taught how to handle a crisis phone call, and then again, maybe that’s something you learn on the fly. The list goes on and one, but those are some of the things. Now if you haven’t been to seminary, than maybe you have realized certain deficits in your pastor. We all have them, but you might be thinking, didn’t he or she learn that in seminary. Maybe not.
From the world of WOW!
If you want to know what the above image is about, read Andrew Jones’ post
Some fascinating reading for the weekend…..
Drew Sams is one of my favorite new bloggers, and I’m not just saying that since we are going to become brother-in-laws in June. He continues in this post some interesting reflection after his lunch with the Barna Group.
Tod Bolsinger is continuing to put up good reflections on George Barna’s new book Revolution
Read here for Ryan Bolger’s thoughts on the two week long intensive class that he and Eddie Gibbs are teaching at Fuller on the “Emerging Church”. My friends in the class tell me that it has been great, and that the class is quite diverse both in church tradition, ethnicity and thought. Should make for interesting conversation.
Mark D. Roberts has got a great four part series here dealing with truth and ethics, as he takes a look at the James Frey and Oprah Winfrey debacle.
Read here for a transcript of Bono’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast.
3.57
“Although the typical believer contends that the Bible is accurate in what it teaches, he or she spends less time reading the Bible in a year than watching television, listening to music, reading other books and publications, or conversing about personal hobbies and leisure interests.”
Revolution pp.33
Interesting quote from the book Revolution.
Tonight I challenged my college group to read the whole Bible, from cover to cover:
1189 chapters in the Bible
333 days left in the year
3.57 chapters a day to complete it
I have been really amazed over the last month of just how transformative the word of God is. Should seem obvious, right. But I think we rarely realize just how transformative it is from straight reading. We often feel like if we are not studying the passage, or exegeting it, or preaching it, etc, etc…..then we wonder if it really has any affect upon us.
But what I am finding these days is what happens when one just reads the word of God. I encouraged my students to take up this challenge for one main reason. Not so that they can check off one more spiritual task, or so they can add another accomplishment to their spiritual star chart…..but so they can have a relationship with Jesus Christ. When we read the word of God we are interacting in a very relational way with Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit in this process.
I also encouraged them to not go about this in a legalistic way…if they miss a day here and there, well then, they miss a day. There will be ups and downs. I also reminded them that this will require a lot of discipline, but they will find within the first month or two that the discipline, though still there, will give way to joy and pleasure, and the anticipation of wanting to read God’s word each day. They will soon find that their day does not begin on the right foot if it hasn’t begun in God’s word. They will soon find that they can’t go to bed at night, and their day will seem incomplete, unless they have spent time in it.
3.57….that is all it takes.
I am finding now that 3.57 is not enough for me. I want to read and read, but then I realize I have to get to work and go about other things in my life as well.
And if you are having trouble getting started, well Bible in a Year will help you out, and will mail out your passages to you each day.
I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MDIV, MSMFT, LMFT), and co-facilitate marriage intensives. I also love to write, speak, and run.
Author of The Anxious Christian: Can God Use Your Anxiety for Good? published by Moody Publishers.
To schedule a counseling appointment contact Auxano Counseling at 972-312-8893.
