The Sanctified Naysayer (2 Chron 18:1- 20:30)

The following devotional post was initially written as a part of a men's Bible journaling group.

2 Chron. 18:4-7, 12-17 (also 1 Kings 22:10-51)

Ahab & Jehoshaphat

v.4-7 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” 

And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 

But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 

And the king of Israel [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” 

And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 

v.12-17 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.”

But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” 

And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.”

But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 

And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’”

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 

A lot is going on in this passage! 

Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went off-script by joining the wicked king of Israel (Ahab) on a military campaign against Syrian forces. He asked Ahab to consult the Lord first. I find it interesting to consider why he did this. If he knew God’s Word, then he would not have had to ask if he should follow Ahab’s lead. Ahab, whose profound wickedness was already under the prophetic judgment of God, would not turn from his ways. He was a man who judged the "goodness" of a message by whether it said what he wanted to hear.

What do we do when the message of the Lord to us is not what we want to hear? Do we hate the messenger, or do we heed the warning of the God who loves us? Ahab hated the Word of the Lord, and despite his schemes and disguise, he took a random arrow, but not to the knee. It pierced his breastplate, and he bled out at sunset, facing his enemies. He didn’t even take the merciful time that remained to him to repent and turn back to the Lord. In contrast, Jehoshaphat, though an imperfect king, “cried out” to the Lord in his fear, and the Lord helped him; and God drew them away from him.” (v.31)

I am forced to consider the dangers of a politically compromised faith. What happens when the government speaks to the prophet, or when the prophets are complicit with and merely rubber-stamping the policies of a wicked government? In this passage, all the other prophets spoke the lies that Ahab wanted to hear. Where was the dissenting voice of truth? What does this mean for my ministry? Am I vulnerable to being owned by the status quo, by the current of popular thought, or will I seek the counter-intuitive and inconvenient but invaluable word of the Lord before I make decisions and before I risk what he has entrusted to me? Jehoshaphat had the good sense to seek, ask, and knock. Ahab, once pushed, also demanded the truth; however, he didn’t heed it but rather tried to circumvent it via disguise and distraction.

As pastors and Christian leaders, do we have a Micaiah who will speak to us honestly in the face of strategic plans and personal passions? 

Do we have a sanctified nay-sayer who has been given permission to speak freely? Someone who can tell us when we are listening to the wrong voices? I hope so.

This is one of the tenets of the Cupbearers Initiative. It may have become trendy to “speak truth to power,” but who do we allow to speak the truth to our power? For the sake of the Kingdom of God, am I willing to be teachable to the prophetic word of the Lord?

So, if I am to "bring it home," let me ask, will we persist in what we want, asking God to bless our imperfect ideas and desires, or will we sincerely seek the counsel of God? Further, when God speaks, will I harden my heart, or in humility acknowledge my dependence upon him? When was the last time I let God change my plans?

Persisting in poor leadership decisions (without, or despite, good counsel) might not be the end of our lives (like it was for ancient kings), but it might be the end of our ministry. Our lapses in judgment, deficiencies in discernment, and failures in follow-through may result in the loss of many people’s potentially joyful participation in the restorative work of the kingdom.

Allow me to share one last rather haunting thought. Ahab, even when mortally wounded, persisted in his rebellion, slowly bleeding out as the daylight faded with his chariot facing the Syrians instead of turning towards Jerusalem seeking to make peace with the One true Lord...  

“And the battle continued that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening. Then at sunset, he died.” (v.34)

Ahab refused to repent. Some might say he was authentic, even brave, in refusing to repent. I call it stubbornly self-focused. Instead of making peace with the God who takes no delight in the death of the wicked.  As it is written, 

“Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?" (Eze. 33:11)

Instead of Ahab finding personal peace in repentance, God provided some measure of national peace for Israel through the death of their wicked king. This was one case where “scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd” (v.16) was a good thing since their shepherd had been so evil. Each man could “return to his home in peace” instead of dying as pawns in Ahab’s wicked plans.

O, Lord, may our minds always seek your direction, and may our hearts heed your Word so that we might not fall for wicked appeals that would entice us from your goodness to follow a lie. May we not be persuaded to bend to the status quo just because everyone else is doing so. Open our eyes to see and our ears to hear and soften our hearts to joyfully respond to your loving plan, and may it result in blessing for many, and may your shalom come upon us. Amen.

Fireworks, Unguarded Words, and Cultural Engagement

Eagle Creek Fire (Photo KATU)

While Houston was horribly flooded by Harvey and Florida evacuates in anticipation of Hurricane Irma, in Portland, known for its rain, it has been a long, hot, and completely dry summer. As usual, many lightning-started wildfires are burning around the state, particularly in Southern Oregon (Chetco Bar Fire) and in the Central Cascades (Milli Fire). 

As I write, approximately 35,000 acres along the Oregon side of the picturesque Columbia Gorge are burning in the Eagle Creek Fire as seen in this time-lapse video.  

This last fire was believed to have been started a week ago by some Washington teenagers throwing fireworks off a forest trail down into the canyon. While some may think that they wanted to start the fire, it might have been less intentional. Perhaps they just wanted to watch a smoke bomb fall and gave no thought to what would happen when it landed in the tinder-dry forest floor or as it bounced from rock to rock, throwing sparks onto very dry grass and leaves.

Photo KOIN-TV

So many have been hurt and inconvenienced by that careless action. All the fire departments in the region have sent resources to help, residents have been evacuated, and I-84 (a crucial transportation corridor) has also been closed to all traffic all week. The entire Portland metro area has been beneath the pall of the cloud of smoke and Mordor-like ashfall. The sun and the moon have been filtered and reddened to an apocalyptic degree for a hundred miles. Images and narratives fill the news and weather broadcasts (competing with floods and hurricanes elsewhere). Public opinion strongly contends that they should have known better. The damage is beyond anything they or their families could ever fix or pay for.

It is hard to watch this consuming story without seeing the latent object lesson in it... 

We all should know better. 

In the New Testament, one of Jesus’ half-brothers wrote a letter for all the churches to read. In an apt metaphor, he warned,

So also the tongue is a small member,

              yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze

      by such a small fire!

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.

The tongue is set among our members,

               staining the whole body,

               setting on fire the entire course of life,

              and set on fire by hell.

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.

It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

With it we bless our Lord and Father, and

 with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.

My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and saltwater? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. (James 3:5-12 ESV)

Our insensitive words are even more dangerous when spoken into an environment, a society, a culture, increasingly withered dry by disconnection and relational distrust, choked by structures and systems surprisingly unjust, made brittle by the unkindness (even trauma) of “I must…”.

There are too many tragic cases. In such a context, one of extreme fire danger, we are called to speak, serve, and love. As followers of Jesus, we should submit our words (and the inner condition they reveal) to a higher love than the self.  To a love that, when it speaks, reveals the One who claimed,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
    to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

Certainly, we need to set a guard over our lips so that instead of cutting people down, our words and deeds might heal wounds and bind up the brokenhearted in a God-honoring way (Prov. 12:18; Psalm 147:2-3). We also need to learn how to engage those whose beliefs and experiences are different than our own in a way that doesn’t start a damaging fire of invective or pollute the place of meeting with the noxious smoke of ignorance.

For those of us who are in places of leadership and influence, it is important that we learn to minister in this changing cultural environment. We must unlearn some of our old ways so that we can reach the world in a more biblical, more relational, and more Kingdom-oriented way than before. 

Our words, as well as our tone and demeanor, even when we are speaking the truth, can be incendiary if we don’t first clear relational space to be heard with a healthy amount of love, listening, and learning how what we say is interpreted and understood. 

Photo by Bjørn Tore Økland
 on Unsplash

It is helpful to be reminded that we are not called to defend this place as our home, where we can demand our rights. Rather, we are called to die to that impulse in ourselves and serve God and humanity as ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven in a way that shows forth the overflowing heart of God. Christ’s ambassadors are not to leave scorched earth and a pall of smoke in their path; rather, they are to turn the valley of weeping into a wellspring of life (Psalm 84:6)!

5. A Cupbearer Is Both Ministry Coach, and Missional Incubator

The last two Cupbearer roles—the ministry coach and the missional incubator—are more common in our ministry culture. Many people call themselves coaches, and many want to plant the seeds of mission in others. However, the distinctiveness of the cupbearer approach is that it would encourage the minister to apply the humble-shared glory motif throughout all areas of their ministry. Similarly, the mission that ought to be incubated and released through their ministry is intentionally Trinitarian and relational. If there is less mission or orthodoxy than desired, the Cupbearer might use a problem-posing approach, asking the pastor to think about an answer and then follow up later.

Cupbearers as ministry coaches will encourage the development of kingdom values, building on the Trinitarian glory model (i.e., it is shared, humble, and invitational) in keeping with Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount and specifically the beatitudes. From these kingdom values, will come an analysis of the fruit of the ministry entrusted to them, not the false narrative of the numbers game, but the kind of fruit that issues forth from the presence of the Holy Spirit in a faithful believer. The role of a ministry coach is neither to hand out participation trophies nor is it to shame pastors into conforming to a popular model. It is rooted in the teachings, commissions, and promises of Jesus Christ and is motivated by the love of God poured into our lives, as Paul wrote to the believers in Rome,

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)

In such an approach, God sees to it that nothing is wasted. We can rejoice even in suffering for it produces endurance à character à hope. At the very least, suffering is laboratory learning! Jesus, our savior and example, became human to identify with us, and in the process, the one who is omniscient in his divine nature actually learned obedience through suffering in his human nature. As Hebrews 5:7-10 says,

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Missional incubation is a natural function of the Cupbearer's calling, for they are as committed to fulfilling the missio Dei (mission of God) as anyone if thought is taken to do it Jesus’ way and in cooperation with others. In the West, we like strong leaders who get things done, but at the same time, we don’t like being told what to do. What we need are spiritual leaders who fully expect that their followers are hearing from God and are empowered by the Holy Spirit in their own lives, and don’t need the leader to tell them what to do in order to do what needs to be done. The late Rev. Ron Mehl once shared in a pastoral staff meeting,

“A strong leader says, ‘This is what we’re doing!’

 A spiritual leader says, ‘What are we doing?’ He has the willingness to release   

 leadership to [others so they can] do what they are called to do.”

I love the stories of a former missionary who never told national pastors what to do (“You need to plant a church in such-and-such town”) but simply asked them questions about what they might do (e.g., “If you were to plant a church where would you plant one?”) which peaked their imagination and incubated the mission already placed within them from the Lord. Cupbearers, like Jesus in his passion, do not seek to shout in the streets, neither adding to the bruising experience of life in ministry, nor snuffing out the smoldering wicks of your dreams and callings (Matt.12:19-21), but rather they desire to restore, rekindle, and release it.

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7) 

Is there something that God has put on your heart to do, but the pressures of daily ministry and the fear of the unknown have kept you from doing it? Perhaps now is the time to revisit it.

1. A Cupbearer is a Brother (or Sister) in Arms

In my first post, What is a Cupbearer? I noted that the Cupbearer wears many hats, for he/she serves as…

• A Brother or Sister in Arms
• A Confidential sounding board 
• A Spiritual Director 
• A Ministry Coach 
• A Theological Investigator 
• A Missional Incubator & Midwife

I will discuss these various roles in a series of posts, starting with the first one—A Brother or Sister in Arms.

We all want to be heard and understood. Very few truly want to be alone, and if they do, it is likely the result of the failure of others to hear and understand. Pastors are no different. We need someone who isn’t going to posture, compare, or judge us based on “those numbers” that pastors are asked about. Have you noticed that our culture is fixated on metrics that are primarily economic (e.g., attendance, giving, conversions, etc.) rather than relational? At pastors' conferences, it is usually the second or third question that comes up in conversations when meeting other pastors. While I confess to being a bit of a stat geek when it comes to baseball, I think that statistics in ministry fail to bring us together and tend to put our focus on the wrong things. 

Pastors don’t need someone to dismiss them for the size of the church they serve—whether too big or too small. What pastors need is someone with whom they can honestly and safely share…

• Their theological ideas and passions and be encouraged.
• Their ministry doubts and concerns and be heard and understood.
• Their spiritual struggles as a pastor (Where do they sense a spiritual attack? Where have they experienced victory? Where is there a sense of shalom?) and to be personally, and steadfastly, supported in prayer and discernment.

Before we need a Spiritual Director or a Ministry Coach (which are also elements of the Cupbearer role), we need a brother or sister-in-arms. Jesus didn’t send his disciples out to minister alone, so why do we? Pastors need to know that they are not alone. It is too often a solitary calling as a result of our undue emphasis on individualism instead of a collective family of God approach. We also need to feel that we have been heard and understood, yet without being coddled. Only a comrade in arms can fill this challenging role.  

As pastors, we are not merely doing a job. Sometimes we wish ministry were just a job like painting a house or selling widgets, but we are actually waging war in the spiritual realm. Sometimes we can approach the ministry as a task to perform, a goal to reach, only in the natural sense…and as a result, we grow gradually drier and more brittle, and our people suffer for it. Do we crave the refreshing water of the Spirit?

War takes its toll on relationships. So why do we think we can do it alone? The psalmist writes,

Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul. (142:4)

Such a lack of care by others for our souls can be keenly felt by many serving in ministry. Others seem to boldly carry on as though they needed no one to lean on. However, it doesn’t seem likely that we are less needful of brothers in arms than Jesus. Perhaps we have merely become numbed to our needs or think that asking for help is a sign of weakness—it isn’t. Jesus asked, and so did Paul.

Jesus in Gethsemane,

“And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” (Matthew 26:37-38)

Paul wrote to Timothy,

Do your best to come to me soon. For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:9-13)

In the Old Testament, one passage that stands out to me in this regard is that of Jonathan and his armor-bearer in 1 Samuel 14 when they scaled a cliff to attack a Philistine garrison. Their joint action of attacking brought victory. It threw the enemy into a panic to such a degree that the Philistines began to attack each other. Are we in any less of a battle than they were? No. We do not fight with the weapons of the world (2 Cor. 3-5) for our true fight is not against people but against the spiritual powers of oppression, injustice, and wickedness (Eph. 6:12). It is for this reason that we must put on the “whole armor of God” which is not really the work of an individual, but of disciples in relationships supporting each other in prayer.

Do we have someone with whom we can stand against the enemy, whether we fight to defend something as unremarkable as a plot of lentils or a field of barley (2 Sam. 23:11-12; 1 Chr. 11:12-14), or something more noticeable like rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem against attack,

When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” (Neh. 4:15-20).

How often do we fall into temptation, discouragement, or simple ineffectiveness, because we don’t have a brother in arms to carry our armor for us when we are weak and to make sure we still strap it on when we are strong? Who watches for us while we work? Who comes to our aid in our time of need?

A Cupbearer in this model is many things, but it is first A Brother or Sister in Arms who allows their own life and ministry to be interrupted for the spiritual safety of another.

Why Do We Need a Cupbearer?

In this post, I am addressing an advocacy mission to pastors, missionaries, and Christian ministry leaders (for brevity I will use the word “pastors” to refer to all types of Christian workers). So why would  those who are spiritually mature, biblically grounded, positional established, and service-minded need a mission directed towards them?

Simply because our enemy has a strategy…if you want to harm the sheep, you start by taking out the shepherd. Even the Lord used such tactics against the wicked leaders in ancient Israel,

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
    against the man who stands next to me,”
declares the Lord of hosts.

“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
    I will turn my hand against the little ones. (Zech. 13:7)

Pastors are called to be disciple-makers, but who disciples them, encourages them, and lets them know when they are looking out at the world through dirty windows? It may come as a surprise but the “windows” of our perspective may become dirty not only because of external factors (such as bugs, tree sap, and dirty rain) but they may become gradually filmed like the inside of a car windshield gets dirty from who-knows-what. We often don’t notice the inside until we wipe part of it off and the difference becomes obvious. The attack on pastors is often cumulative, gradual, by degrees rather than by all-out assault…and as such, it can be minimized through ongoing care.

Speaking the truth in love, we encourage “each part” to be working properly so that the body may grow and be built up in love. (Eph. 4:15-16)

How are Pastors under Attack?

"Pastors have it easy, they only work one day a week, right?" I think everyone in ministry has heard this thought at least once! We laugh politely at the decidedly unfunny and inaccurate joke.

Let me list five ways that pastors and their wives are under attack today:

1. Culturally…Pastors are frequently mocked, slandered, and demonized in the media; at the same time, the changing culture makes it difficult to know how to do ministry well. One of the quickest ways to kill a conversation is to reveal that you are a pastor.

2. Economically…While some famous televangelists and mega-church pastors may be over-compensated to the detriment of the generosity of all, many pastors are often under-resourced in both time and money. This comes as a result of shrinking giving, low wages, taking second jobs, increased cost of living, student debts, health care burdens, and minimal retirement options. Those who are responsible for raising their own support are rarely fully funded, but because of their passion for the cause, they simply tighten their belts and press on the best they can. Yet long-term deprivation takes its toll both physically and emotionally. One of the most encouraging aspects of ministry is being surprised by those times when people are moved by generosity.  The other side of the coin, perhaps the hardest aspect of ministry, is not when people fail to be generous but when the pastor (and spouse) are faced with their inability to help others like they would want to.

3. Spiritually…The care for the church comes at a price. It may come as “dryness,” or as discouragement and doubt. A pastor must often lead the flock despite demonic divisiveness and distraction, even from those who are closest. The enemy is not the person in the pew or not in the pew, but a spiritual opposition (Eph. 6:10-13).

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 

4. Relationally…War is always hard on relationships. When pastors are without ongoing soul care, it puts an extra strain on their marriage, family, church family, and friendships. Their cry is that of Psalm 142, especially verse four,

Look to the right and see:
    there is none who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me;
    no one cares for my soul. (Psalm 142:4).

5. Institutionally…Pastors can face discrimination within their own movement due to their age (young or old), orthodox doctrine, small church size, and even their methodologies. The pastor’s inability to disengage from daily burdens to learn and grow with others also needs to be addressed.

By the Numbers

Here are some statistics from a study by R.J. Krejcir on the health or dis-health of pastors from 1989 to 2006, which was published in 2007:

• 1500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
• 50% of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
• 80% of pastors feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
• 50% of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could but have no other way of making a living.
• 80% of seminary and Bible school graduates …will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
• Almost 40% said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
• 70% said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.
• 60% to 80% of those who enter the ministry will not still be in it 10 years later[1].

After listing his study’s findings,  Krejcir commented that “Many pastors—I believe over 90 %—start off right with a true call and the enthusiasm and the endurance of faith to make it, but something happens to derail their train of passion and love for the call.”[2]

I agree with this statement. We start well, but “something happens.” But what is it, and is there anything that we can do about it? I think there is…but first we have to be honest.

Pastors Have Unique Challenges

I recently heard a seasoned missionary pastor say, “Pastors are like cops, they only talk to other pastors.” I think to a large extent he is right. However, when we talk to other pastors how often do we talk about what is really important? Do we, as pastors have another pastor who will help us refocus our hearts and methods on Christ without burdening us with more expectations?

It is my observation that pastors often don’t have someone outside their own church/ministry power structure who can give them feedback that is both safe and honest. With whom would we openly share our struggles with our calling and our passion for ministry?

• Not our boss. It is not safe to talk like this with your boss. It should be, but it isn’t.
• Not our employees. While we should model vulnerability to those whom we lead, it is often the case that an employee will not feel comfortable giving honest feedback, especially when their boss is passionate about the issue in question. This hesitancy contributes to groupthink but is justified because the church tends to “eat” our constructive naysayers. Your staff can't be fully honest with you about your attitudes, ideas, and leadership style because you either sign their checks or otherwise control their futures. 
• Not our spouse. Spouses, while desiring to be supportive, may not be able to provide the kind of non-threatening critique and challenge that is needed. While spouses will often volunteer critiques of our sermons, they may not fully understand what we are wrestling with and we would spare them the stress of having to carry our weight as well as their own. 

If a pastor were going to “get help” in dealing with their own personal crises, they may see a professional therapist or even a psychiatrist. However, such specialized resources may be beyond the pastor’s ability to pay. While this therapy may be helpful, I don’t think that many therapists would be able to fill the Cupbearer role. Pastors need someone with whom they can honestly and safely share…

• Their theological passions, issues, and doubts.
• Their ministry ideas and concerns.
• Areas where they want to grow, feel inadequate, or need further equipping.

I have found this type of encounter to be not only energizing and revitalizing but revelational. It has been in such moments that I have seen others find comfort, clarity, and loving correction, and have experienced it in my own life as well.

I know that my own denomination needs an advocacy mission for pastors for several reasons. Sometimes relations between pastors and their superiors can be unintentionally strained. When leaders only reach out to their people when they want them to do something for them, or when they have done something wrong, then their people will feel used and uncared for. The same is true of pastors and their supervisors or bishops.

• Pastors of large churches may feel used, as though the denomination only wants their resources (e.g., human, financial, influence).
• Pastors of smaller churches may feel totally ignored and unimportant. Many will never get a call unless something goes wrong.
• Older pastors may have trouble adapting to new ministry contexts and new corporate cultures but are supposed to adapt without explanation or understanding.
• Younger pastors may feel no one has time to help them develop their own vision.

Has “pastoral development” simply become a code word for conforming local pastors to their Supervisor/Bishop’s current vision for them instead of calling their own gifts forth out of their hearts? If someone came to us and said they had a word from the Lord for us, we should test it against Scripture and also against the Spirit’s leading in our lives before trying to implement it in our lives. Personal prophecy is not directional but confirmational. Why do we think that our visions as leaders are directional and are to be imposed on others? If our vision is to be theirs, then God will have already begun to speak this into the lives of others. Any sincere efforts on our part in staff development are handicapped by the power dynamics in play.

When I say that there is a desperate need for denominations to fund pastoral advocacy missions like Cupbearers—as a way of showing relational care for their pastors, care that comes outside the existing power structure, does that resonate with what the Lord has been telling you?

I am convinced that ideas have long-term consequences. Someone once said that the philosophies argued in the classroom in one generation will be decided on the battlefield in the next generation. So, if we keep going down this road as solitary and disconnected leaders, what will our lives and ministries look like in 10-15 years? 

Who will help pastors and leaders safely wrestle with theological issues arising from the text of their teaching and the testimony of their ministry and management practices? Who will tell us that there is poison in our cup? I am reminded of the ancient Latin prayer, Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come Holy Spirit), which should be the heart cry of every pastor. Two verses, in particular, characterize the Spirit-led work of a Cupbearer.

Cleanse that which is unclean,

water that which is dry,

heal that which is wounded.

Bend that which is inflexible,

fire that which is chilled,

correct what goes astray.

We need a Spirit-filled Cupbearer for at least the above six reasons!

In our next post, we will begin to consider the roles of the Cupbearer in our ministries.

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[1]  R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development 2007.

[2] Ibid.