TEACHER!

We celebrated a celebrity today. John, about two months younger than my father, turned 80 this week, and that was cause for festivities. Prof at Dallas Seminary now for over 35 years, this man is an institution in himself. He got his Ph.D. in communications when I was four years old—oh, about twenty years ago (not!)—and since then, has been teaching, preaching, pastoring, and administering. Church planter. Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at DTS. Retired chaplain (Lt. Col.) in the USAF Reserves. Chairman of the Department of Pastoral Ministries (where I serve) for fourteen years. This is the guy who grew up in a farm, and who, it is rumored, once said, “I got along really well with animals, it’s people that bothered me.”

The influence he has had on virtually every member of the PM Department at DTS and on many pastors and teachers outside the Seminary is legendary. He is everyone’s grandad and mentor! I’ve had the privilege to be his student, to benefit from his sage advice, to be cheered by his kind words, to have him on my ordination committee ….

He has taught us well. And not just homiletics and pastoral ministry, but also how to be a faithful husband for over five decades; how to survive the tragic loss of a daughter (about five years ago); how to shepherd grandchildren; how to encourage; how to be loyal; how to be positive. And the list goes on and on ….

We love him!

This is a man who has used his gifts—nay, his entire life—to portray to all who come into contact with him, the grace of his God.

As each one has received
a special gift,
employ it in serving one another
as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God.
1 Peter 4:10

In whatever he does, God’s grace works through him.

Whoever speaks,
is to do so as one
who is speaking
the utterances of God;
whoever serves
is to do so as one
who is serving
by the strength
which God supplies.
1 Peter 4:11a

Speaking by God’s grace, and serving by God’s grace. John’s is a gracious God!

… so that in all things
God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ,
to whom belongs the glory
and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11b

John has taught us well. He would never say this but, like Paul, such giants in the faith have reason to exhort …

The things you have learned
and received and heard
and seen in me,
practice these things,
and the God of peace
will be with you.
Philippians 4:9

Because John himself was imitating Christ.

Be imitators of me,
just as I also am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1

And, in turn, we, too, must be examples to others, just as the Thessalonians, who followed Paul, became models to other believers.

You also became imitators
of us and of the Lord …,
so that you became
an example to all the believers
in Macedonia and in Achaia.
1 Thessalonians 1:6–7

We think much of him.

But we request of you, brethren,
that you appreciate those
who diligently labor among you,
and have charge over you
in the Lord
and give you instruction,
and that you esteem them
very highly in love
because of their work.
1 Thessalonians 5:12–13

And we could wish for nothing more for others than that every believer have a mentor like John, and that all of us, in turn, mentor others. For our great God’s glory!