Deus Misereatur

The Organized Pastor: Life, Love, Caring, Systems, Organization, and the Gospel Message by Doug Serven My rating: 3 of 5 stars "God calls both introverts and extroverts into the pastorate. He wants us to extend ourselves but not to burn out and hate people" is one of several penetrating observations made by Doug Serven, Senior Pastor of City Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Oklahoma City, in his Kindle book "The Organized Pastor: Life, Love, Caring, Systems, Organization, and the Gospel Message." This short, quickly readable piece is all about pastors extending themselves without burning out, giving up, hating people, or forgetting Christ. Serven, with the editorial help of his wife, Julie, takes the reading pastor on a fast-paced ride through the woods, addressing your time, your people, your church and you. Most of the material is on managing time, with loads of helpful hints, suggestions and challenges. The author promotes employing organizing systems and using...

Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence by Rory Miller My rating: 5 of 5 stars Self-defense instruction, martial arts, and Krav Maga are selling like hot cakes on a Saturday morning! Why? Some folks simply want to enhance their self-confidence; others have had their peace of mind stolen by the viral fear-breeding in our culture; a few are mesmerized by the glamorous brutality of “Olympus Has Fallen” or “Die Hard”; and then there are those who have been real victims of violence who never want to be victimized again. Into this mix of motives comes a sensible 342 page paperback, “Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision-making under the Threat of Violence” written by Rory Miller and Lawrence A. Kane, both of whom are seasoned in violent confrontations from a law enforcement and security perspective. “Scaling Force” looks into the bigger scenario of violence and defense, guiding the reader through the various types of violence (social and predatory); situational awaren...

HBR's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence by Harvard Business Review My rating: 4 of 5 stars There are good ideas, and then there are really good ideas. Harvard Business Review Press compiling 10 of the "Must Reads" on Emotional Intelligence (EI) was a really good idea. The articles range from 1996 to 2013, though they are not in chronological order. These 208 readable pages will soon be in both Kindle format, and  paperback. Each chapter is a different article dealing with a number of aspects related to EI, not only as it applies to an individual leader, but also to teams and organizations. Daniel Goleman's "What Makes a Leader?" heads the line-up. If you've read his book on EI, then you will already know much of what is contained in this article, but reading it is a nice refresher. Goleman also co-authors the second chapter, along with Boyatzis and McKee, as they describe the important ways a leader's moods and behaviors infect an organiz...

[This whole prayer is from Psalm 9]  We will give thanks to you, O LORD, with our whole heart; we will recount all of your wonderful deeds. We will be glad and exult in you; we will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Now lifting our hearts in confidence of who you are, hear us as we pray for your Church, your world, our worries and our ways. O Lord, hear our prayer. When our enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence. For you have maintained our just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished. We thank you, Holy God because you do care for your people, and by sending your Son in our full humanity, who died for our transgression, was raised for our justification, he destroyed him who had the power of death...

[Recently I have started using again these forms of prayer in my times of prayer. I thought it would be good to draw your attention to them. These are taken and adapted from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. MWP] Forms of Prayer to be used in Families MORNING PRAYER. ¶ The Master or Mistress having called together as many of the Family as can conveniently be present, let one of them, or any other who may be appointed, say as follows, all kneeling, and repeating with him the Lord’s Prayer. OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. ¶ Here may follow the Collect for the day. Acknowledgment of God’s Mercy and Preservation, especially through t...

Our Father, you are our rock of safety and in you is no unrighteousness at all. Grant unto us the grace we desperately need, so as to withstand the temptations and avoid the infections of the world, the flesh and the devil, so that with pure heart, sound mind and holy delight we may serve you in perfect liberty all our days. O Lord, hear our prayer. We remember those who are wrestling with and being wrestled down by, specific misfortunes, misadventures, and mishaps….may it please you to console and relieve them according to their particular needs; giving them enduring patience under their sufferings and a happy ending to all their afflictions.  O Lord, hear our prayer.  With Your watchful, caring eye preserve our U.S. Military people and those from our congregation who are in other countries… O Lord, hear our prayer. Please uphold our republic, as well as all other nations in our world, and direct the hearts and minds of all the leaders to do justly, love mercy and w...

First, Second, and Third John by George L. Parsenios My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sometimes, as they say, dynamite comes in small packages. Three of the shorter books of the New Testament, 1, 2, and 3 John, are that way. At first their small size gives the impression that they can’t contain much of significance – especially 2 and 3 John, each of which are only one page in length – yet once one dives into them attentively it becomes quickly obvious that there is more here than first meets the eye. Then if a student of the Scriptures will pick up a commentary on those three, their depths and enormities become clearer. George L. Parsenios, associate professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary and sessional professor of New Testament at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, has recently penned a 208 page paperback commentary on these three New Testament writings. It has recently been published in the Paideia Commentary series at BakerAcademic. The treatise is a fa...