Good Friday devotion: Real Heroes - 1 Samuel 31:12

1 Samuel 31:12          All their valiant men journeyed through the night to Beth Shan. They took down the bodies of Saul and his sons from the wall of Beth Shan and went to Jabesh, where they burned them.

The last chapter of the book of 1 Samuel reveals to us the sad and ignoble end of Israel’s first King. Saul had been chosen by the reluctant prophet Samuel amidst the cheers and jubilation of the people. His reign, however, was cursed and eventually he killed himself after a fierce battle in which all of his sons were killed and his army totally defeated.

Saul’s body was taken by his enemies and cut into pieces, to be shamefully displayed by his victorious foes. It was a terrible dishonor to him and his own family. His enemies gloated over their bloody success as they gazed upon the broken and abused bodies of Saul and his unfortunate sons which were impaled on spears and tied to the city wall.

But then a wonderful and courageous thing happened. The valiant men of Saul’s own tribe went on a dangerous night mission to recover the bodies in order to give the king and his family a decent and honorable ending. This band of brave men went into the heart of their enemy’s territory and brought back the remains. It was a noble act that diminished some of the shame Saul’s people felt at this time. The fact that we have this daring deed recorded in the Bible shows how Saul’s tribe truly loved their king, even with all of his faults.

The whole incident reminds me of Christ’s crucifixion and how shamefully He was treated by His enemies. He was brutalized beyond recognition by the Roman guards. He was jeered at and taunted by the religious clergy. He was totally degraded by his public nakedness, hanging on a bloody cross for all to see. His death was not only one of the most torturous ever devised by the inhumanity of man, it was also meant to be completely shameful, ignoble, and detestable.

And then Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the clergy, valiantly steps forward to claim Christ’s body in order to put an end to His public shame. He didn't want to see Christ shamefully rot on the Cross, and even though it would have made Joseph ritually unclean during the holiest time of the Jewish year, he was still willing to bravely beg Pilate for Jesus’ corpse in order to place it in his own tomb.

There are heroes in the Bible, as well as heroes all around us. We just have to open our eyes and see those who stand against injustice, who speak for the powerless, and who seek to eradicate the shame that our society uses to subdue the weak, poor, and the voiceless in our communities and across the world. They are valiant people and deserve our praise and support.

Questions for personal reflection

Who speaks up for the poor and powerless in my community? How can I support them?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, help us to recognize the true heroes in our community, who give of their time, resources, and lives to speak up for the voiceless and speak out against injustice. Remove the prejudices against them and help us all to pray for and support them. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s recent drawings for Holy Week. It’s called “Passover Moon.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Passover Moon.

Ministry 101 - A Letter to Young Pastors

Ministry 101

Ministry is never easy, but it can be made less difficult with good practices. As a pastor for almost thirty years, I've usually had to learn things the hard way. One of my major concerns is for the young ministers who are just starting this wonderful, but often arduous journey. They are full of energy and enthusiasm, ideas and innovations that hopefully will bless the churches that they serve. Some of them, however, will not find it easy and may even think about giving up ministry altogether.

I offer these eight short points to anyone just starting out in ministry, not because I have perfected the art of being a pastor, but because I wish someone had helped me when I began to serve God by ministering to His people.

1.       Manage your time.         You will be constantly interrupted in the things you want to do for the church by people, events, and circumstances beyond your control. Setting up a rough timetable for the week, perhaps on a Sunday evening or a Monday morning, is a good place to start. It’s also a very good idea to work out an hourly timetable for each day. When I enter my office on workdays, I make a rough draft of what I hope to accomplish over the next 6-8 hours on an hourly basis.

2.       Internalize less!               This is absolutely crucial to surviving ministry. Not every criticism or push back against your ideas is personal, but they will be if you cradle them internally. It took me years to learn this. I would have prevented a lot of heartache, emotional turmoil, and stress if I had taken criticism as suggestive and not combative. As pastors, we tend to think that God gives us the unique visionary gift that our churches need. This is not the case. God works through all of His people. Just because someone voices a different opinion does not mean to say that they are castigating you as ineffective or unimportant. Learn to be a team player and actually encourage others to make suggestions – it's far more productive and emotionally refreshing.

3.       Nurture the people.       The people of the church are the flock that you are called to care for. You serve God best by helping His people and getting to know their names. People support pastors who actually care about them. Take time to talk with folks before and after worship on Sundays. Be there to reassure them during times of crisis and illness. Celebrate their successes and joyful moments. For introverted pastors, this can be very difficult, but know this: it’s absolutely essential. The people are your business – let them know that you truly care. If you have a church breakfast, dinner, or picnic, then work the tables and go round each small group or family. Avoid sitting by the wayside or being on your own – it makes folks mistakenly think that you're distant, aloof, and uncaring.

4.       Improve things.                                When I was a young tenderfoot pastor, I thought that a large part of my work was to change things. I had learned a great deal of new ways of worshipping, study, and practicing ministry in seminary that I was determined to use in order to re-shape the congregation into my own satellite seminary. This was totally wrong. The congregation had its own culture, traditions, and ministries that had been in existence for several generations. I learned very soon that I had to honor that history and culture in order to be accepted.

I now believe that pastors are not called to change things; instead, we're called to improve things. This may involve making improvements to the physical structure, as well as the spiritual soul of the congregation. It takes time, determination, and strength to do this, but in the end the goal of every pastor should be to leave the church in a much better condition, than when we first were called to it.

5.       Sabbath Taking is a Must!            Always take a day off each week! For years I neglected to do this, vainly thinking that I was required to be at the church 24/7/365. My health deteriorated; my relationship with my family was almost wrecked; and my effectiveness gradually diminished. In other words, I learned the hard way of how not to be an effective pastor because I felt guilty or undeserving of taking a day off. Nowadays, I take Tuesdays off and everyone in the congregation knows it. I may read, relax, go fishing, do drawings, or absolutely nothing at all. It is a wonderful gift of a weekly Sabbath.

      By the way, taking Saturdays off doesn't count as a day off. Mostly everyone else has a Saturday and even a Sunday off from work, so don’t delude yourself into thinking that a Saturday is your day off to be with family. Also, I take Tuesdays off because Mondays don’t work for me. There’s always some carry over from Sunday that needs to be dealt with on Monday. Waiting until Tuesday puts me in a better frame of mind to actually rest and be thankful!

6.       Teach!                  You spent a lot of years at Seminary learning about theology, ecclesiastical history, and the Bible. You are a great resource for the people of the church to learn about the Christian faith. If you have time on Sunday mornings, teach a Sunday school class – it will keep you on your toes and may even provide a last minute example or illustration for your sermon! Use different seasons on the Church Calendar to set up a short series of midweek or even online classes – Lent and Advent are great opportunities to do this. Teach a small group at the church or in a coffee house using scripture or a new book worth studying. Preaching a series on Sundays is a great vehicle for expressing your beliefs, but teaching in a classroom actually provides you with important feedback, faith-sharing moments, and even fellowship.

7.       Read!                    One of the luxuries that we have as pastors is that our folks expect us and allow us to do a lot of reading. This is essential to our well-being, as well as our leadership potential. Christian Books, e-books, blogs, online newsletters and magazines are more available to us now than at any other time in the history of ministry. We have a greater opportunity of widening our experiences and knowledge than pastors in previous generations. Enjoy this great gift and remember, if you want to effectively lead, you need to constantly read!

8.       You are called by God.                  Never, ever forget this greatest of all gifts in your life. God has called you to ministry because He knows your potential and has a purpose for you to fulfill. Every pastor that I have ever known has gone through times of crisis, despair, and doubt. It's very easy to self-denigrate your own ministry, especially when times are tough economically or denominationally. It is essential to remember each day that the greatest Being in all of the universe has called you to do His work, be part of His Son’s ministry, and fulfill the Great Commission. You are not just a child of God’s grace, which is a beautiful thing in itself, you are also a chosen, called servant, which is a wonderful thing to know. Circumstances and people, crises and problems may cause you to question your work as a pastor, preacher, teacher, and minister. But in all of these things, know this for certain, you are called by God and He has not made a mistake!

I hope that these personal thoughts and short points may help you on your new journey. If I can help you or pray for you as a fellow pastor at any time, please don’t hesitate to send me an email at traqair@aol.com.

God bless you for accepting His call. May God grant you the desire of your heart and fulfillment of your plans.

John Stuart

Erin Presbyterian Church,

Knoxville, TN 37932

USA.

Bible devotion: Meat, not Milk - Hebrews 5:12

Hebrews 5:12              In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

Recently, I took part in an online survey from a large Christian publishing house. The company was trying to promote yet another new version of the Bible, and the survey dealt mostly with the packaging and cover of the book. It was interesting to complete because the publishers were asking pastors their views on how the new Bible should be marketed to people in the congregations that we serve. I must admit, the whole process made me actually wonder whether or not we truly need another version of the Bible at all!

Never before in the history of Christianity has the Word of God been more accessible to people everywhere. Folks can read the Bible in traditional book form, or as e-books online, on their laptops and notebooks, as well as on their mobile devices and smart phones. It is instantly available, practically anywhere on the planet, so no one can have the excuse of not being able to find a Bible to read. However, it appears that people are actually reading the Bible less and less; even although we have it literally at our fingertips, Christians are become Biblically illiterate and so end up creating their own ideas, opinions, and beliefs about God.

You don’t think so? Ponder this: two generations ago, most church people could recite the Ten Commandments, say the Lord’s Prayer, name the twelve disciples, and quote a whole list of Bible verses. Three generations ago, they could do all of that, as well as listing the books of the Bible, and stating the chapters where you could read all of those things. Sadly today, people who often quote that we should not judge each other because Jesus said so, or that we should all love one another because He commanded it, could not tell where to actually find those sayings in the Gospels (Matthew 7 and John 13).

As Christians, we ought to be People of the Book, not for legalistic reasons, but because the Word of God needs to be cherished in our lives. Daily readings should be a constant in our daily lives because each day that we wake up, is actually a gift from God in the first place.

I think it is time to recommit ourselves to a quiet devotional retreat with God’s Word every day. It’s not hard to get back into the habit – think about it, there are things that we do each day without burdening ourselves – like reading the newspaper, catching up with folks on Facebook, or even watching a nightly TV show. It can be done, but only if we truly want to do it.

Questions for personal reflection

Am I really too busy to spend time alone with God in prayer and Bible reading? Who gave me this life I am living anyway?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we want to follow You and grow in faith. Help us to recognize how important the Scriptures were to You, and how crucial they are in our spiritual lives today. Give us the focus and determination to set aside some quality time with You, Your Words, and Your Way. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Lent bulletin drawings for this year. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Lent Bulletin Cover.

Christian devotion: Crown Prince - Hebrews 5:5

Hebrews 5:5    So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 

The main purpose of a priest is to make prayers before God on behalf of the people. Mostly all religions appoint holy men and women to intercede between their deity and the community at large. Festivals and feasts, holy days and religious celebrations from all over the world have this in common: at the center of the event, prayers are made to God, as well as petitions, confessions, and thanksgivings.

As Presbyterians, we practice the priesthood of all believers which is why we make our prayers of intercession and confession together in church. The only High Priest that we recognize is Jesus Himself and so we offer our prayers in Christ’s Name. Some people say that we miss out the ‘middlemen,’ but that’s not really what we do. Our prayers are always sacred and so we make them sincerely to Jesus, in the confidence and knowledge that He is always in the presence of God, His Father.

When Jesus left Heaven to come to Earth, He did not feel entitled to His appointment as the Chosen One. He still had to be given that High Office directly from God. This is why we read several times in the Gospels about God declaring and proclaiming that Christ is His Son. It is not just a public statement made in the presence of the disciples and other witnesses, it is a genuine calling from God to Jesus. It is the act of a High King conferring the title of Crown Prince on his son; it is the divine deed of the Creator bestowing the highest honor upon His child.

Today, we will all say prayers. We will make confessions about our mistakes, as well as intercessions about our circumstances. Whatever the case, and whenever we pray, we all need to remember this: our prayers are made to Christ and we send them to Him because He can then take them on our behalf and bring them before God. This is what our High Priest does; this is Christ’s duty as the Crown Prince of all Creation.

Questions for personal reflection

What am I praying for today? Am I truly giving my prayers to Christ?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we worship You as our High Priest and Heavenly King. We praise You as the Crown Prince of all Creation and the Lord of all our lives. Thank You for receiving our prayers, as well as for interceding each day on our behalf. May we serve, glorify, and honor You forever. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask a question or make a comment about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Holy Week drawings. It’s called “Tormented Sky,’ which depicts Christ in silhouette carrying His Cross to Calvary. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7280/13367529973_4ea429584b_b.jpg

Holy Week Devotions: Saving the World

Last year I wrote a Holy Week devotional book to enable busy Christians to keep every day sacred. The book was enjoyed by many people and so I’ve decided to write another one for 2014.

            

Each day is divided into three separate parts: - a short morning devotion, a mid-day prayer, and an evening poem of reflection. There is also a different art image for each day to help the readers meditate. By the end of the book, Holy Week should become more meaningful to everyone who undertakes and completes this journey.

            

God bless you all.

               

  John Stuart

           Pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church

            Knoxville, Tennessee, USA

            traqair@aol.com

A New Song for Easter: Let Us Worship Together

A new song for Easter Day.

Let Us Worship Together

(Tune: Let Us Break Bread Together)

Let us wor-ship to-geth-er in this place,

Let us wor-ship to-geth-er in this place,

We have come to God’s House,

To give praise to the Ris-ing Son,

For the Lord’s great mer-cy sets us free.

Let us share peace to-geth-er in this place,

Let us share peace to-geth-er in this place,

We have come to God’s House,

In the peace of the Ris-ing Son,

For the Lord’s great mer-cy sets us free.

Let us love one an-oth-er in this place,

Let us love one an-oth-er in this place,

We have come to God’s House,

In the love of the Ris-ing Son,

For the Lord’s great mer-cy sets us free.

Benediction verse

Let us go out to-geth-er from this place,

Let us go out to-geth-er from this place,

We shall go from God’s House,

Shar-ing love from the Ris-ing Son,

For the Lord’s great mer-cy sets us free.

© John Stuart 2014

Lenten devotion: Slavery Today - Titus 2:9-10

Titus 2:9-10    Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

This is one of those passages in the New Testament which, on the surface, appears to condone both the injustice and inhumanity of slavery. I personally find it troubling and I’m certain that Southern preachers in the past used this verse to support plantation owners, especially when those same slave masters financially strengthened the local congregation.

Superficially, it’s about slaves humbling themselves before their masters, no matter what they are asked to do. They are urged by the apostle Paul not to talk back or to protest about their circumstances. Instead Christians, who happen to be slaves, were supposed to be absolutely loyal and trustworthy in order to attract their owners to Christ. In other words, they were to endure all sorts of oppression in the hope that their acquiescence might make their masters come closer to Jesus.

This is a very high standard of faith and is very difficult to maintain. However, strangely enough, it also underpins much of the great work of civil disobedience that the likes of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr displayed in order to change American society. Their policy of non-retaliation, in the midst some of the most horrifying and inhumane acts of brutality that our nation has ever seen in modern times, is a continuing credit to their dignity, integrity, and faith. On the surface, the verses from Titus may appear to be unjust and unfair, but at a deeper level they convey the non-aggressionist teaching of Christ Himself.

Perhaps instead of being so insular and insecure because of the in-fighting within our churches and denominations, we should all get back to the proper ministry of Christ of standing with the weak, vulnerable, and oppressed, who are enslaved by loan sharks and unjust economies, in order to show the money masters and powerful people both the needs of the poor and the teachings of Christ at the same time.

Questions for personal reflection

Where does injustice occur in my community? What is my church doing to help overcome it?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You constantly challenge us to spread the Gospel and live according to Your teaching. Sometimes we get in the way of Your words and cast aside Your commands. Forgive us for our obsessive ecclesiastical navel-gazing in a time of increasing poverty and economic slavery. Challenge our cozy ways and change our outdated ideas. In Your radical and holy name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of my latest Lenten drawings. It’s a Lenten Prayer wheel and features many symbols associated with the sacred season of Lent. If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: Lenten Prayer Wheel.

Kindle Lent Devotions - 3 e-books by John Stuart

For the past three years, I've written a daily devotional ebook for Kindle users. Each book contains 40 daily devotions, personal reflection questions, Bible verses, prayers, and a different piece of art which I have uniquely drawn.

The dailies are short and take about five minutes to read and reflect upon. My purpose is to help busy Christians set aside some quality time to be with God and to make the 40 days of Lent a season of preparation to draw near to Christ.

The following three boxes list each of my books. Please check them out...:)

Also note that Kindle has produced free apps for any digital devices so that Amazon's e-books can be read on PCs, laptops, notebooks, mobile devices, and even MACs of any type!

Lent devotion: Lentbook - 2 Timothy 2:23

2 Timothy 2:23           Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

I love debating with other people. It’s part of my training as a pastor. At seminary or university, candidates for ministry are taught apologetics through class presentations or theological debates. The arguments usually spill over into the canteen area and can get very heated at times. I guess when people are really passionate about their beliefs, confrontation and conflict are inevitable.

This happens quite a lot on Facebook, too. Ever since I joined it, I've found myself sucked in to various theological tussles and inter-church conflicts, which have been quite severe at times. I wish that I could write that I have always kept to the high ground and not become embroiled in fiery free-for-alls; the truth is this: Facebook brings out the worst in me at times, and also among my Christian friends.

So, here’s what I'm doing for Lent: I am going to seriously attempt to give up quarreling on Facebook. It’s so easy to get involved in a fight or write a comment that does not help the situation. Now this won’t be simple for me either, because I can be quite self-righteous and highly opinionated at times. However, if the main purpose of Lent is to help me grow closer to Christ and value His sacrifice, then perhaps avoiding negative belligerent comments and making positive posts instead, may help me overcome this bad habit. And, in order to enable me to be reminded of this commitment, I've taped today’s verse to my laptop keyboard.

Perhaps you may feel led to do the same thing as well. It’s better than giving up chocolate or candy…J

Questions for personal reflection

How do I interact with other people on social media sites? Do I honor Christ with my comments and posts?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, from the Gospels You taught about the consequences of careless words and thoughtless deeds. You commanded us to love one another, including our enemies. Forgive us when our foolish pride and strident stupidity diminishes our Christian witness before other people. Help us to use this sacred season of Lent as a special time to review what we write, post, and express in our emails and comments. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image says it all…J You can view the original here: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7390/12908123824_60c78b1bc9.jpg