The disease of conceit is the occupational hazard of the spiritual life as much as addiction to prescription pain killers is the occupational hazard of medicine or failure to keep one’s wick dry (as my father so charmingly put it) is the occupational hazard of pastoral ministry. The more people drink from the potent nectar of the Spirit, the more prone they are to the disorder. Every pastor blessed with a cadre of the spiritually earnest has been lathered with a face pie from time to time–opinions pronounced as absolutes, a kind of karma bounce back from the pulpiteering we engage in ourselves too often, perhaps? -Ken Wilson, Senior Pastor of Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor from his blog post of 6/16/2008

QUOTE: “I wonder if God ever looks at all of His churches, all the Christian churches all over the world, and asks, ‘Why can’t you guys come together? Why are you so divided when my Son Jesus prayed “Father, make them one”’?” —Craig Groeschel, senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, during his segment of a monthlong series called “One Prayer.” Groeschel launched the series this month in collaboration with more than 1,400 churches around the world, all of which are broadcasting various leaders’ sermons to a combined audience of more than 800,000 believers. [swerve.lifechurch.tv, 6/15/08]

QUOTE: “Why don’t we love the homosexual and hate our sin?” —newly elected Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President Johnny Hunt, signifying a new face of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. As pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., Hunt has long been known for his emphasis on evangelism, discipleship and missions, and already in his first week since being elected, he has stressed the denomination’s need to become known more for its Christ-like love than for what it opposes. Hunt also faces the daunting challenge of revitalizing a group that, while 16 million strong, is declining in number and failing to attract younger leaders. [christianpost.com, 6/16/08; ajc.com, 6/12/08]