The Shepherd’s Example (4)
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 1 Timothy 6.11
Acquiring the kind of example that refracts Jesus to the world doesn’t just happen. It requires hard work, as Paul elsewhere explains (Phil. 2.13). We have to work out the great salvation we have received so that, by our disciplined exertions to sanctify our heart, take every thought captive for Jesus, purify our conscience, and redirect all our words and deeds Jesus increases in us and we—our old self—decrease.
Charles Spurgeon emphasized the utter necessity of this in Lectures to My Students: “Recollect, as ministers, that your whole life, your whole pastoral life especially, will be affected by the vigour of your piety. If your zeal grows dull, you will not pray well in the pulpit; you will pray worse in the family, and worst in the study alone. When your soul becomes lean, your hearers, without knowing how or why, will find that your prayers in public have little savour for them; they will feel your barrenness, perhaps, before you feel it yourself.”
Don’t you love that phrase: “the vigour of your piety”? Those are two words we don’t often think of together, but they are beautifully and essentially linked here.
If we are lethargic in seeking the Lord in private, we’re not likely to be very animated in seeking Him in public. If we have no zeal for His Presence in the quiet of our studies, we won’t show much zeal when we’re leading His people in worship and prayer. The spiritual vigor of a congregation depends, in no small part, on the spiritual vigor of its shepherds.
Vigorous. That’s the kind of devotion and discipline it takes to be formed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Teaching and learning as disciples
Dr. Mike McQueen continues to share insights from his more than 40 years of ministry among the Chinese community at the University of Illinois and throughout central Illinois. Click the link or the audio bar at the top of this teaching letter to access our most current discussion.
Resources for ShepherdsLike Jesus, shepherds are to lead their sheep. But where? Certainly, into the continuing work of our Lord Jesus Christ. But what is that? Our workbook, The Ongoing Work of Christ: The Book of Acts and Beyond, can help give you clarity on this. We’ll be teaching this study in our fall Men’s Bible Study. Your opportunity to register for this course will be coming soon. If you’d like to begin that study now, or if you simply want to study this material on your own, click here to download your free copy.
Men, need a fresh injection of vision and energy in your ministry? Our Pastoral Hope Initiative leads you through a series of studies, assessments, and exercises to refresh your calling and re-energize your walk with and work for the Lord. Watch this brief introductory video, then sign up to work through the seven online sessions that can reinvigorate your ministry.
Men, have you ever wanted to use writing as part of your ministry? Our Ailbe Seminary course, “The Writing Pastor”, can help you understand how writing can enhance your ministry and help you get started in it. It’s an intensive introduction to writing for ministry, and you can learn more about it and register for this free course by clicking here.
From the Celtic Revival
Brendan of Clonfert (fl. ca. 560 AD):
…and when the day arrived, Brendan said to his company: “Let us proceed to our work, that is to our (canonical) hours,” and they did so. And when they had finished their hours, Brendan said to them: “Let us make for our boat now.”
– The Life of Brendan of Clonfert
For Brendan, the first work of the day was the work of prayer. Only after he and his company had sought the Lord in prayer would they be ready to continue their journey over the Atlantic in a leather boat. How important is prayer in your walk with and work for the Lord? The meditation accompanying the quote above can be found here.
Follow Brendan’s adventure of faith—which, while certainly historical, is in many ways a parable for every believer’s journey in the Lord. Add our twice-weekly Crosfigell teaching letter to your subscriptions.
The Celtic Revival (ca 430-800 AD) is a neglected period of Church history. There is much to learn from the great saints and leaders whose work, over nearly four centuries, “saved civilization” (Thomas Cahill). Here are some additional free resources in our bookstore to help you discover why we think this period is worth revisiting:
Patrick: A Devotional History
Colum Cille: A Devotional History
Columbanus: A Devotional History
The Celtic Revival: A Brief Introduction
Lives of Irish Saints: A Tribute
Living to Rule: An Introduction to Celtic Christian Spirituality
The Theology of the Celtic Revival II: Foundations
We hope you’ll have a look.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this issue of Pastor to Pastor helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our current ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” is dealing with the time of our livesand how we make more of this for the progress of Christ’s Kingdom. In our Read Moore column, we continue working our way through the book, Understanding the Times. And I encourage you to follow our Corsfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert, nicknamed “The Navigator.” Join us and find out why. Click the Articles tab on the home page to see all the selections available to you.
Support for Pastor to Pastor comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
