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Here's good news for preachers who may be looking for a job -- there are lots of openings in related professions. I just read this morning that there's a potential shortfall of as many as 3 million workers in the U.S. by 2012. And there are five particular jobs were there are expected to be major gaps -- opportunities for preachers who are already carrying out those jobs. For example, there may be a 20 percent shortfall of nurses by the year 2020, due to the aging of the baby boomers (I can testify to that one), and more nurses leaving the profession than entering. But think of all the preachers who can step in, after years of experience of serving as nurse-maid to complaining members who want shorter but meatier sermons, softer but more energetic music, and church growth without letting in anyone they don't know. There's also a potential shortage of machinists. Well, who more than a pastor is used to making things work together smoothly? And that shortage of 110,000 truck drivers by 2014? Good preachers know plenty about delivering the goods. Then there's that impending shortage of librarians. Please -- does anyone know more about books than a good preacher? The one shortage that has me stumped is the projected shortfall of more than 150,000 pharmacists by 2020. Frankly, lots of preachers I know need a daily dose of Excedrin (migraine strength), but I don't think we're ready to dispense those drugs quite yet. As my mother said when I got my doctorate, "That's nice, but you still can't write a prescription." Michael
Duduit, Editor Click here to visit "I Was Just Thinking" (Michael’s blog) for insights and observations about faith and culture issues. Recent topics: Brave Oscar?
Illumination no substitute for study In the book Preaching: How to Preach Biblically (Thomas Nelson), John MacArthur writes, "Illumination is the work of the Holy Spirit that opens one's spiritual eyes to comprehend the meaning of the Word of God. It involves the preacher of Scripture and his audience. God's objective and historically past revelation in Scripture cannot be understood accurately apart from the present, personal, and subjective work of the Holy Spirit. 'Illumination,' which applies only to believers, is simply the continued work of the Holy Spirit by which He causes enlightened understanding of doctrine and how it should be applied to life. . . . "Illumination does not eliminate the need for diligent Bible study. 'The illumination of the Spirit is no prayer-meeting substitute for the hard work of learning Hebrew and Greek and using the standard lexicons, commentaries and other research materials.' (Bernard Ramm) On one hand, Paul encouraged Timothy that 'the Lord will give you understanding in everything' (2 Tim. 2:7) He then exhorted Timothy to 'Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth' (2 Tim. 2:15). "This should be noted especially by preachers. 'The biblical interpreter cannot wait for lightning bolts to hit him. He must study, read, and struggle to be in a position to receive the Spirit's illumination. It is not enough to open one's mouth and expect God to fill it at 11:00 o'clock on Sunday morning.' (Wilber T. Dayton) Paul taught that elders who worked hard at preaching and teaching were worthy of double honor (1 Tim. 5:17). Far too many preachers enter the pulpit without adequate preparation to rightly divide the Word. They have good reason to be ashamed." (Click here to learn more about the book Preaching)
Australian pastors face charges over Muslim comments Efforts continue to silence preachers stating unpopular views. First it was the long-running prosecution of a Swedish pastor for criticizing homosexuality. (He was finally exonerated by Sweden's supreme court.) Now it's another nation and another topic, as John Leo writes: "In Australia, a state tribunal found two pastors guilty of vilification of Muslims. They had argued that Islam is inherently a violent religion, and that Islam plans to take over Australia. To avoid up to a $7000 fine or three months in jail, they were ordered to apologize and to promise not to repeat their remarks anywhere in Australia or over the Internet. The pastors refused to comply and are appealing to the Supreme Court. The case has become a major cause, with churches and Christian leaders fighting to overturn the law, and Muslims pushing for a broad hate-speech law." (Click here to read Leo's full column on censorship.) http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/johnleo/2006/03/05/188673.html
Clergy sexual abuse is about power Sexual misconduct occurs among ministers at a rate higher than among other trusted professions such as doctors and lawyers, according to Joe Trull. The retired seminary ethics professor recently spoke to a ministerial ethics conference at Baylor University's Truett Seminary. The event was reported in the Feb. 24 edition of The Baptist Standard. At its heart, says Trull, clergy sexual abuse represents betrayal by a minister who abuses the trust of a vulnerable and wounded person. "Clergy sexual exploitation is not primarily about sex. It is an abuse of power expressed in a highly destructive sexual manner," he asserted. Though recent news reports have highlighted the issue of pedophile priests in the Roman Catholic church, studies across denominational lines have demonstrated consistently that about 10 to 12 percent of ministers acknowledged engaging in sexual intercourse with church members, and roughly one-fourth to one-third admitted to sexually inappropriate behavior. In more than 90 percent of the cases of sexual abuse in Protestant churches, the misconduct occurs between a male minister and female church member. James Carter, retired director of church-minister relations for the Louisiana Baptist Convention and another conference speaker, said that ministers can avoid many problems by making it a policy never to be alone with a person of the opposite sex other than a spouse. In private counseling sessions, he suggested always making sure someone is in a nearby room. (Click here to read the full article.) http://www.baptiststandard.com/postnuke/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=4587
Strengthen
your creativity at the "Preaching Creatively" is the theme of the 2006 National Conference on Preaching, scheduled for April 24-26 at Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX (suburban Dallas). (Visit the new and expanded conference website at www.preaching.com/ncp.) Learn about creative preaching in a postmodern age, how to do creative exposition, ways to use story, and much more. A remarkable team of speakers will be on hand for NCP 2006, including: Ed Young, Jr., Haddon Robinson, Calvin Miller, Dieter Zander, Jack Graham, Doug Pagitt, Steve Wende, Bryan L. Carter, Mike Glenn, Leroy Armstrong, Jr., Rick White, Timothy Warren, David Allen, Reg Grant, Oscar Lopez, Calvin Pearson, Steven Smith and many more. You'll draw insights and encouragement from the theme-related addresses on preaching creatively, plus great sermons and many practical workshops. Mark your calendar now to be part of the conference. Click here for additional information or to register (or call 800-288-9673). Don't wait -- hotel rooms are filling up fast! A request to Texas readers: We are looking for one or two churches in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (or within driving distance) that would be willing to provide a mini-bus or church bus for shuttle service during the National Conference on Preaching April 24-26. (We'll cover your costs.) If you might be able to help us, drop me an email (michael@preaching.com) or give us a call at 800-288-9673. Thanks!
ILLUSTRATION: Thinking of Jesus Former President Harry Truman was famous for the long walks he took. Those were simpler days when he could take a walk like everyone else. One evening Truman decided to stroll to Memorial Bridge on the Potomac. While there, he grew curious about the mechanism that raised the middle span of the bridge. Making his way across the catwalks and through the inner workings of the bridge, he suddenly came upon the bridge tender, eating his supper out of a tin bucket. The man showed no surprise when he looked up and saw the most powerful man in the world. He just swallowed his food, wiped his mouth, smiled, and said, "You know, Mr. President, I was just thinking of you." It was a greeting Truman never forgot.1 If the Lord Jesus showed up at your workplace today, could you say, "You know, Lord, I was just thinking about You"? Where is your mind today? Every temptation comes to us via our thoughts, and the world wants to clutter our minds with its trash. Reinforce your mind with God's Word, and keep your mind stayed on Him. (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 2-17-06) 1. The Truman story is told in David McCullough, Truman (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992), 623, and recorded in Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes by Robert J. Morgan. (Click here to learn more about Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes)
ILLUSTRATION: Sportsmanship, Sharing At the recent 2006 Winter Olympics, a Norwegian coach was standing beside the snowy racecourse, cheering on his nation's team in the women's cross-country relay, when Canadian skier Sara Renner broke a pole in front of him. This meant that her team was likely doomed. But without hesitation, the Norwegian coach handed a replacement pole to the Canadian skier. Had he not done so, his team might have a won a medal. As it happened, however, Sara Renner and her teammate, Beckie Scott, skied on to win a silver medal, while the Norwegian team finished fourth. (submitted by Ernest Myers from The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 25-26, 2006, p. A8)
ILLUSTRATION: Frugality, Travel A Scotsman, planning a trip to the Holy Land, was shocked when he found it would cost $50 an hour to rent a boat on the Sea of Galilee. "Hoot mon," he said, "in Scotland it wouldna ha been more than $20." "That might be true," said the travel agent, "but you have to take into account that the Sea of Galilee is water on which our Lord Himself walked." "Well," said the Scotsman, "at $50 an hour for a boat, it's no wonder He walked." (from Mikey's Funnies)
ILLUSTRATION: Advertising, Mistakes Dick Larson was a skilled CPA but not an expert at promoting his own business. So when an advertising company offered to put his business placard in the shopping carts of a supermarket, took them up on the offer. Unfortunately, an entire year went by before he could trace a single call to that source. Finally, one day the call came: "Richard Larson, CPA?" the caller asked. "That's right," he answered. "May I help you?" "Yes," the voice said. "One of your shopping carts is in my yard, and I want you to come and get it."
"When a man seeks your advice, he generally wants your praise." (Lord Chesterfield)
From the sponsor of this week's edition: Would you like help as you prepare to teach? Like most of us, you likely are time bankrupt . . . you wish you had more time to dedicate to the important commitments in your life. One way thousands of pastors have better invested time is by using Bible Navigator study software. Now one of the best-selling electronic biblical resources, Bible Navigator has a huge variety of materials and capabilities to enrich your sermons. It enables instant access to Scripture, commentaries, illustrations, Greek & Hebrew audio pronunciations and so much more. See what thousands of your colleagues depend on each week. Select from four editions of Bible Navigator starting at only $19.95.
A little girl was in church with her mother when she started feeling sick. "Mommy," she said, "I think I have to throw up!" exclaimed the girl. "Then go out the front door and around to the back of the church and throw up behind a bush," her mother told her. In less than sixty seconds, the girl returned to her seat. "Did you throw up?" her mother asked. "Yes," the little girl replied. "How could you have gone all the way to the back of the church and returned so quickly?" her mother asked. "I didn't have to go out of the church, Mommy. They have a box next to the front door that says, 'For the Sick.'"
"The basic question is not how much of our money we shall give to God, but how much of God's money we shall retain for ourselves." (J. Oswald Sanders)
20 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity 1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down. 2. Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice. 3. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that. 4. Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "In." 5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso. 6. In the memo field of all your checks, write "For Smuggling Diamonds." 7. Finish all your sentences with "In Accordance With the Prophecy." 8. Don't use any punctuation 9. As often as possible, skip rather than walk. 10. Order a "Diet Water" whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face. 11 Specify that your drive-through order is "To Go." 12. Sing along at the opera. 13. Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme 14. Put mosquito netting around your work area and play tropical sounds all day. 15. Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood. 16. Have your co-workers address you by your wrestling name. 17. When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I Won! I Won!" 18. When leaving the zoo, start running toward the parking lot yelling, "Run for your lives -- they're loose!" 19. Tell your children over dinner: "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go." 20. And the final way to keep a healthy level of insanity . . . (from Austin Tucker, who seems to know this topic a little too well.)
And finally . . . Who would have guessed that naming a moose would be so popular? According to a May 2 AP story, the small Norwegian town of Vegaarshei wanted to put radio tracking collars on 25 moose, so they could study their movements for two years. But the project was too expensive, at more than 400,000 kroner ($60,000). That's when they decided to let donors name their moose. For a 5,000 kroner ($740) donation, the team will name a moose for a sponsoring company, organization or individual. That idea has proven so popular that the town is about to run out of moose. "We have four or five left, but they are going fast," said Helge Sines, head of forestry for the township in southern Norway. As part of the deal, moose sponsors can track their namesake on the Internet, although personal meetings are not on the agenda. "We leave the moose in peace," said Sines. "We do not take people to visit the moose. We don't want to do anything to stress them." So remember: no funny names that would make the other moose tease them. (Click here to read the whole moose story.) http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060302/D8G3FP5O0.html
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