Pastoring my first church, things were going rather well, I thought. Perhaps that contributed to my hubris as I stood in the pulpit one Sunday morning and told the church that God wanted us to commit to a wonderful missions project that would cost $6,000 over and above our budget. The money would have to be gathered within a month, I told them, and I was grateful in advance for what they were going ...
A majority of pastors are "feelers," meaning that the feelings, the dignity, and the approval of people tend to rank high in their decision-making process.
Since I am by nature a "feeler," having to rebuke someone has always been difficult for me. I would rather be rebuked than to rebuke. Why? I struggle with the confidence that my judgment of a person's actions or attitudes is the correct one because ...
The Case
On Saturday, September 5, I retired to my study to prepare for a wedding. Suddenly, as I was writing, I lost control of my hand. I called out to my wife. In a few moments I had lost my speech, my right side was paralyzed, and I was unable to walk. It turned out to be a cerebral hemorrhage. Had it gone a fraction further, it would have proved fatal.
Printer view of these results
