This is a short and simple blog.
Most of you know I’m a minister (or ‘pastor.’) The vocation involves a lot of things. Many joy-filled, many challenging, many exciting things. I learn every day in the river of God’s mysteries. I heard Herb Gale speak at a conference today and he said: “I encourage you to outlive yourself.” I’m bending the context here but how I’ll apply it in this blog is that in ministry I’m contributing to something that will outlive me. Wonder.
In my family and in ministry I live in a world where we try to connect our little words with God’s big words of promise; a world where hurts, hopes and hearts are touched; where lives are changed, challenged and given a new lease; where the ups and downs of our path become a part of God’s poetry.
I love it.
So how can you support the minister in all this? Whether me or someone else? Of course, there are many ways. But the one I want to emphasize here is this: Pray. Pray for him or her. Prayer draws upon the mind-stretching power of God. Without it we’re a car without wheels.
Thomas More, the quintessential renaissance man, had a great prayer: “Give us the grace to labour for the things that we pray for.” By this I don’t mean that we labour for the minister; we don’t. We labour for God. Together.
American pastor Frederick Buechner says: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.” Let’s lift each other up in prayer.
MatthewRuttan.com 
Love Buechner’s quote, used it often myself. He, like C.S.Lewis, made “righteousness readable” – I forget who said that! Good stuff.
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Hi Matt, I appreciated your blog and the credit you gave me for the quote – – “I encourage you to outlive yourself.” But I was actually quoting another Presbyterian who has received a good bit of media attention lately – – Helene Campbell, who is the beneficiary of a double lung transplant. Helene is encouraging her fellow Canadians to sign up to be organ donors. To learn more about Helens iniative, check out her website – – http://www.give2live.ca.
Thanks, Herb
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Hi Herb, thanks for the correction! And I’m glad you like the blog. Incidentally, speaking of organ donors, I love the Canadian Blood Services slogan: “It’s in you to give.” Perfect!
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