Poems for the Pastor

By Richard A. Phipps

As a pastor, have you ever had a loss of words during those many trying moments in your ministry, when you found it difficult to express your true feelings? All of us have! Maybe the loneliness of being a pastor has, at times, simply overwhelmed you and you search for someone, anyone to offer you words of comfort and encouragement. Possibly, you've been without words to comfort those who are grieving or experiencing a deep hurt. Many times it could have been your own grief or deep hurt. Pastor Phipps, like any other pastor, has been there many times and he has a deep burden for all of you facing the many challenges of the pastorate. He wrote Poems for the Pastor to offer you special words of encouragement, words of hope, words of healing, and words you can share with others within your flock who need them the most. May these simple lines of verse, uniquely interwoven through Scripture, be a blessing to you, your family, and those under your tender care.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Release date: Feb 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781498275651

Richard A. Phipps

Pastor Richard A. Phipps has served as Senior Pastor in Jacksonville, Florida; Severna Park, Maryland; and his current home of Knoxville, Tennessee. He holds a bachelor of science degree in business management and the Arabic language from the University of the State of New York and a master of arts degree in church ministry from Luther Rice Seminary. Prior to going into the full-time ministry, Pastor Phipps proudly served in the United States Navy as an Arabic linguist and retired in 1998 as a Master Chief Petty Officer. During those twenty-eight years of service to his country, he also served bi-vocationally at every duty station in music, administration, evangelism, and education ministry. He has had opportunities to help build the Kingdom in numerous states within our great country, as well as throughout the world in Greece, Spain, and Cyprus. He has three grown and wonderful children; however, his loving wife and ministry partner for nearly thirty-five years, Diane, lost her long battle with breast cancer and went home to be with the Lord on September 16, 2007.

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Poems for the Pastor

The Reflections and Poetry of Richard A. Phipps

2008.Resource_logo.jpg

POEMS FOR THE PASTOR

Copyright ©

2008

Richard A. Phipps. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers,

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Table of Contents

Title Page

The Church

We Used to Have Passion

A Building of Old

The Choice Is Yours!

The Pastor

The Loneliness of Leadership

Why Did I Come?

The Funeral

A Tribute to Shorty Nash

A Portrait of Mel

His Garden, His Passion

The Pain

My Hero, My Love

The Hope

The Most Important

When Are You Coming?

Where Is the Hope?

Live Again?

I Hear Your Song!

The Commitment

Things God Won’t Ask on that Day

On Bended Knee

A Revival Prayer

The Advent

Where Did Christmas Go?

I Was Once There!

An Invitation for You!

Good Morning, My Child!

The Patriot

All Alone

The Observance

A Mother’s Day Thought

Hey, Dad!

Dedicated to the memory of my loving wife, Diane.She heard trumpets the day our Lord took her home!

Dear Pastor,

This collection of poems is for you! Many times, we struggle for the words to express our deepest desires, hurts, expectations, counsel, and prayers for our beloved flock of sinners saved by grace. Many times that same struggle extends to us and our families.

I have found throughout my ministry those words can often best be expressed through verse. In no way are these poems a claim to poetic artistry, but simply an offering from my heart to yours.

My prayer is that you can apply these poems to your own ministry, and that possibly they can help strengthen your