Experiencing the power and privilege of ministry. Fall 1998 Soul & Spirit The Pastor

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Sometimes you have to consciously allow yourself to be refreshed. Psalm 23 describes lying down in green pastures and visiting quiet waters as one way weary souls are renewed by God.

How do today's Christian leaders find refreshment? How do they re-energize body and spirit? Here's a sampling.

Most Saturdays I turn on the Family Channel at about 1:00 and watch four or five cowboy shows—Bonanza, The Rifleman, The Virginian—with a large bowl of popcorn and a cola. I look at the wide-open spaces, and my mind leaves all the things I have to do.

I go to the gym to shoot basketball. I don't run the full court as I used to, but I play horse or sit on the bleachers and listen to the balls bouncing, see the kids screaming, see the guys slam-dunking—completely away from anything that resembles day-to-day ministry. It takes me back to a time when things were simpler. Laughter and joy return.

It's refreshing to do something completely different. My wife and mother-in-law and I go to a movie every week or so. I listen to music: jazz and some of the latest contemporary sounds. That does two things. It keeps me in touch with what's going on in the culture, and I find new rhythms and sounds.

I recently started flying lessons. There is a simple joy from being in the air, seeing God's creation from another angle, sensing yourself as fully alive. It's still pretty new for me, so a lot of things are foreign and demand concentration. When I land, there's an exhilaration that's hard to explain.

Spending time with my family also brings joy. Each of my children has a great sense of humor and sees a lot more positive things in life than I do. Through my children's eyes, I often see that the life God has given ...

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