Changes Afoot

In the near future, I’ll be highlighting a couple of changes to the format of the blog. Don’t worry, it won’t be anything major. However, I hope that a few tweaks here and there will bring a better balance to UA’s content. But before I roll out the changes in a week’s time, I wanted to mention a timely quote from Mark Lauterbach that has confirmed some recent thinking.

As I read various blogs about ministry, they seem to focus entirely on preaching. The calling of a pastor certainly involves preaching — and preaching sets the tone and controls the atmosphere of the church. Well fed sheep nourished with well considered messages from the Word of God is crucial. Let us preach well! It is urgent to do so. If this is not done, all else is out of whack. But Peterson reminds me that ministry is more than preaching.

Preaching is easy compared to walking into the lives of people with Gospel centered counsel and questions. I have no memory of lying awake in the middle of the night because of a sermon to come. I have tossed and turned many times for the sin of people in the church and its tragic effects on their lives and on the congregation.

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