Put A Song Back In Your Pastor’s Heart With A Sabbatical
Sometimes, when we hear of how some of our pastor friends are struggling in their ministry, we remember the story of the parakeet who lost his song. Lester the parakeet’s sad story began one day when his owner inadvertently sucked Lester into the vacuum bag while cleaning his cage. After removing Lester from the bag,…
Stewardship Of Self And Clergy Sabbaticals
Ministries increasingly encourage stewardship of self for pastors. In his book, Clergy Self-Care, Greg Sumii writes, “Pastors are human with limitations and yet many are ministering beyond their limitations.” Stewardship of self is something pastors need to model for others in the parish as much as we need it for ourselves. In an online article,…
Christmas and Stress
[From my diary] Tomorrow is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The next day is Christmas Eve. Then, of course, comes Christmas Day. This wonderful time of the year we celebrate God becoming human like us–to save us. With the added intensity of the next few days, your pastor is probably struggling with his or her…