JOLLYBLOGGER: A Good Report on David Powlison

I know I have at least a few readers who are familiar with the ministry of David Powlison, with his teaching at Westminster and involvement with the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation.

I ran into him this week at the Jonathan Edwards Institute Conference in Annapolis and had a couple of conversations with him. Those of you who know him or know of him know that he has been in poor health for some time. I took a class he taught at Westminster last fall and his health was such that he was too fatigued to stay after class and talk to students. He needed to rush home and collapse and it usually took several days for him to recover and get ready to teach again the following week.

So needless to say, I was surprised to see him in Annapolis this week. He said that for five years he had been living with an undiagnosed sleep disorder. He was never able to enter deep sleep. Now that he has been properly diagnosed and is being treated he is starting to feel like his old self again. He mentioned that one of the great things about this is that, for five years he has been pulling back from involvement and activity and now he is in a place where he can begin thinking, praying and strategizing about where to plug back into activities. He is on a sabbatical now, will teach a bit in the fall and spring and during the next several months, should the Lord continue to bless him with good health, will make plans for the future.

I did also want to mention that I did ask and receive his permission to share this on my blog, so I'm not just trying to be a namee-dropper or act like some kind of insider. But Dr. Powlison is appreciative of your prayers and is happy to share this good news of God's blessings with those who have prayed for him and been concerned. He is not taking anything for granted and is trusting God day by day for continued health, but is rejoicing over the goodness of God to him.

I know I am rejoicing also. The scuttlebut I had heard over the last few months was that he was going to have to withdraw from teaching altogether and I was saddened by that, as he made a big impact on me with his teaching. I would have been sad for others who would not have the chance to study under him. I know there are many like me who have been impacted by his ministry so I hope that this news cheers you as well and I hope we'll all keep praying for Dr. Powlison's continued recovery and continued fruitfulness in ministry.