Darryl Dash's Blog, page 77
July 13, 2019
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
What I Miss Most (and Least) About Being a Pastor
There are aspects of pastoral ministry only those in it get to enjoy, and I really do miss those aspects. And then there are aspects of it I definitely don’t miss.
8 Shackles Every Pastor Should Shatter
Before I became a pastor, I had no idea that the greatest ministry challenge a pastor faces is not a “trouble person,” but a troubled heart — and that heart belongs to him.
July 9, 2019
Summer Reading List
A week from today, God willing, I will be lying on a beach with my Kindle. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to read books, including the ones that I read for pure enjoyment.
Here are some books that are on my list for my upcoming vacation and for the rest of the summer.
J-Curve: Dying and Rising With Jesus in Everyday Life [image error]Paul Miller is one of my favorite writers. I loved his book A Praying Life. I’ve already started reading J-Curve, and I’m loving it. This falls under the c...
July 6, 2019
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Some have wondered if I realize what we could have done with over $8 million dollars. My answer is always the same: “Nothing that would have brought us nearly as much joy as we’ve found in giving it away.”
Enjoy Your Summer Vacation — Just Don’t Vacate The Church
Here are five reasons why I believe we should all make church a priority not only for the summertime but throughout the year.
July 2, 2019
My One Sermon
In his memoir Preacher, Eugene Peterson recounts a conversation with his son.
“Dad, novelists only write one book. They find their voice, their book, and write it over and over. William Faulkner wrote one book. Charles Dickens wrote one book. Anne Tyler wrote one book. Ernest Hemingway wrote one book. Willa Cather wrote one book.”
A few days later, he said, “Remember what I said about novelists only writing one book? You only preach one sermon.”
Peterson was shocked. “I don’t repeat myself in...
June 29, 2019
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Want Gospel Opportunities? Embrace Opposition.
Would you accept more hostility toward the gospel if it meant more openness to the gospel?
Why We Need More Pastors Like Augustine
Here are three admonitions that emerge from his pastoral practice, offering a wise way forward in a new pagan age.
3 Sources of Joy in Preaching Weekly
As I reflect on the great honor I had to serve as the primary preacher in our church, I keep coming back to three main sources...
June 25, 2019
The Pastor: A Memoir
I first heard of Eugene Peterson when I was a seminary student. Michael Haykin, one of my professors, recommended that I read Working the Angles. I did, and I’d never read anything like it.
As I began ministry, I’d occasionally return to Peterson. I appreciated his voice, but I always felt a tension between his prescriptions and my experience.
When Peterson’s memoir The Pastor came out in 2012, I devoured it. I needed a clearer picture of what ministry Peterson’s kind of ministry looks like,...
June 22, 2019
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
The Indescribable Joy Of Loving The Church God Called You To Serve
Sometimes, being able to say “I love this church and I want to stay here” is enough to keep you going.
Starting Churches in a ‘Follow Your Heart’ Age
Church planting has always been central to Jesus’s mission. But it’s particularly helpful and corrective in today’s cultural climate.
‘I’m Not Enough’: A Missionary’s Battle with Insufficiency
It’s on days like this, when I’m physically, em...
June 18, 2019
Letter to a Wounded Pastor
Dear Pastor,
Thank you for your ministry.
It may not seem like it right now, but God has used you. I know this because God uses the kinds of things you’ve done — preaching the Word, praying for your people, caring for sheep, calling people to worship — to make an eternal difference. We often don’t get to see the results of our ministries, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.
I know you’re not perfect. I’m sure you’ve made mistakes. But I want to remind you of a few things today. I hope it...
June 15, 2019
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Remembering David Powlison moves me deeply. When everything was on the line for Jani and me, David and Nan were there for us.
Looking back, there are four things I wish I could have told myself before I became an elder.
Five Way to Dwell on the Word When You Can’t Read
What if you can’t read? What if, though you can read, you find reading exceptionally difficult? What if you come from a culture that...
June 11, 2019
Don’t Cancel Your Church Services
“Church is closed today,” I’ll sometimes hear. “Instead we’re going to serve the community. We’ll be back to our regular services next week.”
I hear variations of this. Some churches shut down their worship for community service. Others shut down to give their staff and volunteers a break.
I understand the impulse behind these moves. God is displeased with corporate worship that is detached from devotion and ethics (Amos 5:21-24). And God cares that we get rest.
But I plead with you: don’t ca...
