Monday Morning Manna: Pastors and Gifts

This is Pastor Appreciation Month. I will take my Pastor to lunch this week. It is a small, but meaningful gift. We will talk as we eat – about the church, about sports, about theology, about families, about common friends (and a few uncommon friends). Mostly, I will come away from the time together with more specific ways to pray for him. It is the best gift I can offer to him during this pastor appreciation month. After Jesus ascended back to heaven, He gave spiritual gifts to the church. One of those gifts was the gift of pastor. Ephesians 4:11 states, “He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” My Pastor is a gift from God to my family, my church and my community. The best gift I can offer to him during this appreciation month, is “effective, fervent prayer” (James 5:16). Max Lucado wrote, “Prayer pushes us through life’s slumps, propels us over the humps, and pulls us out of the dumps.” As my Pastor and I have our table talk, I become aware of the specifics of his humps, slumps, and dumps, and I pray for him. How do you pray for your Pastor? This is a good time to intensify and clarify your gift of pastoral prayer support, but hurry – appreciation month is almost over.

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford