“The church exists today as resident aliens, an adventurous colony in a society of unbelief. As a society of unbelief, Western culture is devoid of a sense of journey, of adventure, because it lacks belief in much more than the cultivation of an ever-shrinking horizon of self-preservation and self-expression . . . . When we … More QUOTABLES: Adventurous Colony in a Society of Unbelief
On the cross, Jesus gets into it with his mother. “Woman, behold thy son,” he says to her. Mary, look at the child you are losing, the son that you are giving over for the sins of the world. Maternal love is that love that loves in order to give away. In Mary’s case, it … More Jesus’ Family Values (by Will Willimon)
Today, Will Willimon, in his book “Pastor” quotes his own teacher’s words on the pastorate toward the end of his career training clergy. James E. Dittes speaks of “ministry as grief work”: To be a minister is to know the most searing grief and abandonment, daily and profoundly. To be a minister is to take … More Pastor 13 – The Cost of Vocational Ministry
Today Will Willimon, in his book “Pastor”, gives us Anthony Robinson’s helpful list of time-tested wisdom for leadership decision-making. 1. Give responsibility back. When a layperson says, “Somebody ought to be doing this,” as a pastor, you might respond saying, “That sounds like just the thing God may be calling you to do.” 2. Expect … More Pastor 12 – Ten Rules of Leadership
Another excerpt from Will Willimon’s book “Pastor.” This time preaching as commissioning. “Mission begins with commissioning. Therefore, preaching is an essential part of mission. I suppose that we preachers ought to strive, in every sermon, to have some illustration or example whereby ordinary Christian people could sense God’s vocation. Mission begins in the heart of … More Pastor 11 – Mission & Preaching
Another excerpt from Will Willimon’s book “Pastor.” I began this series many months ago, sharing excerpts from this great book on the vocation of pastor. Now, I’m back reading the book for a class I’m taking in November. -JB “A number of years ago, James MacGregor Burns wrote a classic book on leadership in which … More Pastor 10 – Transformational Leadership
From CT: On 9/11 I thought, For the most powerful, militarized nation in the world also to think of itself as an innocent victim is deadly. It was a rare prophetic moment for me, considering Presidents Bush and Obama have spent billions asking the military to rectify the crime of a small band of lawless individuals, destroying a … More Will Willimon on 9/11
Another excerpt from Will Willimon’s book “Pastor.” In this section, Willimon addresses a mindset common among Baby Boomers (and passed down to their children, I might add): “A few years ago, three sociologists, noting the huge decline in memberships being suffered by mainline (now fast becoming the old-line or sidelined) denominations, described what they termed … More Pastor 9 – Baby Boomers’ Bondage to Self
More insights from Willimon’s book “Pastor”: “One of the challenges of biblical interpretation is that the Bible contains a wide array of genre. We contemporary preachers of the Word marvel at the resourcefulness of these early communicators of the faith. They use poetry, myth, parable, genealogy, invective, hyperbole, and a host of other literary devices … More Pastor 6 – More on the Scriptures
“We come to the Bible, raising questions about its relevance to our present daily lives, only to find that the Bible questions us about our relevance to the way of Christ.” -Will Willimon, Pastor, p. 131
I’m sharing highlights from my reading of William Willimon’s definitive book on pastoral ministry called “Pastor.” Today, I share a quote from a section discussing Acts 4 and every pastor’s favorite topic — inviting people to give their money away! 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that … More Pastor 3 – A Revolutionary Offering
“The basis for the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount is not what works but rather the way God is. Cheek-turning is not advocated as what works (it usually does not), but advocated because this is the way God is — God is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. This is not a … More QUOTABLES: The Cost of Following Jesus
Already 21 years old, “Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony” is a little book by the Duke duo Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon that purports to offer “a provocative Christian assessment of culture and ministry for people who know that something is wrong.” Two decades later, something is still wrong. This book speaks powerfully … More Resident Aliens 1
“Whatever happens, as citizens of heaven live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that — whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent — I should hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the … More PHILIPPIANS 12: Resident Aliens (1:27-28)
Jeremy L. Berg 