I must confess I am not a blogger of worthy status. I admit I fell into the “fad” of blogging a few years ago and yes I do more on Facebook than blogging. Sometimes I don’t know if I have much to offer to the blogging world. I don’t have the time and the brain power to write and to reflect on the issues of the day.

Here are a couple of thoughts I have kicked around these last few weeks. I have learned that I am a better pastor when I am practicing the art of being intentional with family, friends, and most of all church folks. When I was a youth growing up in a large church what I remember most about those who I considered mentors was the mere fact that they were always present. Presence is a gift and I can count at least a dozen folks who were very present in my life from youth leaders to youth pastors. These folks understood what it meant to be intentional.

As I got older I don’t think I ever got a phone call or a visit from any of my pastors. I don’t even remember getting a note. I do remember one of my pastors taking me out for a steak dinner to celebrate something. It was a great dinner. The steak was awesome and the potato was as big as my left foot. To be honest though I don’t remember the reason why we went out, I just remember that he was being intentional with me. I remember another pastor and his wife taking us out to dinner just as I was departing for seminary. We talked mostly about what it is like to be in ministry and the joys and struggles of being a pastor and for Debbie the joys and struggles of being a pastors wife. Again, don’t remember details, just remember that this pastor was intentional with us.

I remember another senior pastor I served with in New Jersey while I was in seminary. I was an intern and I had the chance to watch him from afar. He wasn’t the greatest at preaching. He wasn’t the most charismatic of persons. His gift was that he was intentional with those he pastored. He always remembered names. I remember one church member saying to me, ” We continue to come here because the pastor remembered our names.” The man actually helped the church through a building campaign and both he and an awesome associate pastor led the church with the gift of intentionality.

So? What am I learning right now in my life?

Be intentional.

It might be the best gift of bringing about peace and reconciliation to anything I will ever do as a pastor.

Word on the street?

It acutally works. Am I still growing? Will I forget what matters most to being a Christ follower especially a pastor when it comes to being intentional with those I’ve been called to pastor and lead? Yup! At least today it feels good to know that it does actually work.

Over these last few months I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be transparent as a leader? How do you model transparency in the things you say and do daily? I believe that there are times when transparency led by the spirit is of great help to the kingdom. I have thought of the issues of transparent leadership often as I help lead a small congregation in making a difference for Christ. I come across folks who are looking for real genuine leadership.

How much do you reveal of your true self as a leader? What moments in your ministry do you lay your heart on the line? How does a leader uses his or her mistakes in a way that brings about change? How does one use the word sorry in a way that encourages others to do the same with the hope of the reconciling grace and mercy of God to intervene in those places that God needs to restore? I point you to Mr. President who is doing something that I have not seen in my lifetime from a president.

I point you to another pastor friend who is doing some real good blogging on leadership issues in ministry.