DTR. “Define the Relationship.”

The past eleven weeks (except for last week) starting here, I have been taking Wednesday to discuss Matt Chandler’s book, Creature of the Word. My study has taken us through seeing the creature (the church) through various “eyes.” Worship. Community. Church culture. Preaching. To name a few. If you have been in on the discussions, I hope they made you think. 🙂

This last post hits home. “Define the relationship” is used to describe a heart-level conversation a couple might have for the good of their relationship. The good and the bad. The strong and the weak points.

I think every church needs to have “DTR” moments as well. Church leadership needs to have them. Just this past weekend the church leadership did some defining. We are in the process of growing (a good thing) and need to make sure we are on the same page. Even a side thing like going from two services to one during the winter needs to be analyzed for the good of the people involved. Personal feelings and agendas must be set aside sometimes for the good of all.

While a church needs to “DTR,” there is no more important relationship to define than the leader’s relationship with the Father. Be it a pastor, a worship leader, an elder, a teacher, or anyone else, a close relationship with the Father is a must. Prayer is essential. Spending time in the Bible on a daily basis is a must. Interacting with each other. All are important.

What is important to me as a pastor is I need to be the same person in private as I am in public. That is a convicting statement for me. Not always are my private thoughts or feelings ones to be proud of. Each time I stand in the pulpit I need to be aware of my heart and where it has been and where it is. Are my motives for being up here pure? Are my thoughts His thoughts? I go back to that Scripture I used several weeks ago: “May I never boast except in the cross of Christ.”

So I bring this series to a close. It has been good for me to read the book then go back over it and “flesh out” some of my thoughts. My question for you is have you DTR?