"Many Ministers, including those just beginning and those nearing the conclusion of their careers, lead lives characterized by overload and hurry. (Rest in the Storm 4).
I chose this passage because I think it speaks not only to the lives of ministers but to our society as a whole. Too often we equate busyness with usefulness. We arrange our work and family lives so everyone is dependent on us, because ultimately we crave control and the feeling of being needed. We want to be indispensable, that way we know that we will always have a place.
"Yet despite all the religious mandates, much of mainstream America today is more concerned about personal accumulation than the welfare of their neighbors (Salsa, Soul, And Spirit 69)."
I think this quote speaks to one of the main conflict areas in most churches, whether ministry should be focused inward on the members of the church community or outwardly on the larger community. Materialism and the cult of personal achievement, can distract us from our calling to be servant in our community