Writing Out Your Spiritual Journey

I’ve been looking for pastoral ministry positions, which is proving to be rather difficult within my denomination (Southern Baptist) as there is no singularly utilized resource for posting openings.  Unlike some other denominations, Southern Baptist church openings aren’t filled through appointments or recommendations from denominational offices.  Most are either advertised in local or state newsletters/newspapers or are passed along by word of mouth.  As our state convention’s newspaper has liberal tendencies, it primarily draws pastoral search postings from liberal leaning churches.  As a result, I’ve had some difficulty locating theologically conservative churches.  On more than one occasion, I have sent my resume to churches that haven’t made their positions or affiliations clear, only to discover during an interview that we were on different pages theologically. 

This evening, I learned of a church that is seeking a minister of education.  I searched around the internet and found some information about the church and pastor that appealed to me and looked promising.  I decided to reply to the posting which requested a resume.  I’ve never been a big fan of resumes.  Having been involved in law enforcement for several years, I’ve learned that the bare facts can’t always tell you what’s most important about someone.  When I’m working a case, I want to know someone’s story.  Where have they been?  How did they get there?  Where are they going?  Their story tells much more about them than two pages of bullet formatted facts and dates.  I felt led to write my story.  It took me several hours to write it.  At first, it felt strange, but after I was finished, it felt rewarding. 

I realized that there are at least 3 major practical benefits to writing out your personal story

1. Writing out your spiritual journey reminds you of the spiritual highs in your life - the times when you have walked closest with God and his guidance has been clearest
2. Writing out your spiritual journey gives you perspective on your current spiritual condition
3. Writing out your spiritual journey helps clarify where God has gifted you and where He is leading

I sent my freshly written story along with my resume.  It gave me an opportunity to express who I am and how God has worked in my life.  It also gave me the opportunity to write out a short philosophy of ministry and some basic theological beliefs.  I suggest you try it sometime, it’s a rewarding exercise, even if no one else ever sees it.

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The folks over at Founder’s Ministries are offering a free course on spiritual depression. The course will feature lectures by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Worth a look - find it here.

Spiritual Depression By D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones / Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. ”In a sense, a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms,” Lloyd-Jones asserts. But what’s a Christian to do to effectively combat spiritual depression (but not get bogged down with the guilt of it all)? Believing that Christian joy was one of the most potent factors in the spread of Christianity in the early centuries, Lloyd-Jones reveals the causes that have robbed you of your spiritual vitality and shows you how to find complete joy through the mind and spirit of Christ. Based on 21 sermons that the author preached at the Westminster Chapel in London. 300 pages, softcover from Eerdmans.

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