Thrive

"Thriving is what human beings are made for; and pastors and churches too. Being fully alive, and curious, and fearless. Wide awake.

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Failure to thrive [is] days and weeks and month of frozen smiles and forced pleasantness and artificial harmony and wondering if people think we're doing well. It's pretending to agree and listen and placate people we don't agree with or even like, and telling ourselves we do it because it's the pastor's job, when the truth is we do it from fear or ambition or habit. And then we feel drained and hollow and thin-souled.

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So my job, even more important than preaching or leading, is to thrive

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For one day, I'm going to die. And most of what preoccupies and drains me now will recede into nothingness. But the dead in Christ will rise.

Which is to say, thrive."

~ John Ortberg "Ministry and FTT"