Evaporating vision

Some very challenging words from John Piper, taken from a talk he gave on the life of Jonathan Edwards:

"I think that what happens for many pastors is that the ministry does not flourish with as much power and joy as they had hoped and just to survive emotionally they start to give way to amusements and diversions and hobbies. The ministry becomes a 40-hour-a-week job that you do like any other, and then the evenings and days off are filled up with harmless, enjoyable diversions. And the whole feel changes. The radical urgency fades. The wartime mentality shifts to a peacetime mentality. The lifestyle starts to get cushy. The all-consuming singleness of vision evaporates.

"Let me say it again. Our people need a God-besotted man. Even if they criticize the fact that you are not available at the dinner on Saturday night because you must be with God, they need at least one man in their life who is radically and totally focused on God and the pursuit of the knowledge of God, and the ministry of the word of God."

Read the whole thing here

I still love Rick Warren - and this is a great story!

A number of years ago I signed up for Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox. You get an e-mail from Pastor Rick every week with an article on a particular subject. There's a few other resources as well, but Warren's own contribution is usually the highlight.

This week his piece is You Need A Mentor. It's all practical down to earth stuff as you'd expect. But he tells the story of a mentor he had named Billy. Billy had had a mentor himself. He - Billy's mentor - was the pastor of a church in Texas. One day Billy asked him a question: "I'd like to know how you stay fresh?" The pastor replied that he read the New Testament every...I'll not spoil it for you. You can read the whole thing here. Be ready for a double surprise!

What's out there

A few eye-catching and thought provoking articles and posts.

For a bit of subversive evangelism, Steve Addison's blog has a great post on coffee and donuts.

An article on George W. Bush's greatness over at the August edition of Prospect must count as subversive.

And you simply have to love the way Man City are subverting the premiership. Many of us, in the words of one of their former managers, would really really love it if they got Ronaldo.

For some straightforward common sense from techie world see our own Graeme Arthur's post Confessions of a Church Tech Director.

And finally a short video from Tim Keller for any pastors who happen to be reading.