I recently had the privilege of attending a day on prayer run by Paul Miller and his team. It was a hugely encouraging and liberating day – great to know that I’m not the only one who struggles with prayer, and wonderful to have some helpful theological reminders and practical tips on how to pray.

Perhaps most helpful was the insight that the gospel affects prayer too. We don’t come to Jesus as people that have everything sorted, but as the weary and heavy-laden seeking rest, as the broken and sinful needing cleansing and redemption. So why should we expect our prayers to be perfect? The day was a wonderful reminder about the way we can approach God as His children – with messy and imperfect requests – and a loving Father who delights to give good gifts to His children.

And Paul has written a book which largely covers the same ground as the day seminar – called A Praying Life. I can’t recommend it enough!

This week I’m preparing a sermon all about ‘Why Christians Sing’ and have been considering the whole area of the ‘worship’ life of churches (and yes – I know that ‘worship’ is an all of life thing and not just about singing, but it is a helpful label here!). An outstandingly good book on the whole area of ‘Worship’ is called Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin.

Full of good theology and practical advice from someone with oodles of experience in this area. Well worth a look if you are involved in leading worship in church in any way – as a musician, pastor, service-leader etc.

I am currently thoroughly enjoying reading through Wise Counsel, John Newton’s letters to John Ryland Jr – a young minister he took under his wing. They are wonderful examples of encouraging, Biblical, pastorally sensitive writing – how I wish there were more letter (or even email) writers of this ilk today.

Here is a wonderful section from Letter 26 (1 July 1779) where he explains (in a warning especially useful for those of us who are pastors) why a book will never satisfy completely – and then he broadens the principal out.

The hymn books will be with you soon, how soon I know not. Your hungry curiosity will not be long in appeasing. When you have read the preface, twirled over the pages, run your eye down the tables of contents, and have the book by you, you will feel much as you do about any other book that has been lying by you seven years. At least I have often found it so (but perhaps your heart is not just like mine). I have longed for a book, counted the hours till it came, anticipated a thousand things about it, flew to it at first sight with eagerness as a hawk at its prey; and in a little time it has been as quiet, as if placed upon the upper shelf in a bookseller’s shop.

Whatever we can see with our eyes, and touch with our hands, shrinks upon trial, and will not fully answer the expectations which the prospect raised. It quickly ceases to be new, and then we secretly say to ourselves, Is this all?

Only look at a door newly painted, how bright and glossy it appears! But the gloss soon fades, and in a little time it needs painting over again. This may serve for an emblem of all that is within the house, of all that is in the world… It is not so with things that are unseen, and which faith alone can perceive. These grow upon our view, and their excellence heightens, the more we are acquainted with them.”

I thoroughly commend the book which seems to be most readily available from the Banner of Truth.

There is a good review of the whole book written by a friend of mine here.

I have been reading this book in my daily devotional times recently and it is all that you would expect from Dale Ralph Davies as he tackles the first 12 Psalms. He handles the text carefully and brings it to life vividly and with pastoral sensitivity.

Wonderful stuff!

The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift That Changes Everything

Others are far more able to give comprehensive reviews than I am, but a few summary observations:

• I love the focus on people and gospel growth (=maturity as well as conversion) rather than structures
• I love the emphasis on the ‘team’ nature of ministry – the role of the whole body of Christ to be involved in disciple-making – though using different gifts and with certain individuals particularly set apart for the work of teaching
• I am challenged by the changes which would need to take place in order to effectively disciple the few (and the reactions that might be provoked)
• I was helped to re-consider Matt 28:19-20 as a commission to disciple more than a commission to go (though the former may involved the latter in certain contexts – not least the context in which it was originally given)
• I was reminded of the need to be a ‘talent-spotter’ – in terms of those with the gifting and character to be fellow vine-workers

I was also profoundly thankful for the way in which some of these principles have been modelled and taught to me as I have worked in various churches. I can still hear a former colleague encouraging me to “Feed the hungry” which is a very T&V injunction. I am thankful for the gospel-heartedness of the church where I was an apprentice who not only invested in me for the 4 years I was with them, but were prepared to contribute towards the funding of my training even though I was heading into ministry in a different denomination. And of course, I am thankful for my current minister who encouraged me to read the book.

So the bottom line – definitely worth a read if you invovled in paid Christian ministry, and also worth a read if you aren’t!

I’ve just had a wonderful reminder of the way humility and assurance are rooted in the Cross of Jesus. Particularly good to be reminded that Jesus wasn’t in some kind of ‘pacifier’ role – making up with God the Father – but that it was God the Father’s eternal plan to send Jesus. It was our Heavenly Father’s love which resulted in our salvation. And that as we are in Jesus he delights in us. Wonderful!

I found the reminder of our Lord’s example when Satan tempted Him to feed Himself most helpful:

“Jesus knew that he could use his power to provide food. He would do that later on two occasions and feed five thousand and then four thousand hungry people. But he refused to use this ability for his own gratification, listening to Satan and missing God’s call. We too are called to a cross. Like Jesus, we also give up our rights for a greater ultimate good (Phil. 2:5-11). How many lose their spiritual credibility and authority by using the ministry and its privileges for temporary personal gain!” (p75)

As ever, Fernando provides some very helpful practical examples to bring all his teaching home and the chapter as a whole is a powerful call to Godly living and personal holiness – themes I repeatedly need to be reminded of in this world we live in.

There is a very helpful (and again challenging) discussion of our ‘uncrucified desires.’ But as ever, Fernando avoids the easy trap of legalism in his discussion, for which he is to be commended.

Here’s a big aspirational quote to end:

“When we habve a biblical vision of God, we will measure success not by earthly standards but by the extent to which we conformed to the principles and the will of God. This standard will deter us from trying to achieve ambitions with the wrong methods, but it will not discourage godly ambition. When we see that God is glorious, we are fired by an ambition to do great things that reflect his glory. So we too will dream big. But in achieving those ambitions, we will not do things that will diminish his glory. The vision of glory will give us the courage to pay the price on the path to victory. This price is the way of the cross, which Christ embraced at his tempation by refusing the crown Satan offered him.” (p87)

As ever, looking to the model of Jesus, Fernando points out how regularly Jesus took time out, especially before particularly significant moments in His ministry, to fast and pray and spend time with God. How I need repeatedly to be reminded of this. If my Lord took time out, how much more should I.

Fernando gives several personal examples of the benefits of mini or more extended ‘retreats’ and includes a brief and balanced discussion of fasting at the end of the chapter (encouraging Christian leaders to take advantage of this form of spiritual discipline, though helpfully showing it is not a command).

Top quote:

“Our ministry is not a reaction to people’s rejection of us but a response to God’s acceptance of us.
So in times of crisis, we should develop the discipline of retreating to God’s presence in order to get our strength from him. Then we can return to act as his representatives who have been called and strengthened by him.” (p68)

I would characterise this chapter as ‘Biblical Common Sense.’ This is a category I sometimes use of preachers who teach truth, but where the truth they are teaching does not necessarily come from the particular Scriptures they are exegeting.

Fernando’s main model is the affirmation Jesus receives from His Father during His ministry. It is wonderful to reflect on this, but to my mind less easy to apply this directly to our own experience. He gives other OT and NT examples of cases where God graciously provides affirmation for one of His servants, but the lingering question as to whether these should be read normatively for us, or whether they are in themselves the means of our encouragement is not addressed in this brief chapter.

Nonetheless, there is much practical wisdom in the chapter. In particular there is a very helpful set of warnings about the dangers of ministering without a sense of our security in Christ – and I am sure every Christian minister can think of occasions where insecurity fuels unhealthy models of ministry.

Ultimately, Fernando’s encouragement to find our identity and encouragement in Christ is extremely timely, and his challenge to wrestle with God – in prayer, in the Scriptures, and in song – is Piper-esque in its Biblical and passionate wisdom.

Fernando discusses the much-debated concept of ‘fullness of the Spirit’ and concludes that it “is speaking of a state where the Spirit governs people’s lives so that his work is evident in both their behaviour and ministry.” (p33) He helpfully notes that we often seen an emphasis on the second of these whilst the first (holiness of life) is often neglected.

There are important warnings about avoiding an arid, life-less ministry, dependence on God and holiness of life, and also encouraging examples from the lives of various saints – past and present. Fernando is extremely honest about his only struggles in this area too.

Most helpful is a strong emphasis on our need to spend time with God in prayer, meditation and study, and a seeking after an ‘immediacy’ of the Spirit – which is one of the hallmarks of New Testament faith (cf. 1 Cor 3:16).

If I have a small criticism, it is that although he alludes to differences of opinion about how to read Acts (crucially, is it normative or simply descriptive?) he slightly fudges the issue. In particular on the question of whether ‘filling with the Spirit’ is at the start of the Christian life or subsequent to that, he writes, “this issue does not need to be a huge problem. Whether the baptism is initiatory or subsequent, it is clear that the way the figure of baptism is used implies fullness.” (31)

On the other hand, I am all for avoiding unnecessary divisiveness, and if his slightly ambiguous observations on this mean that his extremely helpful chapter can be read and enjoyed by a broader range of believers, then I am all for it. He certainly keeps the main thing, the main thing. And to that end, I will finish with a help quotation he cites from Robert Coleman:

“The promise [of the fullness of the Spirit] is not a dogma to be argued, but a reality to be experienced. Nor is it a fringe benefit of a few Christian zealots, or the peculiar teaching of some evangelical churches. True, it may be called by different names and variously interpreted according to one’s doctrinal viewpoint, but the reality of the all-encompassing, Christ possessing holiness of the Spirit is basic New Testament Christianity.” (22).

May all our ministry be authentic, Spirit-empowered, and Christ-honouring.

Chapter 1 is all about ‘Identifying with people’ – and in particular the people you minister amongst. The word ‘incarnational’ is used, but not in a way that might cause any eyebrows to be raised.

Very helpful for me were the challenges to put the needs of others first and to press on in the face of frustration.

“Biblical leaders should be so devoted to their people that in order to help them, the leaders abstain from doing some things that they want to do and perform some tasks that they do not like to do. Because of their commitment to a group of people, they will perservere in working with them even though inconvenient and seemingly fruitless.” (p22)

And of course our primary model in all this is the Lord Jesus. It strikes me that these comments apply well to those of us who are husbands and fathers equally well, and not just to the sphere of ministry.

Fernando reminds us that suffering and joy are closely linked in the NT in a way which seems incredibly counter-cultural today. He also reminds us that in the family of the church it is not enough to “signal that [troublesome complainers] are not welcome in the church.” (p26) Rather, “We stick to such people and willingly take on the frustration of talking with them because we believe that we will not ultimately lose through such costly commitment. It will be necessary for our theology to override our feelings on this.” (p26-7)

He ends the chapter on a positive note:

“Commitment does pay, for it begets commitment in others and makes our ministry more effective!” (p27).