2. The Damage Can Be Repaired
The good news is, the damage can be repaired. Begin in your own heart. How is your relationship with the triune God? How is your life of prayer? Are you still confident in the promises of Scripture or is the Word of God sounding more like wishful words from a different time and place? Tim Keller has written:
“Prayer is like waking up from a nightmare to reality. We laugh at what we took so seriously inside the dream. We realize that all is truly well. Of course, prayer can have the opposite effect; it can puncture illusions and show us we are in more spiritual danger than we thought” (Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, New York: Penguin Books, 2016, p. 103).
Whether it’s consolation or confrontation, your prayer life is going to determine how you deal with the rest of life. But individual attention to the foundations carries over into pastoral leadership.
Whether you’re a preacher/teacher or a music minister, you’re responsible for the spiritual health of the people in your care (especially during times of challenge and crisis). How are you helping the fellowship of believers to stay connected with each other and with God through Jesus Christ?
Our director of music is being especially conscious of this. While there is no way a full choir or worship team can be meeting for normal rehearsals and services, she is meeting with small groups of singers and instrumentalists, giving them the opportunity to continue making music together, and she is sending email encouragement to the rest of the music ministry.
I am also taking part of each ministry team and staff meeting for us to check in with each other. How are we doing? How are our families? Where have we seen God most powerfully? How can we pray for each other?
If you, like me, are beyond the age of children at home, how can you be helping those who are trying to balance work, family, and e-learning, as well as the emotional circus that we’re all experiencing? How can your wisdom and perspective help them stay focused and sane?
THis article on the fellowship of believers originally appeared here, and is used by the author’s kind permission.
