The Break Up Process from David Paul Dorr on Vimeo.
09-Sep-2010
02-Sep-2010
The Art of Work
Category : Leadership
Recently I have been reading a couple books on how people are redefining work that has helped me tremendously as pastor. Their main thesis is this:
Approach work like an artist.
Essentially this means that work should be approached with a sense of freedom, creativity, and mastery.
Freedom
Pastors generally enjoy a great deal of freedom in their schedule. But for many of us this can lead to a great deal of confusion. Having too many options can lead to paralysis.
But an artist approaches freedom, not as something to indulge, but as a way to feed the creative process. They have the end in mind. A painter is not always painting, a writer not always writing, but they always have their canvas or manuscript in mind in everything they do.
Creativity
What is creativity? It is first a way of seeing; then uniquely delivering the content of what you see. It is a pastoral priority to be aware. We have to be aware of God and aware of the people in your context. This is not a task — it is a lifestyle, a way of being. Creativity requires open eyes and open ears — that is what an artist knows.
Mastery
The artist is obsessed with mastery. The can never have the perfect manuscript, the perfect canvas, the perfect song. But they are driven to get as close as possible. The pastor will never have the perfect sermon, or perfect obedience from their people. In their work, second only to Christ, mastery is their ambition. “How can I be more clear, more fervent?” “How can I connect better?” “How can I spur this body of people on towards love and good deeds?”
For too long I have not thought of pastors fundamentally as creators. But pastors are artists; artists with God’s word, and their magnum opus is their people.
10-Aug-2010
Why Men Become Pastors
Category : Leadership, church
Why do men become pastors? This answer is simple economics. They become pastors because there is so much reward at the top.
Being a pastor in the U.S.A is a job that has potential. A pastor can be nationally recognized. They can go on speaking tours. They can write books that sell in the millions. When a pastor is at the top there are plenty of perks.
I admit this didn’t immediately become recognizable to me. I discerned a call to ministry after observing a powerful speaker at a Campus Crusade for Christ conference. I could speak in front of people. Maybe God would use me to impact people, like this speaker had just impacted me. What greater trip could there be, what greater boost to a reputation than to hear, “God has used you in a mighty way?”
No matter what people or organizations say they believe about the gospel, they celebrate those who appear to be used by God in a big way. Young men notice this and believe they can make it to the top. Being a pastor is about being exalted. We will endure hardship as long as a chance remains for us to make it to the summit.
These are wrong motives. But what of it? If we had to wait to do ministry out of pure motives surely we would never begin. Certainly these motives disqualify us for ministry. But if God used qualified men, then there would be no shepherds. God gives men ministry as a sheer act of mercy. “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1).
When we realize that ministry is a gift of mercy, not an engine of exaltation, we can finally begin to become worthy of the calling of pastor, not having the results of the pastorate be worthy of us.