Category: Motherhood & Ministry

Children's Ministry, Discipleship, KidMin, leadership, Motherhood & Ministry

Motherhood & Ministry

Dr. Virginia Brennan

Steady Hands: Exodus 17:8 – 16

We have already looked in Exodus 17 about the grumbling of the people against Moses. We too will face grumbling, and must respond in prayer. Continuing in Exodus 17, we see how prayer, active obedience, and leadership come together to bring about victory in the Lord.

While out in the wilderness, Amalek came to fight against the people of Israel. We see Moses turning to Joshua to select men to fight, while Moses would intercede for the Israelites. It is noteworthy that long before we see Joshua succeeding Moses and leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, we first see a track record of faithfulness and obedience leading up to his calling to shepherd all of Israel. 

As Joshua was faithful to fight Amalek, Moses went to the top of the hill to lift his hands to the Lord. As long as Moses’ hands remained aloft, the Israelites prevailed in battle, but when Moses lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur faithfully came alongside Moses. They gave him a stone to rest on, and as his hands grew heavy, they each took one side and physically supported Moses’ hands to remain steadily raised. 

Moses, with the help of Aaron and Hur, raised his hands up to the Lord until the sun went down. After what was no doubt a long day, Amalek was defeated and Israel prevailed. Moses’ hands held true because of the support of faithful leaders around him. 

Leadership is not a solo act – as Moses needed the support of Aaron and Hur and the leadership of Joshua on the battlefield – so do we need the support and leadership of faithful servants of the Lord. We see front-line obedience from Joshua to physically fight the war, while we see behind the scenes obedience of Moses to raise his hands to the Lord, as well as the key support of Aaron and Hur. 

In this passage we see both faithfulness in prayer and active obedience working in conjunction to experience victory from the Lord. Every believer has a role to play in the body of Christ – some are on front-lines like Joshua, some are leaders like Moses contending in prayer while holding enormous responsibility, and some are like Aaron and Hur playing key roles of support and encouragement.

For our ministries today to experience victory, we cannot try to do it alone. We must intentionally and prayerfully seek out the people the Lord calls to come alongside us to lend strength and leadership for the ministry. Do you have a Joshua who you are inviting into strategic leadership roles? A key leader who is growing in ministry experience and responsibility? Do you have an Aaron or Hur with whom you are honest about your struggles and weaknesses? Someone to encourage you and hold you accountable?

Join our wonderful conversation about identifying, recruiting, and empowering key leaders. There are practical steps you can take to find the Joshua’s, Aaron’s, and Hur’s for your ministry! 

Motherhood & Ministry is a weekly post on Monday mornings to encourage moms who serve in vocational ministry while also serving their families.

Children's Ministry, leadership, Motherhood & Ministry, Volunteers

Motherhood & Ministry

Dr. Virginia Brennan

Water from the Rock: Exodus 17:1-7

At the opening of Exodus 17, we see the Israelites in the wilderness. God has already completed the 10 plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of the Egyptian army. He has given them fresh water wherever they camp, and has provided manna and quail to eat. God has given them specific instructions on gathering and keeping manna (which the Israelites don’t obey, by the way; Exodus 16:19-20, 27-28). 

In spite of every miracle, sign, and provision from the Lord, the Israelties still grumbled, disobeyed God, and questioned both God and Moses. They could not rest in the goodness and provision of God.

“The people grumbled to Moses, ‘What are we going to drink?’” – Exodus 15:24

“The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!’”’ – Exodus 16:2-3

Dear sisters, if Moses himself dealt with ongoing grumbling from the people, do not be surprised when you too face grumbling, even under the most positive of circumstances. Your church can be growing, the ministry flourishing, and there will still be some people who find something to grumble about. 

“So the people complained to Moses, ‘Give us water to drink.‘

‘Why are you complaining to me?’ Moses replied to them. ‘Why are you testing the Lord?’

But the people thirsted there for water and grumbled against Moses.They said, ‘Why did you ever bring us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me!’” – Exodus 17:2-4 

Reading this passage, I am struck with feelings of desperation and exasperation that are all too familiar. I don’t know if Moses wanted to tear his hair out in frustration, but I have certainly felt that way! 

As we face grumbling, let us be quick to examine our own hearts and ensure that we have not also become the grumblers. Grumbling about the grumblers may feel cathartic in the moment, but it is not constructive, and does not sanctify our hearts or edify the church. Let us watch our own hearts and mouths foremost. 

Then we must turn to God, even if it is in desperation and exasperation, and give God the complaints and fussing of the grumblers. Only the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit can change the grumbler’s heart. No amount of discussion, chastising, or convincing from us can change a person’s heart. That is an internal work of the Holy Spirit and our best weapon is prayer. 

Moreover, when we give to God the situation and the grumbler in prayer, He begins to change our hearts. When we intentionally and thoughtfully pray for another person, God begins to open our eyes, shape our hearts, and pour His love through our lives. It is truly a supernatural work, because our hearts are not inclined to love people who oppose and discourage us. 

Pray, pray, pray. Our most powerful solution for grumbling is to pray and continue trusting the Lord’s provision ourselves. In the coming two weeks, we will revisit the life of Moses for more practical ideas to bear up under the weight of leading a ministry and shepherding God’s people. 

Motherhood & Ministry is a weekly post on Monday mornings to encourage moms who serve in vocational ministry while also serving their families.

Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia share about navigating friendships and leadership in ministry.
Motherhood & Ministry, Spiritual Formation

Motherhood and Ministry

Dr. Virginia Brennan

No Fools on April Fools Day

Today is April Fools Day, which leads me to reflect on the foolishness of man and the wisdom of the Lord. I’m a fan of silly jokes, but I never want to be a fool in the biblical sense. I want to be attuned to the Holy Spirit and steeped in the wisdom of the Lord, and the Lord gives us plenty of guidance and direction in His Word for seeking wisdom!

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7

Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered. – Proverbs 28:26

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. – Proverbs 13:20

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5

These verses, and many others, challenge me to consider tough questions:

Do I welcome wisdom and instruction? Even if the wisdom and instruction wounds my pride? 

Do I go to the Lord first in a challenging situation, or do I first rely on my own mind? 

Do I seek out biblically wise friendships and counsel, and then welcome them into my tough situations to speak truth into my life?

When have I sought out biblical wisdom and how did those situations turn out?

When I trusted in my own mind or relied on my own wisdom how did that turn out?

The wisdom of the Lord gives life. He will never lead us astray – even when things don’t make sense or are incredibly difficult. God promises to give wisdom generously to all who ask, without reproach. God doesn’t expect us to “know better,” He will give us the wisdom we need, but we must be faithful and obedient to seek Him and ask.

Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia share practical tips for navigating relationships with wisdom and discernment.
Motherhood & Ministry, Spiritual Formation

Motherhood & Ministry

Dr. Virginia Brennan

Praying on the Mountain

We return to Mark 6 this week for one last look at this passage. In week one, we considered the disciples’ time in the boat. In week two, we looked at how God orchestrates every detail, down to empty baskets being in the right place, at the right time. This week we conclude by looking at how Jesus concluded this enormous miracle – He sent everyone away and went to the wilderness to be with His Father.

To remember the events leading up to Jesus’ time in the wilderness – He commissioned the 12 to go do ministry in pairs, Mark 6:7-13. They cast out demons, preached repentance, and healed the sick. When they returned to Jesus, they were still so busy they did not have time to eat, Mark 6:30-31. When they tried to get away to the wilderness to rest, they were met with crowds of needy people who Jesus fed miraculously, Mark 6:32-44. 

Hot on the heels of performing miracles themselves, and then witnessing one of Jesus’ largest miracles, Jesus sends the disciples ahead of him in a boat while he heads up the mountain to pray, Mark 6:45-46. 

I cannot truly imagine how Jesus and the disciples felt on that evening – I only know how I feel at the end of VBS Sunday. After months of preparations, a 50-60 hour work week of VBS, hundreds of children reached, dozens of children making professions of faith, whole families hearing the Gospel on Sunday morning – I am completely spent, incredibly grateful for all that God has done, and profoundly in need of rest and rejuvenation! And yet all that, I’m sure, does not hold a candle to what Jesus and the disciples felt after their whirlwind of ministry! 

If Jesus pulled away from everything – even the good thing of teaching and ministering to his closest 12 disciples – to spend focused time in prayer with his Father, how much more do we need intentional time alone with the Father? 

Moms in ministry are pulled in every imaginable direction – from the endless needs of our own kids and families, to the endless needs of ministry to the kids and families at our church. Prioritizing time with Father – even if it means foregoing other good things – is not a luxury, it is a necessity. The perfect, holy Son got away to be one-on-one with the Father. We are not stronger, better equipped, or less in need of prayer than Jesus himself! 

Motherhood & Ministry is a weekly post on Monday mornings to encourage moms who serve in vocational ministry while also serving their families.

Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia discuss unexpected circumstances and biblical encouragement.

Motherhood & Ministry, Spiritual Formation

Motherhood & Ministry

Dr. Virginia Brennan

To the Wilderness with God

Moms everywhere experience the feeling that there is never an opportunity for solitude, down time, or quiet. Especially being a mom in vocational ministry – not only do the needs of caring for a busy family never stop, but the needs of an active and effective ministry never stop either! 

Thankfully, we can look to the life and ministry of Jesus. His ministry, time, and availability were in demand beyond what we could ever imagine, and through His example we can gain guidance for our own lives. 

In Mark 6, we see Jesus commissioning the 12 disciples to do ministry. They preached a message of repentance, drove out demons, and healed sick people. They sound pretty busy! 

In Mark 6:30 we see them gather back to Jesus to report all they had done and taught. Jesus identified their need for rest and invited them to retreat to the wilderness. Verse 31 specifies that they were so busy, there was not even time to eat!? (Can I get an Amen for all the leaders who have thrown down a handful of goldfish and called it a meal on busy days!?)

Jesus and the disciples traveled by boat to a remote place, but the crowds saw them and ran ahead to meet them at the shore. Mark 6:34 says, “When he [Jesus] went ashore, he saw a large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.” How often have I set aside time to spend in Bible study, prayer, reflection, and solitude, only to have those plans magnificently interrupted?

I get up at the crack of dawn to read my Bible, only to be joined by a toddler who is *also* up at the crack of dawn. I decide to spend a lunch break walking and praying on a beautiful day, only to have a time-sensitive need pop up, and then work through lunch instead. I plan to attend a retreat or conference, only to have my plans derailed by a sick child or an unforeseen change.

The disciples did not get their anticipated rest and solitude in the wilderness – but they did get a boat ride alone with Jesus. Sometimes our best laid plans for rest and solitude are derailed, and the “time in the boat” is the only time we get with Jesus that day.

Making the most of my “time in the boat” could look like continuing my quiet time, with a toddler on my lap. It could look like my shower, commute, or wait in the school pick up line becoming a time of intentional and focused prayer. It could look like finding a quiet place to pray in solitude for just 5 minutes out of a busy work day. 

Sometimes we make it to the wilderness only to be met with more pressing needs. Let us not stop seeking alone time with the Lord, but may we also make good use of our time in the boat.

Motherhood & Ministry is a weekly post on Monday mornings to encourage moms who serve in vocational ministry while also serving their families.

Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia talk burnout, as well as personal and organizational strategies to avoid it!