After a trip to Galena, Illinois with my wife, then a solo trip from Sioux City to Cedarville, Ohio, to Lynchburg, Virginia, to Cedarville to Boston to Cedarville (because my daughter left her purse in my car) and back to Sioux City, I am ready to return to action as a pastor and a blogger.
I have some exciting news about the future of SBC Voices which I will be announcing in the next few days.
I have a difficult decision to make. I forgot my razor when I left town 10 days ago, so I grew a beard. I, of course, look dashing, but there is a problem. My last beard was a) a flattering medium brown color and b) 12-15 years ago. The beard that came in this week makes me looking scholarly and wise, of course, but is predominantly a whitish gray. When you are my age (old enough to be your father, young whippersnappers!) I’m not sure a white beard is a good fashion choice.
Is the maturity and wisdom people infer from the beard worth the years it adds to my appearance? Tough choice!
It’s good to get away – time to think and pray (but not much to write). I don’t think a couple of weeks off can solve the problems that burnout produces, but I believe I have gained perspective on my failings. I drove a lot of miles and the Durango performed admirably. (One quick hint – if you are going to drive in Boston rush hour traffic, a car with a NY Yankees championship sticker may not be the best bet!) But every 300 miles or so I had to stop and fill the tank with gas. If I kept driving without filling the tank, the car would eventually “burn out.”
I fell into the most common trap of preachers. I studied to preach and blog. I gave. I ministered. I led. I didn’t commit any huge sins or evidence any massive ministry failures. But I stopped filling the tank physically (sleep deprivation) and most importantly spiritually. I was running on empty the last couple of months.
The biggest problem I have is that gap between what I know and what I do. You have that gap too. We all tend to do less than we know to do. We’ve just got to keep the gap small. Keep the tank full and the spirit strong.
Anyway, I’m back at it. Thanks to the SBC Voices contributors who stepped up in my absence. And let’s raise of glass of some unfermented beverage to the future of SBC Voices.
