Comments on: ★ Pastors and Devotions. http://www.toddhiestand.com/pastors-and-devotions/09/ Field Notes on Bi-Vocational Church Leadership in Suburban America Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:10:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: tghali http://www.toddhiestand.com/pastors-and-devotions/09/comment-page-1/#comment-42097 tghali Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:52:13 +0000 http://www.toddhiestand.com/?p=1224#comment-42097 I guess it's because I am so holy but I never had a problem with separate devotions or meditating all week on a particular text. My comment is comparing apples and oranges, so know that I understand that. I used to preach about once a month and completely understand the idea behind of what you are saying. As a youth pastor for 8 years, I generally stick with one main text and possibly a supporting text or two (and that many has the potential to become distracting to my audience). This week I've been mediating on I Cor. 12 (the body of Christ). Reading it various translations, checking out the commentaries, and just thinking about it. My problem is that I need something else to offset thinking about a particular passage because (God forgive me for my deficiencies) I get bored thinking about one thing only. I'm writing tongue-in-cheek here but what I really want to say is many times when we create any time of rule or standard concerning things like "devotions" and "quiet times", we either fall into legalism or lead others into it. I guess it’s because I am so holy but I never had a problem with separate devotions or meditating all week on a particular text.
My comment is comparing apples and oranges, so know that I understand that. I used to preach about once a month and completely understand the idea behind of what you are saying.
As a youth pastor for 8 years, I generally stick with one main text and possibly a supporting text or two (and that many has the potential to become distracting to my audience). This week I’ve been mediating on I Cor. 12 (the body of Christ). Reading it various translations, checking out the commentaries, and just thinking about it.
My problem is that I need something else to offset thinking about a particular passage because (God forgive me for my deficiencies) I get bored thinking about one thing only.
I’m writing tongue-in-cheek here but what I really want to say is many times when we create any time of rule or standard concerning things like “devotions” and “quiet times”, we either fall into legalism or lead others into it.

]]> By: Todd http://www.toddhiestand.com/pastors-and-devotions/09/comment-page-1/#comment-42085 Todd Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:02:03 +0000 http://www.toddhiestand.com/?p=1224#comment-42085 Pat, great call on the psalms. eugene peterson has almost convinced me of the same thing. i would say i was convinced fully if i were actually doing that as much as i wanted to! but yeah, the psalms are great that way. Pat, great call on the psalms. eugene peterson has almost convinced me of the same thing. i would say i was convinced fully if i were actually doing that as much as i wanted to! but yeah, the psalms are great that way.

]]> By: Pat http://www.toddhiestand.com/pastors-and-devotions/09/comment-page-1/#comment-42081 Pat Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:01:37 +0000 http://www.toddhiestand.com/?p=1224#comment-42081 When I was regularly preaching, I often found myself reading Scripture and thinking about how I could preach it, or what it would mean to my community and individuals within it, but thinking more in terms of "the other" than "myself". So I set myself a goal. I would always be embedding myself in at least two places in Scripture: One that the community was ingesting, and another that was just mine. I needed both, and frankly I'm not sure that any Christian can be well formed by trying to live into only one passage of Scripture a week. Usually that means to me that the Psalms are mine. They often don't preach well anyway, except the impreccatory psalms, and I connect well with them. For my own time (and I hate the word "devotional" as it conjures up simplistic little books I read while on the toilet ;-)), I don't have the same need for historical exegesis, geographic study, first century cultural criticism, etc. I do more lectio divina by myself than systematic study, I guess. When I was regularly preaching, I often found myself reading Scripture and thinking about how I could preach it, or what it would mean to my community and individuals within it, but thinking more in terms of “the other” than “myself”.

So I set myself a goal. I would always be embedding myself in at least two places in Scripture: One that the community was ingesting, and another that was just mine. I needed both, and frankly I’m not sure that any Christian can be well formed by trying to live into only one passage of Scripture a week.

Usually that means to me that the Psalms are mine. They often don’t preach well anyway, except the impreccatory psalms, and I connect well with them.

For my own time (and I hate the word “devotional” as it conjures up simplistic little books I read while on the toilet ;-)), I don’t have the same need for historical exegesis, geographic study, first century cultural criticism, etc. I do more lectio divina by myself than systematic study, I guess.

]]> By: Chris Marlow http://www.toddhiestand.com/pastors-and-devotions/09/comment-page-1/#comment-42080 Chris Marlow Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:26:04 +0000 http://www.toddhiestand.com/?p=1224#comment-42080 I never bought into the "double-devotion" philosophy. It's not like i'm a professional 1 minute and a disciple the next. Makes no sense to me. I never bought into the “double-devotion” philosophy. It’s not like i’m a professional 1 minute and a disciple the next. Makes no sense to me.

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