Monthly Archives: June 2014

Posted on

The Necessity of Dignity

Dignity in the Ministry 2

There is a prominent little word in the pastorals that gets little attention in modern discussion on ministry: dignity. In fact, the great apostle tells us that “dignity” ought to be not only the aim of every church officer, but every Christian as well.

THE UBIQUITY OF DIGNITY

To see the pervasiveness of dignity we need only look to how its commending and commanding in 1 Timothy:

  • Christians everywhere are commanded to pray for governing authorities so they may live a life of dignity that stretches into every sphere (1 Tim. 2:2).
  • Distinguishable dignity must characterize an elder’s life and ministry (1 Tim. 3:4-5).
  • Ditto for deacons; they gotta be dignified too (1 Tim. 3:8).
  • Dignity is as valuable a jewel for women as it is for men (1 Tim. 3:11).

THE GRAVITY OF DIGNITY

So, dignity is necessary, but what is it exactly? I suspect it’s a word most people would be able to spot, but few would be able to define. The Greek word Paul uses is σεμνότης (semnotes) and is synonymous with honor, gravity, or seriousness.1 Here then is my working definition of dignity:

Christian dignity is the moral and spiritual gravity attending reverent godliness.

If we understand the inherent seriousness of dignity we can understand why it’s a characteristic going the way of the dodo. We live in an evangelical climate that all too often completely reflects our broader culture, a culture that heralds youthfulness on an unprecedented scale. Look no further than recent the recent radio smash “We Are Young” where a man in his fourth decade of life celebrates youth that “sets the world on fire.” (If you need convincing of how much the secular youth culture drives contemporary evangelicalism check out Stephen Nichols incisive article on “Youth-Driven Culture.”)

Dignity has never been, nor will ever be, a flag waved on high by youth. Thus, whenever and wherever the church caves into culture’s celebration of youth we can expect dignity to gather dust in the corporate attic. It seems, to me at least, that it’s high time to dust off this glorious jewel and reclaim it as a requirement for pastoral ministry. For if we want our churches to be a dignified witness, and we should, we must begin with pastors dripping in dignity.

THE MINISTRY OF DIGNITY

This reclamation project must begin with a reorientation of our hearts and minds to the biblical reality that pastoral ministry is necessarily a dignified ministry. And a dignified ministry requires dignified men. Christ has entrusted His ministers with His mission and His means of grace. Dignity courses through our calling like blood flows through our veins. His mission is grave – life and death hang in the balance – so there must be a sense of gravity when we storm the mercy seat and ascend to the sacred desk. His meal of grace is one we offer in reverent faith lest we eat and drink God’s judgment.

Each week the pastor lifts up the Kings of Kings whose kingdom is not of this world so we dare not hold Him with common casualness. Charles Bridges is right to say, “The moment we permit ourselves to think lightly of the Christian Ministry, our right arm is withered; nothing but imbecility and relaxation remains.” He later says, “Dignity of character will thus correspond with dignity of station.” What then might a dignified character look like?

Consider this portrait of the late and great Samuel Miller of Princeton,

He seldom entered a house, or engaged in conversation, without dropping a word at least to comment the Savior. His sermons . . . were full of weighty gospel truth, and were delivered with great animation and unction. . . . His fidelity to souls; his watchfulness for opportunities of doing good; his practical wisdom; his prudent management of all his private affairs; his tender dealing with prejudice and passion; his guardedness against giving offense; his remarkable freedom from envy and jealousy; his large, disinterested benevolence; his liberality and unworldliness; the dignity of his manners . . . always commanding respect; his habitual cheerfulness; his whole consistent life and ministry, ‘forever the same’, were constantly conspicuous and most influential for good.2

That sure seems to be a life of moral and spiritual gravity attending reverent godliness. May God help us to cherish and aim for such dignity in the ministry.

—————————————————————————————————————

  1. See George Knight, in his “must be reckoned with” commentary on 1 Timothy, p. 161-162. ↩
  2. The Life of Samuel Miller, 84. ↩
Posted on

The Church’s Spiritual Thermometer

Spurgeon Prayer

Spurgeon is commonly known today as “The Prince of Preachers,” but he would just as rightly be called “The Prince of Prayer.”

D. L. Moody, the prolific 19th-century American evangelists, was asked after his first visit to England, “Did you hear Spurgeon preach?” He replied, “Yes, but better still I heard him pray.”

Spurgeon taught his students that “the preacher is above all others distinguished as a man of prayer. He prays as an ordinary Christian, else he were a hypocrite. He prays more than ordinary Christians, else he were disqualified for the office which he has undertaken.”1 Spurgeon modeled this counsel with legendary fervor as he spontaneous and reverent prayer punctuated his daily routine.

An American man, Dr. Wayland Hoyt, wrote,

I was once walking with him in the woods . . . and . . . we came upon a log lying [by] the path. ‘Come,’ he said, as naturally as one would say it if he were hungry and bread was put before him, ‘Come, let us pray.’ Kneeling beside the log he lifted his soul to God in the most loving and yet reverent prayer.2

One of his pastoral students would often attend family devotions at the Spurgeon home and he later recalled, “How full of tender pleading, of serene confidence in God, of world-embracing sympathy were his prayers. With what gracious familiarity he could talk with his Divine Master!”3 Another wrote, “His public prayers were an inspiration, but his prayers with the family were to me more wonderful still. Mr. Spurgeon, when bowed before God in family prayer, appeared a grander man even than when holding thousands spellbound by his oratory.”

PASTORING A PRAYING CHURCH

He was a man of prayer who led a praying people. When you spot a pastor in church history mightily used by God you can expect two things: 1) he was a man of prayer who 2) led a praying congregation. Spurgeon was once asked why his ministry was so effective and he replied, “My people pray for me.”

The prayers of his people was cause for deep gratitude as he later said, “I always give all the glory to God, but I do not forget that He gave me the privilege of ministering from the first to a praying people. We had prayer meetings that moved our very souls, each one appeared determined to storm the Celestial City by the might of intercession.” Seven hundred people could be found praying in the Tabernacle’s basement, its “boiler room” as Spurgeon called it, before the Sunday morning service and a few thousand would show up for Monday night prayer meeting. For Spurgeon, the prayer meeting was the best thermometer of the church’s spirituality.

WE WANT PRAYING PASTORS AND CHURCHES!

Spurgeon is a titan of the Christian ministry that is utterly impossible to replicate, but emulation is possible. In our age of fast paced self-confidence the reality of prayer seems to have vanished from pastors and churches. How many churches today have prayer meetings or have large portions of their worship gatherings devoted to prayer? If we are honest, a precious few.

Could this sad shortfall find a direct correlation to a decreasing number of men known as “praying pastors”? Sure, we have numerous pastors known for their preaching and personality – two things that distinguished Spurgeon as well – but what of pastors who are militant and reverent before the throne of grace?

I for one hope the surging popularity of Reformed theology will create a surge in that most basic practice of Reformed spirituality: prayer.

May God give us more praying pastors who lead praying churches.

—————————————————————————————————————

  1. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, 747. ↩
  2. Dallimore, Spurgeon, 178. ↩
  3. Ibid. ↩