When You’re Tempted to Hate People, Part 3: Compassion
Read the series.
In his primary description of himself, God includes a list of related attributes (Ex 34.6-7):
Benefits of Being a Good Neighbor
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“during the Plague of Cyprian in the third century…. Christians stayed behind in the cities to provide medical care, community support, and God-centered conversation for sufferers. Pagans ran away from their neighbors. Christians moved near.” - TGC
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The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Faith-Based Poverty Work
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“Bruce Pilbeam said the phrase ‘compassionate conservatism’ was mostly dead ‘thanks to its association with an administration that lost popularity in its second term even among conservatives.’ He concluded, though, that the concept at local levels will have an ‘enduring legacy.’ I agree.” - Acton
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Overcoming Compassion Fatigue in Ministry, Part 2
Read Part 1.
Scriptural Solutions for Compassion Fatigue
The pastor who recognizes compassion fatigue can experience recovery and renewal by meditating on these biblical realities.
Discussion
Overcoming Compassion Fatigue in Ministry, Part 1
I was describing the emotional toll that ministry takes on pastors while they are encouraging and counseling people who experience especially difficult times. The person I was speaking to had received training for this very thing as an emergency medical technician. He said, “That’s compassion fatigue.”
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Christmas Charity Gone Bad
DD didn’t even know which Grand Rapids charity or church it was. He only knew that they brought gifts to his house every Christmas. As his mother invited the strangers delivering the toys into her house, she thanked them with many hugs and tears. Then, while the toy deliverers were present, she placed the gifts under the tree. The volunteers left the house thinking they had fulfilled the hopes and dreams of another needy family at Christmas when their generosity and kindness had actually contributed to a recurring nightmare.
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On “The Enticing Sin of Empathy”
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“Ask yourself: Is too much empathy really the problem you see in your church? In your pastor? In your life? We should all examine where we are and seek to accentuate what is right while repenting of what is wrong.” - Ken Brown
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Evangelism Without the Angst
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“Have a normal conversation. …a normal conversation about life, sports, family, who has the best French fries, whatever. Somewhere along the way, a problem with a child, a health concern with a family member, or an issue at work will pop up. Just offer this: Would it be OK if, when I pray, I include that in my prayers?” - Lifeway
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On Living by the Loopholes
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“We’re all for ethics, all for kindness, all for grace, when we’re the potential victim. But when grace is called for from us, we want to live by the loopholes. In this instance, you see, it’s different. No. It’s not.” - Olinger
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From pews to patients – churches have long served as hospitals, particularly in times of crisis
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“…in Alaska, a church’s pastor preached from the parking lot during a drive-in Easter service, while the interior of the church was being used as an alternate hospital site to manage the overflow of COVID-19 patients. The last time churches in the U.S. were turned into temporary hospitals was during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918.
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