Greetings and welcome to this month's AGC "Shofar" journal/blog. This month's feature is a special treat featuring an article written by Master's Seminary Executive Vice President and Dean Dr. Richard Mayhue. Dr. Mayhue is a Viet Nam Navy veteran and has some insight into what makes a good Military Chaplain. Enjoy his thoughts and glean some Helpful hints for those either currently in ministry or thinking about serving in the military as a Chaplain.
Our second feature is an article written by our field representative LCDR (ret.) Pat Doney. His "Monthly Meditations" is an uplifting piece on conversion and serving the Lord Jesus Christ. May you be blessed and encouraged as you read this month's articles written by two proven and tried and true warrior/servants of our Lord. God bless.
What a Navy Chaplain Should Be Like"
The AGC has invited
me to write a piece on this theme. My meager
qualifications consist of a brief Navy background
(1966-1971) during which time
I served as a junior officer (ASW Officer) on a
Norfolk-based "tin can" which
operated mostly with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean
tracking Russian subs,
piloted an Air Cushion Vehicle in Vietnam near Hue
(operating frequently with
the 101st Airborne Div., 1st Air Cavalry Div., 9th Infantry
Div. Mechanized, and
the 2nd Marine Div.),
presented daily operational briefings to Admiral Zumwalt
(COMNAVFORV), and taught at the ASW School in San Diego.
While in Vietnam, I
received a "Dear Dick" letter from my wife
demanding a divorce. But during my
last duty station, neighbors made sure we heard the gospel
and my wife and I
trusted Christ as our Savior and Lord. Shortly afterward,
believing that Christ
would have me train for ministry, I resigned my commission
and went to seminary.
"B" and I just celebrated our 46th wedding
anniversary to God's glory and I am
in my 38th year of fulltime ministry.
I met numerous chaplains (both Navy and Army) during my
service for our country,
but cannot remember ever consistently seeing or hearing from
them the
suggestions that follow. But before I begin, two caveats are
in order: 1) as an
unbelieving Naval officer, it is quite possible that I was
blind and deaf to the
truth possibly presented by the chaplains that I encountered
and 2) I am not
inferring that all military chaplains fit the
chaplain-profile that I remember
from those "before Christ" days. I have the
highest admiration for you men who
serve our Armed Forces as chaplains on Christ's behalf and
pray for you often.
Since my conversion,
many fine military chaplains have crossed my path
(especially Navy chaplains) and I base much of what follows
on their examples.
There are dozens of categories that could be addressed to
develop the content of
this blog; however, I have narrowed my approach to the Navy
chaplain as seen
through the eyes of those to whom he hopes to minister.
These qualities are just
as applicable to a civilian pastor as they are to a military
chaplain since they
all were exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ during His
earthly ministry.
A Navy chaplain should be:
1) Visible - spending
considerable time out of the office among the assigned
flock.
2) Available - ministering beyond normal office hours.
3) Approachable - practicing casual interaction on lesser
issues that will often
invite follow-up involvement regarding eternal truth.
4) Admirable - ensuring that you will be respected because
your life matches
your message in every area.
5) Predictable - employing a consistently biblical approach
to your chaplaincy.
6) Capable - handling God's Word accurately, clearly, and
relevantly.
7) Personable - working overtime to be likable/winsome in
order to overcome the
various caricatures of chaplains.
8) Reliable - striving to go above and beyond what is
expected of you in order
to earn this kind of sterling reputation.
9) Durable - not allowing ridicule and/or rejection to
diminish the enthusiasm,
faithfulness, joyfulness, and thoroughness of your ministry.
10) Indefatigable - continually and energetically seeking
avenues of ministry to
your people.
The unbelieving portion of your flock might be blinded by
Satan to the truth of
their need for Christ (2 Cor 4:4), but they won't be able to
ignore or forget
your exemplary, Christ-like chaplaincy.
Richard Mayhue, Th.D.
EVP and Dean
The Master's Seminary
Sun Valley, CA
rmayhue@tms.edu
Monthly Meditations
By Chaplain Pat Doney (USN-ret)
Recently I was thinking about the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.
He was a religious man. In fact, he describes himself as a most zealous
individual seeking to eliminate Christians and Christianity during its
earliest days.(cf. Philippians 3:1-11.) Why would God "recruit" such
a man to be His apostle to the Gentiles? What was it about Saul that made him
the man of God's own choosing? Look with me to Acts 9:15: The Lord is speaking
to a man in Damascus by the name of Ananias who has heard bad things about
Saul. However, Jesus tells Ananias, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of
Mine to bear My name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My sake."
God knew Saul's heart and the Lord knew that once Saul was
converted, he'd become the greatest Christian of the first century. Part of
the heart of Saul is revealed in his short conversation on the Damascus road.
Notice Acts 9:4: "...Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me...it is hard
for you to kick against the goads”...(Saul) answering said, "Who are you,
Lord?” Saul recognizes that the God of Heaven, the Creator of the Universe is
speaking to him. What Saul didn't realize was that JESUS was the God of
Creation, and it was HE who was speaking to him: I AM JESUS..." Saul knew
about JESUS, but Saul did not know JESUS as his personal Lord and Savior. But
Saul was converted on the Damascus road, and from that moment forward he was a
new creation in Jesus Christ. cf. II Corinthians 5:17. It was not too much
later that Saul began to be called Paul, the little one, and he immediately
turned his life over to JESUS CHRIST. It was not a gradual change; it was
immediate; he was completely changed from the inside out. Saul's second
question to the Lord was, "...LORD, what will you have me to do...?"
Saul/Paul recognized that he was no longer 'his own man', but that he belonged
to God in Christ; he was ready to "turn a corner" and not look back;
JESUS was his new Master, and he was prepared to go and do whatever JESUS had
for him. What a great example for us, personally, as we live and serve our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul sets the 'bar' high, but reminds us, "...I
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me..." Phil. 4:13. But
let's not forget what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:13: "For it is God who
works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.. One of the lessons
God has for us here is that we are not "lone rangers." In the Great
Com-mission, Jesus says, "...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end
of the age..." Matthew 28:20. The message of the angel to the shepherds
from that first Christmas night still rings loud and clear: "Fear not, for
behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all
people...:" Don't be afraid to move forward in serving HIM; you'll be a
messenger of great joy to those to whom you minister in HIS name. May God bless
and enlarge your great ministry in the days and months ahead for HIS glory.
Read and meditate on II Corinthians 4.
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