Dr. Harold L. Senkbeil, DOXOLOGY’s Executive Director for Spiritual Care, invites pastors to serve with quiet, settled hearts during these frenzied days of Advent.
A Visit from on High
The Dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:78-79
The Dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1:78-79
The pace of pastoring picks up a notch whenever Advent rolls around. Conscientious pastors, already harried with the myriads of details that go into keeping the average parish afloat, become still more tightly wound – if that were possible. What comes after “harried,” anyway? Perhaps it’s “frenzied.”
If that harried, frenzied look has come over you or any pastors you care about, then remember what this time of year is all about. Peel away the onion-like layers of this hectic season and you’ll rediscover at its core the simple, yet astonishing great Good News that God cared enough for this miserable world of ours to send His very best. Wrapped in human infant flesh He sent His Son to bear and bleed and die.
Guess what? That’s you, too! By God’s grace, there’s room in His Kingdom even for pastors. As you preach the Good News of this season, don’t forget the guy in the mirror. It was for your sin, too, that the Word was made flesh. It is your personal failure and private fears and hurts that He still comes to erase and heal.
Tongue-tied Zachariah’s mouth was miraculously freed to speak the praises of the LORD God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people. Just think of it: in Jesus God Himself has come to call. Can there be anything more astonishing than to be paid a visit by God in human flesh?
In His Name, then, serve His harried, frenzied people – but with a quiet, settled heart.
In every sermon you preach with your mouth, by the Sacrament you distribute with your hands, in all your teaching, your visitations - yes, even in all those conversations over Christmas cookies, let this Word go forth in every place: God has visited His people.
And God still comes incognito to this hectic, frazzled world to bring the light of life into a dark, dark world. To bring the lasting peace of sins forgiven and hope restored.
God rest you merry, gentlemen.
If that harried, frenzied look has come over you or any pastors you care about, then remember what this time of year is all about. Peel away the onion-like layers of this hectic season and you’ll rediscover at its core the simple, yet astonishing great Good News that God cared enough for this miserable world of ours to send His very best. Wrapped in human infant flesh He sent His Son to bear and bleed and die.
In His own body Jesus bore our sins already in His infancy. Though He had no sins of His own, they took a circumcision knife to Him – and His shed blood foreshadowed that dark day when He would be nailed up to die. Now there is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Guess what? That’s you, too! By God’s grace, there’s room in His Kingdom even for pastors. As you preach the Good News of this season, don’t forget the guy in the mirror. It was for your sin, too, that the Word was made flesh. It is your personal failure and private fears and hurts that He still comes to erase and heal.
Tongue-tied Zachariah’s mouth was miraculously freed to speak the praises of the LORD God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people. Just think of it: in Jesus God Himself has come to call. Can there be anything more astonishing than to be paid a visit by God in human flesh?
In His Name, then, serve His harried, frenzied people – but with a quiet, settled heart.
In every sermon you preach with your mouth, by the Sacrament you distribute with your hands, in all your teaching, your visitations - yes, even in all those conversations over Christmas cookies, let this Word go forth in every place: God has visited His people.
And God still comes incognito to this hectic, frazzled world to bring the light of life into a dark, dark world. To bring the lasting peace of sins forgiven and hope restored.
God rest you merry, gentlemen.
Announcing New Training Events for 2010
The New Year will usher in two excellent opportunities for pastors to attend the widely acclaimed DOXOLOGY training program. The first event in DOXOLOGY’s three-phase training program invites pastors to gather from Sunday afternoon until Wednesday afternoon to enjoy several days of intensive training, personal reflection, applied pastoral theology, spiritual refreshment and fellowship.
January 24th-January 27th Springfield, IL
The setting for this cycle of training will be the Chiara Center This event is filling quickly.
April 25th-April 28th Allenspark, CO
The Colorado training cycle will convene at St. Malo Retreat and Conference Center, about one and a half hours northwest of Denver International Airport.
Review your calendar and register now to ensure that you will be enrolled in one of these 2010 events. You can access detailed information about each program and download registration forms here.
The New Year will usher in two excellent opportunities for pastors to attend the widely acclaimed DOXOLOGY training program. The first event in DOXOLOGY’s three-phase training program invites pastors to gather from Sunday afternoon until Wednesday afternoon to enjoy several days of intensive training, personal reflection, applied pastoral theology, spiritual refreshment and fellowship.
January 24th-January 27th Springfield, IL
The setting for this cycle of training will be the Chiara Center This event is filling quickly.
April 25th-April 28th Allenspark, CO
The Colorado training cycle will convene at St. Malo Retreat and Conference Center, about one and a half hours northwest of Denver International Airport.
Review your calendar and register now to ensure that you will be enrolled in one of these 2010 events. You can access detailed information about each program and download registration forms here.
DOXOLOGY SPOTLIGHT unveiled
A capacity crowd enjoyed the November 16/17 “SPOTLIGHT on Ministry” event at the Bishop O’Connor Center in Madison Wisconsin. Pastors from eleven states learned and interacted on “Understanding Personality Disorders” and “The Pastoral Care of Struggling Marriages.” Planning is under way for similar programs this summer.
In Fall 2010, Dr. John W. Kleinig, Lutheran professor and scholar from Adelaide, Australia will be the featured speaker at a new SPOTLIGHT program series. Watch our newsletters for dates, places and topics!
In Fall 2010, Dr. John W. Kleinig, Lutheran professor and scholar from Adelaide, Australia will be the featured speaker at a new SPOTLIGHT program series. Watch our newsletters for dates, places and topics!
DOXOLOGY “Graduates” Invited to Grand Reunion
Pastors who have completed all three cycles of DOXOLOGY training in 2009 are invited to register for the Grand Reunion August 27th- 29th. Pastors and wives will convene for three days at the St. Benedict Center in Schuyler, NE (about an hour and one half out of Omaha. ) http://www.benedictinemissionhouse.com/center.htm
Dr. John Kleinig has accepted our invitation to return to North America for this very special weekend with DOXOLOGY, addressing different topics
than he covered in the Reunion last summer.
Pastors and wives will enjoy a weekend of engaging presentations, facilitated group conversations and wonderful fellowship. As in every DOXOLOGY event, worship will be the centerpiece of our time together.
Register for the Grand Reunion will be available online soon.
Pastors and wives will enjoy a weekend of engaging presentations, facilitated group conversations and wonderful fellowship. As in every DOXOLOGY event, worship will be the centerpiece of our time together.
Register for the Grand Reunion will be available online soon.
DOXOLOGY Receives Major Gift
Celebrate with us! DOXOLOGY received a grant of $100,000 from an anonymous donor who writes, “May God continue to bless this important work of strengthening of pastors to empower them in carrying out their ministries.”
DOXOLOGY has also received donations from LCMS Circuits and parishes that are eager to support this important ministry. If your congregation or circuit may be considering a gift to DOXOLOGY please let us know any way in which we may be helpful.
Celebrate with us! DOXOLOGY received a grant of $100,000 from an anonymous donor who writes, “May God continue to bless this important work of strengthening of pastors to empower them in carrying out their ministries.”
DOXOLOGY has also received donations from LCMS Circuits and parishes that are eager to support this important ministry. If your congregation or circuit may be considering a gift to DOXOLOGY please let us know any way in which we may be helpful.
The Research Begins
Throughout the first year of DOXOLOGY's training events, pastors have been asked to respond to a variety of questionnaires and survey instruments. Data are now ready to be compiled for analysis and reporting. DOXOLOGY hopes to learn a great deal from the first group of 140 pastors who have completed the three cycles of training.
DOXOLOGY has gathered data regarding pastors' personal spiritual practice, pastoral confidence and knowledge across a wide array of spiritual, theological and pastoral competencies. The data collected will also assist us to talk meaningfully about pastors' emotional intelligence (EQ), compassion fatigue, depression and resilience across multiple months of participation in the DOXOLOGY events.
There is good reason to anticipate that these research findings will be of great interest to pastors, congregation leaders, circuit counselors, district presidents, and seminaries.
Throughout the first year of DOXOLOGY's training events, pastors have been asked to respond to a variety of questionnaires and survey instruments. Data are now ready to be compiled for analysis and reporting. DOXOLOGY hopes to learn a great deal from the first group of 140 pastors who have completed the three cycles of training.
DOXOLOGY has gathered data regarding pastors' personal spiritual practice, pastoral confidence and knowledge across a wide array of spiritual, theological and pastoral competencies. The data collected will also assist us to talk meaningfully about pastors' emotional intelligence (EQ), compassion fatigue, depression and resilience across multiple months of participation in the DOXOLOGY events.
There is good reason to anticipate that these research findings will be of great interest to pastors, congregation leaders, circuit counselors, district presidents, and seminaries.