Category Archives: mentors

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A Post for the Pastor/Scholar: My Correspondence with Michael Cameron

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Now that’s a scholar!

If you are someone who shares my love for both pastoring and teaching, enjoy this short post about my email exchange with author, Michael Cameron. Here’s how it came about:

One of the only negatives about my recent Ph.D. journey was the interruption of my personal reading schedule. So I was extremely happy to get back to books that I began to read early in the program, but couldn’t finish due to all the assigned readings (Woe is me!).

One of those books was, Christ Meets Me Everywhere: Augustine’s Early Figurative Exegesis, by Michael Cameron.

After completing the book I decided to write Dr. Cameron. I wanted to let him know how much the book helped me, but also pick his brain on how to be a better scholar/researcher. Since 1991 I have enjoyed the dual role of pastor/professor and look forward to learning from someone like Michael.

Michael gracious sent this reply:

“As to your request, “how to be a better scholar/researcher” and ” how to improve my abilities to function as a professor, researcher, and writer”: I have to gulp at the prospect of forming an answer and say first I wonder that constantly myself. But let’s try this, though it is brief and perhaps displeasingly general. I would say to myself, feed your curiosity, be concrete and particular, watch for what moves and enflames you, ask what makes it tick, go with your instincts, and trust your judgments, look for the sympathetic insights that feed your pastoral sense along with your intellect. I tell students writing papers for me, be clear about your questions. Writing and research is about finding answers, but the answers are controlled by the questions which are formed out of life and the imagination.”

That part about feeding your curiosity resonated with me and confirmed my current practices. If you are in or have an interest in both worlds, there you have it from a consummate scholar.

Whatever world you are in, may our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) because of your faithful work.

Randal

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The One Sermon We Should Preach To Ourselves Every Day

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Or, at least, I think I’m preaching to the choir about preaching the Gospel to ourselves.

Two things contributed to this post about preaching the Gospel to ourselves.

First, after taking a 4-plus year writing rest due to research for a Ph.D. degree, I am back to putting some finishing touches on a writing project that is several years in the making. The working title is,

Preacher as Soul-Watcher: Why You and Your Parishioners Need Your Sermons.

One key Scripture that presents a theology of preaching in the local church is 1 Timothy 4:16 which instructs us:

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (emphasis added)

Second, a couple of times within the past two weeks I have quoted Jerry Bridges who taught that we should preach the gospel to ourselves every day. I recently learned that Bridges was quoting former professor, Dr. Jack Miller.

Bridges had a profound influence on pastor Milton Vincent who wrote a little paperback, A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love.

Milton writes:

“Over the course of time, preaching the gospel to myself every day has made more of a difference in my life than any other discipline I have ever practiced.” (p. 6, where he also cites Bridges’ book, The Discipline of Grace, as the source of the concept)

That’s saying something.

In part 1 of the book, Vincent lists 31 reasons why we should preach the Gospel to ourselves every day. Thirty-one!

How about #9 for a sample:

9. Resting in Christ’s Righteousness

“On my worsts days of sin and failure, the gospel encourages me with God’s unrelenting grace toward me. On my best days of victory and usefulness, the gospel keeps me relating to God solely on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness and not mine.” (p. 20)

I’m thinking we can relate to both, can’t we?

One way we can keep a close watch on ourselves is to preach the Gospel to ourselves every day. I have no doubt that that spiritual discipline will help ensure that our Lord receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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The High EQ Preacher (part 5): Do You Have A Preaching Mentor?

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Early last week I learned that one of my mentors, Dr. Haddon Robinson, passed away. Our relationship was one of God’s good gifts. I won’t bore you with details about what we enjoyed together, but will get to the point of this post about being a high EQ preacher.

In their book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, authors Bradberry and Greaves advise, “Talk To a Skilled Self-Manager” (p. 112). In other words, make sure you have a mentor. If your mentor is a good preaching pastor, it’s a safe bet their emotional intelligence is high.

Sometimes a professor can function as a mentor. That was the case with Haddon. Classroom interaction led to ongoing interaction where I could observe his communication and people-skills. Other times a pastor or former pastor can become a mentor.

It’s a great relationship, but can also cause some angst. Mentors worth their salt are sometimes tough on us. As you can see from the picture below, Haddon was not overly thrilled with what he was hearing in the classroom that day. He combined tenderness and toughness.

A good mentor will, at times, push you out of your comfort zone. Mentors don’t always know God’s will for us. That means that following their suggestions could cause some bumps along The Way.

Like a good coach, good mentors want the best for us. That means they will push us hard to excel. In order to do that they will have to be the bearer of bad news at times to keep things real. Rarely anyone enjoys having their life or sermons critiqued. But it’s so important for spiritual and ministerial growth.

Part of being a high EQ preacher is having a mentor, someone who manages themselves and their sermons well. I hope our Lord has provided one for you (sovereignty); I hope you have been actively pursuing one (human responsibility).

May our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) because such relationships exist in our lives.
Randal