The Heart of a Pastor

It's official...I've moved

I am officially moving this blog to WordPress.  I guess my decision came a little faster than I thought.  My new address is:  www.heartofapastor.wordpress.com.  Please make the appropriate changes to your bookmarks and links.  This blog will stay remain active until people have a chance to get used to the new address, but this will be my last post here.

All my posts from Typepad (with comments) have been moved to my WordPress blog so the only thing that is changing is the address and the look of my blog. 

After 2 plus years on Typepad this will be post number 351 with 804 comments submitted.  It has been a fun run here on Typepad but I look forward to continuing my blogging ministry in a new location.  Thanks again for a great 2 plus years and I look forward to many more with you in my new location.

Take care and God bless.

-edh-

Working on a NEW site

I have returned from the SW MN Synod Assembly and currently am getting caught up.  I wrote a post today detailing some stuff that took place this past weekend, but Typepad up and lost my post (this time it was not my fault).  So because of this and other frustrations I am having with Typepad, I am currently working on a new site over at WordPress at:  www.heartofapastor.wordpress.com   I invite you to stop by and give me some feedback.  I have exported ALL my blog posts (and comments) from Typepad to Wordpress.  Right now I am working on transferring my blogroll and working on the design.  I have not "officially" moved yet, but I will be typing some posts over there to get a feel of WordPress and then make a decision.  For those of you on WordPress, is there any advice you can give me?
I do plan to write about some interesting things that took place at our assembly pertaining to some strange resolutions that were passed.  To give you a little teaser...there were two resolutions passed legislating prayer within our congregations.  I found that frustrating.  More on that over at my Wordpress site.

In the mean time I look forward to seeing you over at my "new" place.  Call it a "lake cabin" that I may just move to.  In any case, have a great day and I will catch you later.

-edh-

Sermon blog update

I have finally updated my sermons blog with sermons from March 9, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday.  I am not claiming they are anything spectacular, but they are there...enjoy.

-edh-

Blogroll update

Hey all...Happy Maundy Thursday!  Wow...that sounds strange.

Anyway...I just wanted to take a break from sermon writing to draw your attention to my latest blog roll addition:  Postings from Pastor Brad.  Brad was a classmate of mine at Luther Seminary and someone I think you will enjoy.  Stop by and say "hi".  I would tell you to say to Brad, "Eric sent me", but I am not sure what that would get you :)

O.K....I need to move on here and take a break...(I guess that is what I am doing, but maybe I need to get some fresh air).  Now I am babbling...I really need to get out of here...anyway...

God bless you in your Holy Week and Easter preparations and take care!
-edh-

Evangelism blog

Over at my other blog, The Heart of Evangelism, I am beginning a series of posts dealing with the ELCA Evangelism Strategy.  I am always surprised to hear how many pastors have not read this or haven't even heard about it. 

It is a four part strategy that I think is pretty important for our Church.  So I invite to stop over there and join (or begin) the conversation.  A link the the evangelism strategy is provided there.

-edh-

NEW Evangelism blog

On Monday I traveled to Shalom Hill Farm (just outside of Windom, MN) for the First Call Theological Retreat.  First Call Theological education is something that all first call pastors (and other rostered leaders) in SW MN (and other area synods as well) are required to participate in for the first three years of their ministry.  Among the various components, an annual theological retreat is held.  I finished my first call requirements this past year so in a way I am "off probation" :)

But this year I was back...and this time in a teaching capacity.  With the various evangelism training I have had combined with my passion for evangelism, my bishop asked me to lead a presentation at this event.  I was honored to be asked and joyfully accepted the invitation.  But I was still a little nervous.  I have never really taught a class for a group of pastors before.  I DID lead a workshop at our synod assembly last year on evangelism and blogging, but somehow that felt different.

So I gathered my resources and tried to piece together what I would talk about.  There is so much one COULD talk about that trying to narrow things down to a 1 1/2 hour presentation was not easy.  My only fear was that I would get so excited that I would begin talking to fast and thus mumble and jumble words and phrases together (that is the main reason I need a manuscript when I preach...to slow me down).  But I did it and had a great time.  Afterward I had some great conversations with people one on one about evangelism and even more during supper.  Now the next question is this:  What is next?

I am working on something for here at Salem that I hope will be the beginning of a culture change here.  I am not sure if it will work or if I will even see the fruits during my time here, but I am going to give it a whirl (I will talk more about this in an up coming post).  So in the mean time I am going to spend some time writing about evangelism and I invite your thoughts and comments.  And I think the best way to do this is on another blog that is specifically designed for that purpose.  So I have created an evangelism blog called The Heart of Evangelism where we can have some discussion about evangelism, share ideas, resources, strategies and the like along with support for one another.

So there you have it.  We will see if this takes off or not.  Whether it does or not, it won't curb my passion for encouraging people to be who we were created to be.  After all, if the church is not about evangelism, then we are nothing more than a social club with special tax exempt status. Let's reclaim the very thing we should not have to re-claim.

[And...as always...this new blog will be done all for the glory of God...because without God, what's the point?]

Take care and God bless!
-edh-

A brand new year

Greetings and Happy New Year to all!

First of all -- Thank you to all who send Christmas and New Year's greetings.  My absence from the blogosphere has been a long one...but a refreshing one.  I feel ready to start a new year in so many ways.  So allow me to offer my blessing to you all:

I pray that your new year may be filled with happiness, joy and peace.  May you have the courage and drive to: venture to new "places" - to try new things - to strain ahead - to live a life of wild abandon - to bask in the glow of God's love EVERYDAY - to forgive much - to love EVEN MORE - to slow down and listen to the bare voice of God - to pray more - to share your faith more.  As you begin this new year may you feel, see and experience the presence of our Lord and Savior wherever you go or whatever you do.  GOD LOVES YOU...always remember that!  Make this year the best year even for someone.  God bless!

Lastly -- Carolyn over at Law and Gospel has just submitted the 500th comment to this blog.  Sorry, Carolyn, I don't have an award or anything.  But allow me to thank everyone who has commented here.  It has been fun engaging in conversation and getting to know you over the last couple years.  I look forward to many more encounters with you.

So...on that note...I close this entry as I ponder a more reflective post to come.  Take care.

-edh-

Blog roll update

I have added a couple new blogs, recently, to my blog roll that I want to highlight for you:

(1) Freedom is a blog by Joseph McGarry. He is a student at LTSP (Lutheran Theological Seminary Philadelphia).  Joseph has good theological postings plus a couple links related to a weight loss program he is on.  I find that intriguing.

(2) Christ In My Life is a blog by John Ganger from southern Minnesota.  When you stop by to visit John make sure you check out his video post from Sept. 26 ("Baby Got Book").  I don't laugh out loud too often when I read blogs, but with that post I did.  John also has a bunch of other good theological writings and personal insights.

One of the things that helps draw traffic to Christian websites is linking to them and highlighting them for others to see.  There is a lot of crap out there so it is nice to highlight the "good" stuff and try to have an overwhelming positive influence out there in the blogosphere.

God bless and have a wonderful weekend.

-edh-

Post number 200

Wow...number 200 is here...hard to believe.

I began this blogging adventure on May 4, 2006.  At that time I was mostly excited about having a "web site" for people to read.  I really didn't have a real focus or purpose and that would eventually bite me in the butt.

I had grand plans, though, that people from the congregation I serve would take breaks at work to read the beautiful devotions I would provide for them.  I had visions of people reading something I wrote and then responding -- engaging in a faith conversation with me.  I was excited.  For the first three months I wrote an average of 21 posts per month.  But as the months went by it became clear that the only regular readers of my blog were my mom and sister.  I began to doubt MY ability and started to lose interest.  August's total was 12 posts and then it dropped to 6 in September and down to 4 in December.  I began to comtemplate ending my blog and moving on.

But in March of 2007 something happened.  I had just finished a two weekend evangelism trainging school in the NW Iowa synod.  When I returned home I started processing the evangelism school in relation to my call and ministry and how I could be a better evangelist.  I then started to realize what I had been doing wrong with my blog.  I didn't have a real focus, but more importantly...I was being selfish.  I was writting this blog for me and definitely not for the glory of God (even though I gave that outward impression).  So I started some re-tooling and re-focusing.  This blog needed to be an evangelism tool.  And things began to change.  I found a new energy in blogging because for the first time I realized that I am no gifted writer (I know, I know...hard to believe), but I am not.  Now...instead of trying to impress people with my so-called ability I began writing for God...to glorify him.  Now I post an average of 15 times per month with no signs of slowing down.  Now...instead of searching my brain for something to write, it comes from the heart.  Hence the title of this blog (ironic isn't...that I start writing from my brain and not the heart).

Anyway, 200 posts down and hopefully many, many more to go.  I feel I have grown in my faith and in how I reflect upon the world around me.  I hope I have been faithful in sharing the Gospel in the best way I can.  I hope I have not been selfish.  I have met new people through this strange world we call the blogosphere.  And I feel I have developed relationships with people I haven't even met face to face.  Two hundren posts ago I had no idea any of this would happen.  But our God is ever so amazing and faithful...and for that I am thankful.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.  Thank you for challenging me and encouraging me.  And if you are reading this blog for the first time...welcome and I so glad to "meet" you.

God bless!
-edh-

Spam comments

Today I received my second spam comment in the last couple days.  To date that makes three in the last two months.  I don't like that trend so I have made some changes.  I have activated CAPTCHA which requires people to "pass a test" to prove they are not a computer leaving messages.  Basically you will need to enter some letters that you see on the comment screen.  I hope this does not become an inconvenience but I do want to nip this spam thing in the bud before it gets out of hand.

Has anyone else seen any spam comments recently?

-edh-