An Interview With Lynn Anderson — (Part 1 of 2)
Jim Martin: Lynn, you’ve written two books on shepherding: They Smell Like Sheep, Volume 1 and Volume 2. Many ministers, and church leaders in general, are reading these books. What kind of response are you getting?
Lynn Anderson: Jim, the response to my shepherding books is beyond anything I might have imagined. Volume 1 is still selling well 10 years after publication. And, Volume 2 is steadily gaining altitude a year and a half after release. Almost every day I hear from readers. Of course, many readers are pastors and other church leaders but, Jim, I get regular feedback from ordinary folks in the pew as well: moms and dads, small group leaders, even Little League coaches, and even some business managers. People are very kind in their feedback. And we can’t even begin to accept all of the requests for seminars and retreats on these books. My prayer is that God is using these books to encourage Christian leaders.
Jim Martin: It seems that many ministers get into a rut and become stale in their ministries. How does a minister stay fresh? What have you done through the years to remain fresh and vibrant?
Lynn Anderson: What an important question, Jim, and one that I hear very often. Honestly, I wish I had a silver bullet here. Truth is, I cycle between flat places and mountain peaks myself. Possibly it’s the way some of us are wired.
However, along the way I have found that some very ordinary things "feed my freshness." I can’t guarantee they will fit everyone.
- Sabbaths help me a lot. Not specifically meaning classical weekly "Sabbath keeping" — "remembering the Sabbath Day and keeping it holy." Rather, my Sabbaths are mostly merely intentional periods to unplug from demands and action to just be quiet and try to pay attention to God. I am not talking about recreation here, or hobbies, etc. but rather about focused quietness. Maybe an hour in the early morning, before phones ring and doors swing. Possibly a long, quiet walk away from streets and highways. Maybe a weekend with a couple of good books.
- A homely thing like journaling always helps too. It forces me to slow down and reflect and to re-prioritize on the move.
- And, of course, prayer. My prayer path surrounds the Psalms. I try to pray a Psalm a day and to memorize a Psalm a month. Keeps deepening and stretching me, keeps my prayer life fresh and keeps me "in front of God." Frankly, prayer has never been very "automatic" with me. But the longer I live, the more "spontaneous" it becomes, and the more I love it. Without prayer, my world grows cold and empty.
- Plus, I must have significant "face time" with soul-enriching people — people who read and pray and think a lot. People who give fresh perspective and insight. People who listen and encourage.
Categories: Books, Interviews, Ministry, Renewal, Spiritual Disciplines, Starting the Day
Thank you for this interview. I am looking forward to the second part as well. I believe Lynn has a lot to say to ministers and us preachers need to listen. www.matthewmorine.com
by Matthew on Jan 5, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Excellent thoughts from Lynn a mentor to so many of us. Without a connection to God there is nothing but burnout and destruction for us as ministers. Psalm 1 predicts it and so it goes.
Larry Wishard
by Larry Wishard on Jan 5, 2009 at 5:57 pm
[...] of his ministry as he reflects on staying fresh for the long haul. (You can find Part 1 here.) Next Monday, I will begin posting a series of video interviews that I did with Lynn which [...]
by A Place For The God-Hungry » Blog Archive » An Interview With Lynn Anderson (Part 2 of 2) - Attempting to connect life to what matters most on Jan 13, 2009 at 3:27 am