Pray

Excerpt from Dan Kimball post:  Starting 2010 with "Too Busy Not to Pray"

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I shared in the staff meeting that this book is not a book which says we should all live passive monastery-like lives as Christian leaders. It is a very realistic book. No where in the Bible does it say that when you are on mission, it is not going to be time consuming or difficult.  Whether you are on staff or volunteering in a church. I don't agree when I hear that church leaders put in more time and are more wiped out than the average person. I know moms at home that are consumed all day with working hard raising their kids and wiped out at the end of the day. I know people who commute almost an hour back and forth to high stress jobs in places. There are students who work full time jobs and go to school at the same time and try to juggle everything. Then on top of that they faithfully volunteer time in their local church. In many ways, church staffs have more flexibility with time. I do think that pastors and leaders of a church bear more burden for the whole church and the whole mission. So I think that is different to some degree. But volunteers are heroes as they give up time for the mission in addition to everything else they are doing in their lives and jobs.

I shared with the staff is that those in ministry have the most urgent and critical mission on earth. We are leading the mission of being the body of Jesus and communicating and living the gospel here on earth (empowered by the Spirit). So of course we should be working hard. And of course it isn't going to be easy. And of course there will be very tough times and extra hours. I think of the book of Acts and the stories of the disciples on mission. Most of us in the USA aren't having to experience being beaten up, stoned, and put in jail and even killed for our faith. So our efforts and time is not about running programs or putting on Sunday gatherings (although that does happen) but it is about lives being transformed here and for all eternity. What greater mission is that? So as we strive and put time and energy and effort into ministry, it is worth the effort. And it isn't easy. But it is worth it.

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