Jim Martin's Encouragement Note #93
Your anchor will hold . . . Questions and answers . . .Are you willing to be led? . . . A blessing for anyone who serves a church . . . Etcetera (Resources for listening, viewing, reading)
(unsplash - Grant Durr)
The List of Five
Your Anchor Will Hold
I stood under a tent on the hillside of a cemetery in Pulaski, Tennessee. The funeral home director gave me a nod, indicating it was time to begin.
This was my first funeral. A 26 year old woman in our church, had died of cancer. I was also 26.
For many years, I have preached funerals. My remarks and the Scriptures used at these funerals have varied widely.
What has not varied is what I read at the graveside. Whether speaking at a stranger’s funeral or the funeral of my own father, I read the 23rd Psalm. At this, my first graveside service, I read this ancient Psalm.
This Psalm reminds us that the Lord is our shepherd (1-4), our host (5), and is the God who will be our joy (6). For generations, this Psalm has been an anchor for many people.
You may be a lonely sister, a perplexed parent, a heartbroken spouse or a discouraged church leader. Regardless, we do have an anchor that can keep us secure in God.
This is much like the old hymn I can remember singing as a child:
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
fastened to the rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love!
Know that the Lord’s grace is yours and is sufficient. He is your shepherd, your host, and your God.
Today, hold on to the anchor as you think about your problems. Know that you are secure in Him even with your hardest problem.
Questions and Answers
Who are the authors you have turned to again and again? I have found myself turning to Dietrich Bonhoffer, Tim Keller, Tom Wright, Henri Nouwen, John Stott, Edwin Friedman and others. At different times and for various reasons, these are some of the people I return to, again and again.
What have you learned from mentors? At the core, I learned from them how to live with integrity, transparency, and Christ-likeness. As a young husband and minister, I had a few mentors who seemed to navigate life well. I found this compelling.
From these people, I learned something about the rigors and challenges of ministry. I also learned something about how I wanted to treat my spouse and relate to my children. In particular, I saw an intimacy they seemed to have with God that I desired in my own life.
What about your family? My wife, Charlotte and I have two grown children, Christine and Jamie. Christine and her two sons, Brody and Lincoln, live in Memphis. Jamie, her husband Calvin, and their two children, Sully and Elsie, live in Edmond, Oklahoma. (They also have nine chickens whom Sully and Elsie adore.)
What did you learn as you worked with congregations? I look back at the 36 years of serving churches and feel honored to have served these churches. I have continued to serve as a guest preacher at various congregations after moving to Memphis ten years ago. However, this is not the same experience as serving a particular congregation as I did in Waco, Texas (twenty years); Kansas City, Missouri (almost three years); Florence, Alabama (almost eight years).
I treasure the experiences in those churches. I had the honor of being with some at their baptisms. I also was with many as they took their final breath on this earth. I had the honor of conversations with people as various people wrestled with doubt, sin, a difficult marriage, heartbreak, and disappointment.
There were hours spent in emergency rooms, doing funerals, and weddings. There were endless conversations in coffee shops talking with church members about life, marriage, and rearing children.
I learned much about the joy and gravity of preaching to men, women, and children. There were hours and hours of study, preparation, and prayer.
Of course, it was hard. Yes, there were frustrating - even exasperating moments. However, I treasure this time and am thankful, that by God’s grace, I was able to experience so many rich moments.
What will you do next? Many of you know that beginning August 2024, Harding School of Theology will be based in Searcy, Arkansas on the main campus of the university. (I had already been planning to step away from my role in 2024 and free up time to do some other things important to me at this point in life.) It has been a real joy to serve HST and work with the university for the past ten years. Charlotte and I plan to remain in Memphis for now, where I will be working on a few projects that I will talk more about later.
Are You Willing to Be Led?
If you are a father or mother you have a significant ministry. If you have a godly influence with a group of people, you are doing a significant work.
You may see yourself as unworthy to be designated a leader. Yet, you are likely going to lead or influence others in some way. Perhaps the more important question has to do with where you might be leading them, whether your children, friends, or those in your church. That is, if they follow your example, your priorities, and your influence, how will they be formed spiritually?
Being a godly parent, grandparent, or spiritual influencer begins with being attentive to your own spiritual formation.
Consider the following:
Are you willing to be led by the Lord and by those who are more spiritually mature in Christ?
Do you listen and seek out wise people?
Who are you learning from right now?
Do you accept and receive criticism?
Do you listen – really listen – when a trusted person is trying to help you?
Do you insist on handling your life alone or do you open yourself to the guidance of others?
Are you willing to assume responsibility for your growth and development?
Are you willing to manage yourself?
Your own spiritual leadership might be even clearer if you will take time to reflect on how God has been working in your life before now to bring you to this place.
A Blessing for Anyone Who Serves a Church (Especially for Ministers and Other Church Leaders)
The following is a blessing I wrote for a “Minister Appreciation Lunch” at Harding School of Theology and spoken to Memphis area ministers (October 2023). Behind these words is my conviction that most ministers are good people who work very hard and are in need of God’s blessing and grace:
May your heart, soul, and body be ablaze with the passion to serve others in the name of Christ.
May you find strength and perseverance in the challenging moments of your ministry.
May you find courage in the face of adversity, discouragement, and attacks by the evil one.
May the Spirit give you the power to say “no” to the seductive temptations that enter your heart.
May you find compassion to feel for the struggles of others. May you come alongside and lift up the fallen and have the humility to always seek the will of God above all else.
May your ministry, by the grace of God, be fruitful and your dedication unwavering.
May you be a beacon of light, shining God’s love into the people you serve.
May your efforts honor the name of the Lord.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may He make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
Etcetera (Resources for viewing, listening, and reading)
See Kate Bowler’s interview (podcast) with David Brooks, “How to Really Know Someone.” Very interesting.
This is an interesting book review entitled: “The Father-Son Struggle That Helped Ensure IBM’s Success” in the New York Times Book Review by Tim Wu (October 25, 2023). I am particularly interested in father-son relationships which are sometimes difficult and complex. (I have not read the book being reviewed.)
Grandma Peggy’s Wednesday breakfast club.
I serve as Vice President of Harding School of Theology, Memphis, Tennessee.
Every other Monday morning, I publish this “Encouragement Note.” You can subscribe at jimmartin.substack.com. You can also find me on Facebook - @jim.martin or Instagram - @jimmartin.jm. My e-mail address is: jmartin9669@gmail.com. Feel free to write. I would love to hear what is encouraging or helpful. — Jim Martin
Thanks so much, Bill.
Thank you so much, Mary, for your thoughtful words. I value your encouragement.