I've been thinking a lot about Jesus' way of doing ministry recently. A number of years ago, I read Eugene Peterson's outstanding book, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places. Ever since reading it, I have grappled with what it means to truly minister to people in Jesus' way. In the midst of my reflections, I …
The Disturbing Temptations of Pastoring in Obscurity
I had the privilege of writing an article for Christianity Today's CT Pastors imprint that was released today. There's an excerpt below, but you can read the full article here. Gregory the Great, so tradition tells us, was a reluctant pope. Well-educated and from a wealthy family, Gregory experienced inner tension between his longing for the contemplative …
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Notes on the Crisis of Pastoral Leadership in the North American Church
I have been a Senior Pastor of a large, non-denominational, evangelical church for the past ten years, and been in pastoral ministry for nearly twenty years now. Maybe, like me, you realize there is something happening in the life of the North American Church that could best be described as a crisis of pastoral leadership. …
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Practicing Spiritual Direction [Working the Angles with Eugene Peterson, part 11]
Spiritual direction is difficult. Pastoral wisdom is not available on prescription. Every person who comes to a pastor with a heart full of shapeless longings and a head full of badgering questions is complex in a new way. There are no fail-proof formulae (179). Eugene Peterson brings this book, Working the Angles, to conclusion with attention …
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Getting a Spiritual Director [Working the Angles with Eugene Peterson, part 10]
There is a saying among physicians that the doctor who is his own doctor has a fool for a doctor. It means, as I understand it, that the care of the body is a complex business and requires cool, detached judgment....If those entrusted with the care of the body cannot be entrusted to look after …
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Matthew Erickson 