Now that we are entering fully into new year here at NLF and the flurry of activity that goes with it, I find myself feeling the winds and waves of our culture, demonic forces behind that, and my own tendency to do my will and get caught up in the anxiety around me. I am reminded of Tertullain (155 – 222 AD), a church leader and prolific author of early Christianity), said that it is God’s nature to be patient, and that when the Holy Spirit descends, patience and waiting is always on its side. Eugene Peterson once remarked that “impatience is the besetting sin of pastors.” The more I ponder that remark, both in my life and in Scripture, I think he may be right. It is a deep, wide root out of which many other smaller sins fall – at least in my life. I medidated deeply this morning on Psalm 27 and the amazing balance of David in his leadership. What a model! What will it look like for us to wait upon the Lord patiently in 2008-09? with leading ? with developing people? with the timing of new initiatives? with raising of our families? with speaking less and listening more? What does it say about our culture today (especially in among pastors/leaders) that the notion of the Holy Spirit’s power and patience/waiting are so seen together?
10
Sep
