Jesus is the Subject; I am a Verb

Psalm 9 begins this way: "I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done."  Then the writer spends the next few verses praising God and telling what He has done, after which the reader or hearer of the Psalm is compelled to join in: "Sing praises to the LORD who reigns in Zion.  Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. (v.11)"

Sometimes I wonder, have we compartmentalized the Christian faith too much?  What I mean is, I've observed that most Christians have their "worship time," then "prayer time," then "good works time," then "entertainment time," then "family time," then "me time."  Isn't it all supposed to be connected?  Is it possible that the reason so many of us sometimes feel "out of balance" is that we're compartmentalizing what is meant to be a connected and cohesive way of life?

I happen to think the writer of Psalm 9,…

Recently a friend of mine wrote on his blog about the factors that lead to lonely pastors, which has inspired me to write a few thoughts of my own on the subject. By the way, in my opinion, my friend Malcolm, is right on!  Check out what he has to say: 5 Factors That Lead to Lonely Pastors

I suppose I should warn you, I am about to be very transparent.


Being a pastor can be an extremely lonely occupation.  In 1998, I began working full-time as a pastor.  From '98-2004 as a Student Ministry Pastor in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 2004-2007 as an Associate Pastor in Coral Springs, FL, and for the past 4.5 years as the Lead Pastor with Oaklawn Church of God in Hot Springs, AR.  My family is in Louisiana and Indiana.  My wife's family is in Ohio.  Distance from close family is certainly a factor.  The obvious factors being holidays and special occasions which most folks get to celebrate with their extended families.  These can be enjoyed with "church family" but it's not the…