Slide 1

Slide 2

Session #3 Guarding Gods Gift of Faith

Slide 3

Revelation 1:12,13, 16,20 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man.in his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double- edged sword. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Slide 4

With what theological challenge may the Lutheran pastor wrestle when it comes to the issue of caring for his/her own soul? Watch your life ( ) and your doctrine closely. (1 Tm 4:16) Keep watch over yourselves ( ) and all the flock. (Acts 20:28 )

Slide 5

Spiritual Self-Care Spend the next five minutes with two or three others brainstorming a list of other obstacles that get in our way as pastors spending time in Word and prayer for no other purpose than the needs of our own souls.

Slide 6

Spiritual Self-Care What obstacles did your group identify? Keep track of all obstacles listed to see if we have answered them all before this session is finished.

Slide 7

Slide 8

The pastor in whose heart these temptations take root has almost certainly abandoned a private devotional life. He is busy, so busy. He has looked for ways of saving time so that he can get more work done in the service of the Lord. The first corner to cut is in the time that he spends alone with Jesus in his private devotions. After all, does he really need that? He is always "in the Word" isn't he? He is studying the text for his next sermon. He is preparing for Bible class. He has a devotion in mind for his next round of hospital and shut-in calls. He even conducts family devotions with his wife and children. Why does he need more than that for himself? (204)

Slide 9

How many days during the typical week do you spend in personal devotional reading or study of the Word that is not directly related to preparing for a sermon or Bible class? # of DaysAll200319931983 None 3%10% 0% 0% One13%30%11% 0% Two10%10%11% 8% Three13%10% 0%25% Four17%30%22% 0% Five23% 0%22%50% Six10% 0%33% 0% Seven10%10% 0%17% Survey conducted in November 2008 with a randomly selected group of 33% of all WLS graduates from each of these graduating classes.

Slide 10

[Jesus] wants to catch [the pastor] again and again with the net of his grace and mercy (205).

Slide 11

Why does he need more than that for himself? He needs more than that for himself because of the special temptations the devil has just for pastors, namely, those temptations already described. Just as Jesus so often in the gospels took the disciples aside to talk to them privately, so Jesus wants to take his pastor aside and speak to him about the temptations unique to his holy office. He wants to call him away from the siren summons to success. He wants to call him away from contempt for the ungrateful and the stubborn, the indifferent and the careless.

Slide 12

He wants to call him to repentance for his own sins first. He wants him to see the patience that Jesus still has even for his pastor. He wants to catch him again and again with the net of his grace and mercy. He wants the pastor ever and again to be lost in wonder and awe at the love and patience of Christ for the lost, the erring, the foolish, the perverse, the love and patience of Christ - in a word - for him! (204-205)

Slide 13

Consider how easy it is to slip into living from the law in every area of ministry, but especially when it comes to our devotional life! What are the problems that rise up when we think we are doing God a favor by maintaining our devotional life?

Slide 14

Slide 15

Martin Luther is a good teacher of receptive spirituality. He recognized that by our practice of piety we try to justify ourselves before God and before others. We all too readily regard the life of meditation and prayer as something that we have to do apart from Christ and His presence with us. We think of our devotions as our duty or work, our achievement and the product of our determination and self-discipline. And that assumption sets us up for failure and spiritual disillusionment. Luther devoted much of his energy to the teaching and practice of evangelical piety to prevent this failure (Grace Upon Grace, John Kleinig, 12).

Slide 16

The risen Lord Jesus is present with his disciples of all time just as he promised (Mt 28:20) Christs Word has life-giving and life-sustaining power because it is inspired and filled with the Spirit (Jn 6:63) We are already fully loved and justified children of God in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, through faith in him we stand in grace (Ro 5:1-2)

Slide 17

Reclaiming our Lutheran heritage: a devotional piety with grace as its beating heart Luther believed that God uses three things to fashion us into theologians: oratio, meditatio, tentatio. How is oratio primarily Gods gracious activity? How is meditatio primarily Gods gracious activity? How is even tentatio Gods grace at work for us?

Slide 18

How long does it take snow to make the earth bud and flourish? Since we live by faith and not sight, why shouldnt this delay surprise us? As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return tom empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11) The harvest does not come immediately. Growth is slow and is not always evident, for the roots must go down deep before the stalk springs up tall. We do not immediately experience the results of meditation as soon as we begin to meditate, or even while we meditate. It is only now that I am reaping the harvest from what I meditated on long ago (Grace Upon Grace, 114).

Slide 19

How do these words of Luther seem to encourage a non multa sed multum approach to our meditating on Scripture? At the same time, what can be the advantages of a more rapid reading of Scripture? Whatever pattern you select, dont let a guilty conscience betray you into discouragement. It happens often that in my meditation I come across such rich thoughts, that I disregard the other six petitions. When such a wealth of ideas comes, one should forego other petitions and make room for such thoughts, listen silently and certainly not hinder them from coming. Under these conditions the Holy Spirit is preaching and in his sermon one word is better than a thousand in our prayer (A Simple Way to Pray, 12-13).

Slide 20

Much of what is taught as meditation is more dangerous than helpful Luther turned meditation upside down! Different from lectio divina of the mystics Mystics (ancient and modern) use the Word as a three step springboard to soar into heaven for direct communion with God Luthers four questions seek to slow us down and keep us focused on the Word: What is God saying to me here? For what does this lead me to give thanks? What sins does this lead me to confess? For what does this lead me to pray?

Slide 21

Spend 10 minutes reading through the brief excerpt from Eugene Petersons Eat This Book. Spend 10 minutes discussing: In what ways may we at times resemble Hans when we read Scripture? Discuss the value of Petersons insight gained as he compared what his dog does with a bone to the meaning of the Hebrew words for meditating. Share with your group anything that has helped you to do what we pray at the close of worship: May we so hear them, read, learn, and take them to heart, that being strengthened and comforted by your holy Word, we may cling to the blessed hope of eternal life.

Slide 22

Some General Encouragements Dont slavishly copy patterns of others, learn from them, but develop patterns that work for you Consider including the Confessions in your pattern (especially Small Catechism) Including hymns (OT & NT) and canticles can provide rich variety Consider establishing a pattern for intercessory prayer Consider using John Jeskes Treasures Old and New Many have found useful a time and place that is sacred for this Ponder the wisdom of changing your patterns regularly Other ideas you have found helpful? Any obstacles still unaddressed?

Slide 23

Slide 24

Slide 25

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).