Dear friends and readers,
I'm back.
I know that some of you have asked why I stopped writing and so I will give a short answer to that. As a pastor, the ministry I serve has gone through very many critical changes recently. All good but I realized that we were becoming so broad based that we had to go back and look at the original vision God gave me 30 years ago---and do THAT! So we have readjusted and cut out all the peripheral elements that were keeping us desperately busy but producing little spiritual fruit.
Many of you may be experiencing the same problems with your churches or ministries. Are you waking in the morning and just getting through another day of the same-o-same-o? What did happen along the way that caused SO MUCH activity that you have lost focus and can't wait to fall into bed at night? Then awaken again and start the endless process all over again---asking yourself, what DID I accomplish today?
The answer is "THE TYRANNY OF HECTICITY"! Now before anyone writes to me and says there is no such word as HECTICTITY, well you are wrong. I use it and can find no other word to replace it. Although it may not occur in the pages of Webster's, neither did the word AIN'T until someone realized that the word was being used by millions daily. So just like AIN'T, perhaps we can all agree that the new word which aptly describes the condition of many churches today SHOULD be HECTICITY!!!
For those of you who are not enshrined in some form of Christian ministry, or perhaps are reading from the perspective of another culture or perhaps even a far different religious system of belief? I bet you are still suffering from some form of this very same tyrant that tries to completely take over our otherwise well ordered existence. So keep reading!
It is the TYRANNY OF HECTICITY that keeps us so busy trying to fit everything into our Franklin Planners that we have lost track of----------People. We will simply call it the "TOH" syndrome. It is rampant worldwide. It is the next sermon---you know, the one your wife has heard so many times from you (in slightly different form), that you see her mouthing your very words from the front row while you are teaching?
It is the constant BEGGING for help for the Sunday school program. It is "OH MY GOSH, summer is right around the corner, what do we do for VBS? It is the "pastor I have a great idea---when in reality that means that I have a great idea for YOU to do pastor but I am far too busy myself"!
It is the need to raise the money for new sanctuary carpeting, A new school bus, Teen night, Elders night, singles night, Marrieds night, in fact every other night but one with your own wife and kids night!
It is the TYRANNY OF HECTICITY that eventually drains us of our energy, ministry vision, once important goals---like accomplishing the Great Commission? "TOH" is the beast that takes men and women of God and turns them into exhausted, discouraged, plastic smiley faces that (in private) threatens to quite the ministry probably several times each month. It is "TOH" that drives ministries apart, frequently sets ministry children at odds with their parents and sometimes even drives otherwise dedicated ministry couple to divorce court.
So, friends, in our ministry we have cut cut cut to the point that we can actually see the light of the ole ministry day and spend more time with people. Starting with family, friends, time for a walk with my wife, an occasional nap with our handicapped little guy Santiago. Really and truly taking the 7th day off which is really great advice God gave mankind way back in the 10 commandments of Exodus 20:2-17.
So before anyone accuses me of gravitating back to the law, I DO fully realize that as Christians we are saved by grace, not by works. Howsomever (that's a country term that should also be in Webster's) friends, could we not agree that if God said something was important, perhaps we should pay attention? Particularly in a world in which Christian divorce rates are nearly as high as in the world around us?
By the way, that would be the 4th Commandment in case you have lost track. Will I go to hell if I work on Saturday? No absolutely not but here is something to consider; I wonder how many divorces could be avoided if the men of the church---let alone the world, actually took time each and every week to do nothing but spend time with their families?
But you say, I have to work on Saturday. Well, perhaps you are missing the idea here. God does say that Saturday (the sabbath) is the last day of the week and deserves a break. No one can change that But the simple idea is TIME WITH FAMILY, regardless of day.
Also, just a reminder to those of you who do have a tendency to gravitate back to the law, Jesus Himself said in Mark 2:27 "THE SABBATH IS MADE FOR MAN, AND NOT MAN FOR THE SABBATH" (28) Therefore the Son of Man (Jesus) is also Lord of the Sabbath"!
Please consider this little article to be a reintroduction from myself to you with many more blog articles to come. Now having prioritized my own life, I am looking forward to speaking with you often.
I will end with a word of advice to Bill O'Reilly of Fox news (a man I do not actually know), Perhaps Bill you should consider writing your next book with the title being "KILLING HECTICITY"!
I bet it would be a worldwide best seller!
God bless you all,
Pastor Rance.
I'm back.
I know that some of you have asked why I stopped writing and so I will give a short answer to that. As a pastor, the ministry I serve has gone through very many critical changes recently. All good but I realized that we were becoming so broad based that we had to go back and look at the original vision God gave me 30 years ago---and do THAT! So we have readjusted and cut out all the peripheral elements that were keeping us desperately busy but producing little spiritual fruit.
Many of you may be experiencing the same problems with your churches or ministries. Are you waking in the morning and just getting through another day of the same-o-same-o? What did happen along the way that caused SO MUCH activity that you have lost focus and can't wait to fall into bed at night? Then awaken again and start the endless process all over again---asking yourself, what DID I accomplish today?
The answer is "THE TYRANNY OF HECTICITY"! Now before anyone writes to me and says there is no such word as HECTICTITY, well you are wrong. I use it and can find no other word to replace it. Although it may not occur in the pages of Webster's, neither did the word AIN'T until someone realized that the word was being used by millions daily. So just like AIN'T, perhaps we can all agree that the new word which aptly describes the condition of many churches today SHOULD be HECTICITY!!!
For those of you who are not enshrined in some form of Christian ministry, or perhaps are reading from the perspective of another culture or perhaps even a far different religious system of belief? I bet you are still suffering from some form of this very same tyrant that tries to completely take over our otherwise well ordered existence. So keep reading!
It is the TYRANNY OF HECTICITY that keeps us so busy trying to fit everything into our Franklin Planners that we have lost track of----------People. We will simply call it the "TOH" syndrome. It is rampant worldwide. It is the next sermon---you know, the one your wife has heard so many times from you (in slightly different form), that you see her mouthing your very words from the front row while you are teaching?
It is the constant BEGGING for help for the Sunday school program. It is "OH MY GOSH, summer is right around the corner, what do we do for VBS? It is the "pastor I have a great idea---when in reality that means that I have a great idea for YOU to do pastor but I am far too busy myself"!
It is the need to raise the money for new sanctuary carpeting, A new school bus, Teen night, Elders night, singles night, Marrieds night, in fact every other night but one with your own wife and kids night!
It is the TYRANNY OF HECTICITY that eventually drains us of our energy, ministry vision, once important goals---like accomplishing the Great Commission? "TOH" is the beast that takes men and women of God and turns them into exhausted, discouraged, plastic smiley faces that (in private) threatens to quite the ministry probably several times each month. It is "TOH" that drives ministries apart, frequently sets ministry children at odds with their parents and sometimes even drives otherwise dedicated ministry couple to divorce court.
So, friends, in our ministry we have cut cut cut to the point that we can actually see the light of the ole ministry day and spend more time with people. Starting with family, friends, time for a walk with my wife, an occasional nap with our handicapped little guy Santiago. Really and truly taking the 7th day off which is really great advice God gave mankind way back in the 10 commandments of Exodus 20:2-17.
So before anyone accuses me of gravitating back to the law, I DO fully realize that as Christians we are saved by grace, not by works. Howsomever (that's a country term that should also be in Webster's) friends, could we not agree that if God said something was important, perhaps we should pay attention? Particularly in a world in which Christian divorce rates are nearly as high as in the world around us?
By the way, that would be the 4th Commandment in case you have lost track. Will I go to hell if I work on Saturday? No absolutely not but here is something to consider; I wonder how many divorces could be avoided if the men of the church---let alone the world, actually took time each and every week to do nothing but spend time with their families?
But you say, I have to work on Saturday. Well, perhaps you are missing the idea here. God does say that Saturday (the sabbath) is the last day of the week and deserves a break. No one can change that But the simple idea is TIME WITH FAMILY, regardless of day.
Also, just a reminder to those of you who do have a tendency to gravitate back to the law, Jesus Himself said in Mark 2:27 "THE SABBATH IS MADE FOR MAN, AND NOT MAN FOR THE SABBATH" (28) Therefore the Son of Man (Jesus) is also Lord of the Sabbath"!
Please consider this little article to be a reintroduction from myself to you with many more blog articles to come. Now having prioritized my own life, I am looking forward to speaking with you often.
I will end with a word of advice to Bill O'Reilly of Fox news (a man I do not actually know), Perhaps Bill you should consider writing your next book with the title being "KILLING HECTICITY"!
I bet it would be a worldwide best seller!
God bless you all,
Pastor Rance.
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