Insights from Day 1 at CN705
- The pastoral ministry is one of the most (if not THE most) emotionally hazardous vocations. (Hope: But it needs not be so)
- About 20 years ago, one-third of evangelical pastors have extra-marital sex with a member of the congregation. (Hope: It has improved since then)
- We are facing an unprecedented period of conflict between clergy and the people.
- Our digital lifestyle, because of the neuroplasticity of our brain, is robbing us of our ability to contemplate and threatening our capacity for spirituality. It is also making self-care a lot more difficult. (Calling: "Be still.")
- We have to learn to live within our limits.
- "My prayer to you all is that you will die before you are finished."
- Success is a bonus given for our faithfulness, not the reward.
- Resist the obsession to be successful, because it only sets us up for profound burn-out.
- "All that is not the love of God has no interest to me."
- "The usefulness of my life is His concern, not mine." It is not our responsibility to make sense of my life.
- Finishing well starts at the beginning.
- We have to learn to manage our pleasure system.
- Boredom is a gift God has for us. (The brain as a machine needs to have its down time.)
- The point of going on a vacation is to be bored. (AMEN!!!)
- There is a connection between boredom and holiness ("Be bored and know that I am God"). Don't entertain people in worship, bore them into holiness.
- Play to an audience of one instead of to the grandstand. (And we have to identify our grandstand.)
- "I used to do conferences together with Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. They did their things and I corrected them." (To those who don't get it, this is a joke.)
- (This is for my dear brother Felix) "Golf is not a game worth pursuing."
- "I believe the telephone is Satanic and demon-possessed."
Labels: Reflection
Love the gold comment.re
Posted by Peter Jr. | January 24, 2011 10:36 PM