Courage

Courage:

Crawford Loritts has recently preached a message with the root concept that nothing ever gets done without courage.  Courage has its source in God who is Almighty.  As followers of Jesus Christ, we can only have the courage to do anything of value when we seek the Lord’s courage.  Dr. Loritts considers Joshua as the example and refers to the well-known and often quoted challenge of God given to Joshua: “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)  For the Lord your God is with you is the reason to have courage.  It is not irrational or mystical but is based on the reality of God’s perfect presence.

Ministry in any place can be discouraging.  Ministry in a rural context in a community that is slowly contracting comes with its own set of discouragements.  Even so, I preach this to myself: Do not be discouraged because the Lord is with me wherever I go.

SDG

January 31, 2013

On the North American theological landscape I am a no body.  I live North and East of the North East.  In fact, I can look out the windows of the parsonage where I live and see the “eastern most city in the USA”.  I have at times joked with people, “just drive as far east as you can and then you are just about there.”  Others have said, “it’s not the end of the world but you can see it from here.”  Even though in this larger world of evangelicalism I am insignificant, I am convicted by many things that are said inside of that theological landscape.  Skye Jethani  has recently been traveling across that theological landscape and is talking with church leaders.  I was by no means surprised to hear what he is finding out.  They have grown tired of a few who dominate the conversation within the greater theological landscape.  So here I am, a Baptist Minister living on an island off the coast of Maine thrusting myself into the conversation.

SDG