1. Margaret Feinberg wrote on the Catalyst blog about various techniques that have been used by pastors for many years to help overcome burning out. I found the post to be a great encouragement and reminder that avoiding burnout is my responsibility and it takes establishing a well thought out system of disciplines that keep me in check and keep me rooted in relationship with God.
No. 2: Develop a mentoring relationship. Sometimes dips in our own ministry are a result of pouring out into a meaningful relationship. Prayerfully consider whose life God may be calling you to invest in and pour into.
No. 8: Develop healthy friendships. Ministry seeps up time better than a sponge in water. At times, the last thing you want to do is engage other people. But the priceless benefits of having a healthy friendship far outweigh the bad.
No. 9: Don’t be afraid to set boundaries. Problems and To-Do lists seem to bleed into every area of your life. Learning to say no is not a sin. Overextending yourself spreads you thin and keeps you from doing your best in every situation.
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2. Trevin Wax is a prolific blogger who churns out posts like few can. Recently he wrote a post encouraging seminary students to remember a few lessons during their studies. As someone just about to finish school, I found his remarks to be spot on. No one wants to walk away from years of seminary wishing they would have gone about the whole thing differently, heed this advice.
The biggest danger in seminary is that in the increase of knowledge, you lose sight of the most important things. The more you know, the more you are likely to forget.
Satan would love nothing more than to transform your joy of attending seminary into an intellectual snobbery that renders you ineffective in ministry. Guard your heart against this paralyzing pride. Weeds grow next to the flowers. The flowers are blooming at seminary. The question is: will you choke out the weeds of pride in your heart or will the weeds choke out a lifetime of fruitfulness?
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3. I love quite a bit about Portland. Sure the rain gets a little old, but there’s a lot to appreciate about the city. Check out this incredible video highlighting Portland.
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Happy Friday!
