From the very beginning, Jesus was heading toward the Cross. When Jesus was just eight days old, Simeon warned and prepared Mary for the conflict that would eventually lead to the Cross, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:34-35).

The certainty of the Cross is stressed in all four gospel accounts. Luke tells us that “as the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (9:51). What had been on the heart of Jesus from the beginning was now becoming obvious to everyone. The explanation that Jesus gave to the disciples privately, “that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, that he must be killed and on the third day be raised from life,” was becoming obvious publicly. Jesus was a wanted man. The last time Jesus was in Jerusalem, during the celebration of Hanukkah, the Jews picked up stones to stone him “for blasphemy,” because they charged, “you, a mere man, claim to be God” (John 10:33).

Is it any wonder then that Thomas looked at the return visit to the region as their last? There is a fatalism in Thomas’ commitment, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” There is no heroism here, only resignation, as if to say, “We’ve come this far, we might as well go all the way.” He is pessimistic, but loyal and committed to seeing this cause right through to its bitter end. Thomas’ commitment is born out of habit and tradition rather than faith and trust. He did not comprehend the inevitability of the Cross. It was beyond him to apply the teaching of Isaiah 53 or Psalm 22 to Jesus, nor did he fathom the meaning of John’s declaration, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Thomas pledged loyalty, but his heart was not in it. Instead of rebuking Jesus the way Peter did, Thomas advocated martyrdom.

Today’s followers of Jesus are not immune to the pessimistic attitude of Thomas. We too, can be guilty of commitment born of habit rather than faith, and routine rather than understanding. Thomas pledged his duty, but not his devotion. His loyalty was not obedience but a matter of resignation based on skepticism. There is a measure of Thomas’ frustration in every pastoral burn-out and disgruntled Christian worker. We see his attitude in the zealot who has turned ministry into a crusade. We feel his pessimism among Christians who have forgotten Resurrection Hope and are only living for today. Christ has not called us to bear a cross fatalistically but faithfully.

May God give you the grace and wisdom to see beyond your immediate circumstances and to rejoice in your Kingdom work. May you have an attitude in your service that produces joy not from what you do but from the victory of the Cross. May you be reminded that you are not following a martyr to the bitter end but a Savior who has promised you eternal life.

This past weekend I had the privilege of facilitating a church Leadership Conference. We began our discussions on Friday evening and when we gathered on Saturday morning, one of the participants brought Faith. She walked right up to me and said, “Who are you?”

I introduced myself and asked her name. She responded, “Faith. I’m 8 until my next birthday.”

By this time I was right down at her level and asked, “When is your next birthday?”

“November,” she replied.

“My birthday is in November, too!” I said, “On the 4^th. What day is your birthday on?”

“10,” she said. And a very special relationship was born.

Every church could use a little Faith.

Sunday morning I arrived for Sunday School to find Faith and her Mom already there. Faith greeted me like a long-lost friend and carried on quite a conversation with the central theme that she would make sure I knew everybody. And she did!

For the next 15 minutes, each person who entered the church – no matter which of the three entrances they were using – was greeted by Faith who said, “You need to shake hands with Jim.” She then proceeded to lead them to where I was standing and even if I was talking to someone else, Faith would take my hand and say, “You need to shake hands with them,” and point to whomever she had in tow.

Some of the encounters were funny because Faith was no respecter of persons. Even if the individual or couple had been present all weekend at the Leadership Conference, she insisted that we be introduced as if we had never met.

I don’t think Faith knows what the term “stranger” really means within the context of the church. It was clear that in her mind I needed to meet everyone and each one should shake my hand. Sometimes she couldn’t remember their names but she didn’t forget mine and took every opportunity to remind people that my birthday was in November, too!

Faith made me feel important; welcome; part of the family.

Every church could use a little Faith.

I wonder who makes guests at your church feel welcome and important.

Please don’t take this as a suggestion to recruit 8 yr olds to be greeters. And don’t assume that every guest needs to be introduced to every regular attender.

My point is this: Someone should attempt to establish a rapport with a newcomer; find some common ground – it might be as simple as sharing a birthday month. That individual could then find others with a shared interest and introduce the guest. All this needs to be done with innocent sincerity – like that of an 8 yr old. False pretenses must always be avoided and the greeter should never shy away in embarrassment.

Our goal should be to help visitors feel important; welcome; part of the family.

Every church could use a little Faith.

I am often asked for a sample job description for a pastor especially by churches who are trying to figure out exactly what a pastor does. This usually sparks some conversation because I find there is a distinct difference between what the Bible describes as the attributes of a pastor and what church people expect a pastor to do.

Instead of job descriptions and professional profiles the Bible offers mentors who serve as living examples of the meaning of pastoral ministry. St. John, the pastor, identified himself with this description: “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus…” (Rev.1:9). John expressed how a pastor should feel toward those he serves in Christ. Pastoral ministry thrives in the context of this shared identity (your brother and companion), and a sense of mutual responsibility (suffering) and a commitment to common goals (patient endurance). Living out our faith together and Biblically is what draws pastor and people into the right kind of relationship.

The words of Jesus are important for today: “…You are not to be called ‘Rabbi’; for you have only one Master and you are all brothers…The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt.23:8,11,12). This kind of humility is essential to true spiritual authority.

Pastoral leadership is distinguished by a person’s spiritual gifts, character, training and support. The body of believers is involved in every aspect of in recognizing and developing each of these areas. The Apostle Paul wrote, “It was he [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the Body of Christ may be built up…” (Eph 4:11-12)

The pastor does not have all the spiritual gifts necessary for the church. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us…” (Rom 12:6) For the church to rely too heavily on one person, or for one person to assume too much responsibility distorts the healthy development of the church. We burn out pastors by piling too many responsibilities on them. The pastor may be quick to assume ministry responsibilities that would be far better handled by others in the congregation or called from outside to join the ministry team.

The church sets apart the person gifted by the Spirit of Christ, not to do the ministry for the church but to prepare the church to minister.

Many thanks to Doug Webster for sharing the “core thoughts” on this topic. Doug’s gracious and wise input in my life continues to prepare me to minister. Dr. Webster teaches pastoral theology and preaching at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL.

When I was in 5^th, 6^th, & 7^th grade my Dad was Dean of Students at Bryan College in Dayton, TN and, to supplement his meager income, he pastored a rural church about 30 minutes away. It was a country church with humble Tennessee mountain people who loved Jesus. I still remember being in their homes: no TV’s; simple wooden furniture, if there was an upholstered chair it was reserved for the guests; and a small coal stove in each room. Many of the homes had no indoor plumbing but had a two-hole outhouse in the backyard with a Sears & Roebuck catalog sitting on a shelf! I think one of the reasons those people loved Jesus so fully, and had such an impact on my life, is because they had so few “things” to distract them.

In our second year at that church tragedy struck one of the families. Dwight’s wife was diagnosed with cancer. Everyone was stunned. Here was a young mother with five children (the oldest was younger than me) and she had a death sentence. Cancer. In 1965 there wasn’t much that could be done. In a matter of weeks she was dead.

Three things stand out in my memory. One was that the family – the husband and his oldest son – dug the grave and then covered the casket when the service was over. Some may think that was cruel work but I disagree. The sweat and tears that went into the digging of the grave provided an outlet for the physical work of mourning. Much of what we do today when death occurs denies the need to physically express our grief.

The second thing I remember is from the memorial service – Dad didn’t call them funerals and they were not held at funeral homes but in the church – and the many individuals who stood to their feet to share memories about the deceased. Some stories brought tears, some laughter but each recollection helped us celebrate the life that was now gone.

The third memory always brings tears to my eyes. At the close of the memorial service, Dad led in the benediction and thought the service was over. It was not. Dwight, the newly widowed husband walked up to the pulpit and with a clear, strong voice, overflowing with confidence and hope, led us in singing, “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be, when we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.” There are five stanzas in that great gospel song and we sang every one. There wasn’t a dry eye anywhere. There wasn’t a hopeless heart to be found.

No matter what pain or hardship you now face; no matter what has happened in your past; the fear of the future, or the biting criticism of the last phone call; in spite of the financial pressures that grow greater every day: Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Do the physical work of mourning for past sin. Tell stories to each other about God’s faithfulness. Remind one another that God is always trustworthy. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Jesus is the beginning and the end. He is the living reminder of the Father’s love for you. Don’t lose hope. Don’t allow all the “stuff” of this life to become a distraction.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

We were sitting in a restaurant and midway through our meal the wait staff pulled three tables together and seated a large family next to us. It was easy to guess that there were grandparents, their two daughters and six children all under the age of 12. They were loud and disorganized but not obnoxious.

When their food arrived, we were impressed as one of the moms quieted everyone, had them hold hands and proceeded to pray. Her prayer was memorable: “Dear God,” she prayed, “bless this food we are about to eat. Bless us each one. We need your blessing. You know we are really good people. We need good gifts from you, God. We only want good gifts. Please send us good things. ”

When she said, “Amen,” I sat there with mixed emotions.

I was proud of this mom for praying before a meal in a public place with a table full of kids. But I wondered what god she was praying to.

Have we forgotten the opening sentence of the first chapter of Rick Warren’s runaway bestselling book? “It’s not about you.”

Or, even more seriously, have we dismissed Jesus’ words? "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

The prayer is frighteningly selfish. Is God some kind of genie in a bottle that we can use to get whatever we wish for? Is God like Santa Clause who will deliver a nice present if we are good enough? Is prayer an exercise where we come to God with a list of everything we want and hope he will give us some of it? Should we treat prayer as if it’s some sort of lottery – maybe if we pray earnestly enough and ask for a long list of items, God might give us some of it, but only if he picks our number?

This must be the god of the little trinity – me, myself and I – but not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God of the manger, the cross and the empty tomb. The God of the ages, history’s maker, compels us to look beyond ourselves, to “act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.” Micah 6:8

Now, before my voice mail and email are jammed with frustration, let’s make this clear: Jesus’ example of prayer teaches us to pray for essential needs – “give us this day our daily bread.” I can recall times – some recently – when I prayed for basics like gas money, groceries, and the payment of utility bills. And God faithfully provided.

James makes it very clear that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17) and we should recognize that He is a great giver. After all, He gave us the greatest gift in His Son, Jesus Christ. Do we really need more than that?

Should the primary focus of prayer – any prayer at any time – be what I want? When and where do we pray for understanding in the middle of pain and hardship? Or do we just pray that the hurt will be taken away?

There are scores of substantial examples to be followed when we pray. Here are two:

John the Baptist, who said, “He (Jesus) must become greater. I must become less.” John 3:30

Jesus prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

How arrogant of us to pray for only for our own personal benefit! How sad that so many have such an undeveloped and mistaken understanding of God that they would pray, “You know we are really good people. We need good gifts from you, God. We only want good gifts. Please send us good things. ”

I recall hearing Jim Cymbala say, “We often make the mistake of praying for the presence of God’s blessings when what we really need is the blessing of God’s Presence.”