I admit that this blog post is in some ways a selfish one. I want others praying for me and with me, so I’m publicly asking you, my readers, to pray for these things with me. Perhaps you can pray one of these prayers for each of the first seven days of this new year:
- That Pam and I would give God a blank check for the future. That’s a scary prayer, as we never know how God might unexpectedly lead—but I want to follow Him wherever He calls to do whatever He asks.
- That I would be as broken over non-believers as the apostle Paul was. If it were possible, Paul said, he would be willing to be accursed himself so others might be saved (Rom 9:3). That’s the heart I want in 2020.
- That every faculty member, student, and staff of Southeastern Seminary (where I teach) would continually pray for and evangelize at least one person. Our president, Danny Akin, has given us this challenge to start the new year, and I pray it will continue beyond the first quarter.
- That this year would see the salvation of loved ones for whom we’ve prayed so long. I’m still learning that it’s the Holy Spirit who must convict and convince, and I’m asking Him to break through some hard hearts this year.
- That I will be a better husband this year than I’ve ever been. We’ll celebrate 29 years of marriage this year, but I want to keep growing. I know I need to do so.
- That I will take better care of myself spiritually and physically. I don’t typically struggle much in these areas, but I can get rushed and routine at the same time. I often don’t sleep as much as I should, also.
- That none of my friends, colleagues, fellow pastors, or students will fall this year. I want to begin the year praying this way (praying for different leaders each week), rather than waiting until someone falls to pray for him or her. I hope that others pray this way for me, too.
Thanks, readers, for your prayers. Please let me know how I might pray for you this first week.
I’m involved in worship ministry in a small declining Anglican church in a community that is about a 20 minute drive from the community in which I live. The church is one of two small Anglican churches in the region. Both are located about a 15 minute drive from each other. The church has negligible connection with the community in which it is located. Until this past year all of its members lived in other communities. I was a candidate for pastor of the church but ran afoul of two of its members. They began to miss church on the Sundays that I preached. While I tried to talk with both of them, they refused to tell me what was troubling them. I reported the problem to my supervising pastor. He talked with two of the church’s leaders and concluded from these conversations that I was mismatched with the church and did not enjoy its full support for ordination. He recommended that I take my name of the church’s preaching roster. I remained at the church because I considered that it was the right thing to do based upon what I knew about the church and its members. I also remained in worship ministry at the church but adopted a reduced role. I sometimes lead services and assist a visiting pastor on communion Sundays, and occasionally preach. but not with the frequency that I had been preaching. I share the pulpit with the visiting pastor and two other lay preachers. The visiting pastor is the pastor of the other Anglican church in the region and preaches and administers communion twice a month. The members of the church appear to be happy with this arrangement and no longer appear to feel the need for a pastor of their own. They show little interest in revitalizing or replanting the church. They appear resigned to the eventual closure of the church.
I’m retired. I’ll turn 72 this year. I am a senior adult student at the university in the community in which I live. I am a third year student in the Japanese language program (albeit it has taken me five years to get this far.). Attending the university brings me into contact with foreign exchange students as well as other students at the university. At my previous church I was involved in an outreach ministry to Asian students.
I am increasingly finding it wearisome making a 20 minute drive to church in a community with which I have no connection and most of whose members have no interest in reaching the unchurched in the community. The one church leader who does express an interest nonetheless in various ways exhibits resistance to the kind of changes that the church needs to undertake. I have been involved in church planting since the 1980s. While the community in which I live has a lot of churches, it also has a lot of unchurched people and there is a real need for new churches. Since I moved to the community over 12 years ago, I have had a persistent interest in planting a new church in the community during that time. I have also had a persistent desire to preach.. At the same time I am not a high energy person and I have limited connections in the community. I also question my motives. I have enough experience in pioneering new churches to know that there are good reasons to plant a new church and there are bad reasons. In addition I was told by a failed church planter that I was not cut out to be a church planter. His words have been like a curse to me, causing me to doubt myself. I would greatly appreciate it if you and the readers of this blog would pray for me.
Chuck, I love your prayer requests. I have followed your blog since I was a student at SEBTS and now a student at SWBTS. I few of yours are favorite for me, but the blank check request is one of my own. I pray weekly for God’s will and not my own and that I would persevere in doing what I believe God has called me to do. Thank you for sharing your requests as we move into 2020.
Thanks, Deani.