Tuesday, March 30, 2010
John Piper Taking Break From Ministry...
My good friend Dan (who it seems likes Piper a bit more than I do, hehe, did not mean to offend you brother!) left a comment on my last post concerning Piper recently announcing taking a leave of absence from ministry citing pride as one of his reasons. He wants to wage war on this sin. While I think that's a really stupid idea in general, I was very much encouraged to read of his other reasons. Mainly, to spend some real undisturbed time with his wife and get things happier in that relationship. I completely believe him that things are not bad between him and his wife but still lacking. Years of ministry would definately take a toll on family life and I'm so happy he's stepping back for what I hope will be a true rest in God's Spirit and not a mad sin hunt. In my opinion, this kind of rest would do more than anything else to bring Piper back to the spirit of true humility he feels he's lacking at the moment. I wish more ministers would follow Piper's example in this BEFORE things in their families get bad and/or fall apart completely. So though I still don't agree with some of Piper's legalistic teachings, I'm very thankful to hear this news and will be praying that he and his wife have a gloriously refreshing time in God's grace. May they both receive more revelation of Jesus and his tender mercy and love.
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3 comments:
...i am burning out, my marriage is failing, and i have some personal "demons" to deal with, hence my protracted leave...
mmmmm
Craig, the ironic thing is that Piper preaches that we should minister in such a way that it burns us out in every way, we should actually kill ourselves. I think he gets this idea from Spurgeon and others.
Anyway, I'm glad he's taking a break but truly ministering under legalism will kill you and burn you out. There are far more joyful and relaxing ways to live!
It's a challenge this subject.
On the same day as listening to our Piper equivalent-Greg Haslam(Westminster Chapel) preaching for 4 hours on Moses- and it was ace stuff- plus getting hold of his book which is a compendium on preaching...to raise up the lost art.....
I also appreciated wading thru Darin Hufford who was saying the opposite....more on the other side of things quoting Jesus saying you search the scriptures thinking that inthem you will find life....
I wrote to Darin saying how much i appreciated both things in one day. And you know what...that's what it'd have been like following Jesus around...one minute behaving like a Master Rabbi in a synagogue, the next traipsing round a cornfield with the disciples shedding more light on how you live fulltime in God with God living out through you in normal settings.
Let's review this
1. the folly of preaching is still a major Kingdom tool by which we hear and believe
2 we need more not less
3 we need a kingdom/Spirit based way of running churches...forget this Pastor CEO Pyramid thingy which is nowhere in scripture
4 we need the immediate implementation of my vision of ringburners in the Ship Propulsion Unit analogy.(See blog subject heading) The ship burners are discarded after 600 hours...in the kingdom we get reassigned.
5. This ALWAYS ON,ALWAYS ONE MAN SHOW stuff is nuts
6. Jack Fortenberry says it is more than nuts. It actually promotes the Corinthian evils of dissensions and jealousies. Imagine holding a placard up with the words " Demonic stronghold of dissension, bitterness and jealousy landing strip just here!" That's what we are doing.More in "Corinthian Elders"
Good on Piper. It'd be so cool if in his later years like RT Kendal here (Haslams predecessor) he got blitzed with God's current Word so he could slipstream into what God is actually doing right now.
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