Spiritual Highlights and Resumes (a blogpost for a sermon on 2 Corinthians 12 for July 20, 2014)

We live in an age of spiritual hubris.

I can remember as a young youth minister in the late 1980's the dread of having to sit through the "Christian horror stories" that passed as testimony.  The more debauchery you told, the better the story.  Little room for the work of God but a lot of room for talk about how far you had come. No room for the prevenient grace protecting those of us who were lost but not absolute heathens. Amazingly, in some ways, I long for those days again.

Today, there is a more complicated problem with testimony.  So many people want to brag about what God has done as if that is proof of what they are.  There is no end of talk about miracles, gifts, blessings, revelations, visions, etc. etc.  Credentials via divine work seems to be the order of the day.

Paul, who was caught up in paradise and  heard inexpressible things, would only boast of his weakness.   Now that would be a great thing to put on a dust jacket, a bio on your website, a personal profile on Twitter, or resume.  Paul was only willing to brag about what he was-a broken vessel to be used by the master craftsman.  The vessel was nothing, only the Master was anything.

I wish that I could write my resume in a truly Pauline way.

Todd Lackie

Work History

25 Years of local church ministry experience (20 years in 2 churches/5 years in seminary in 2 churches)

Experience in youth ministry, children's ministry, associate ministry, preaching ministry, counseling ministry, and missions.

Educational History

BA in Bible and Christian Ministry from Kentucky Christian College
MDiv + 34 graduate hours in Christian Education from The Church of God Theological Seminary

Mission Statement

My strengths and weaknesses are the same.  I am no better than my weaknesses, and I only have strength when God shows up.  I am what I am; an available tool in the hands of the Master.  "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."  (2 Cor. 12:9)

Strengths

Loves people
Honors the Word
Looks beyond the obvious present reality
Aptitude for scholarship
Ability to network
Critical eye

Weaknesses

Spends too much time with people
Takes the Bible too literally
Can disconnect from the routine
Too concerned about the little things
Has a broad influence that is not always reflected locally
Cynical nature

REFERENCES ABOUT MY WEAKNESS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST