the challenge of leadership

The more I think about it that probably isn't the right title for what I'm writing. Leadership is definitely a part of it, but at it's core it is really a question of shepherding the hearts of those you lead. Life is full of challenges and many of them can be very ugly. Whether they are challenges we face as individuals or as a community the choices we make can have long lasting impacts for good or bad. That unknowing, that unsureness of how things will turn out is why so many try to avoid the challenges alltogether. But that is in itself a choice. So how do we face the road ahead and keep moving forward, even when we cannot see around the next turn?

As a pastor and a leader I must first check my own heart. What's my motivation in the decision, in the process of deciding? Is it for my glory or God's? Do I really believe God loves me and is that translating into a greater love for those I'm leading? There are more. But one of the greatest questions I find myself asking lately is this: whatever decision is made, did I guard and care for the hearts of those I'm leading and shepherding? I know that there will always be those who are dissatisfied with the decisions made. There will always be those who doubt and second guess. I cannot change that. But I can move forward in a way that cares for them even if they do not agree. As a pastor it's not my job to lord over them, it's to love them. God loved us even when we were in complete and total disobedience to him. He loved us enough to show us the extent of his love and he still does what is best for us even when we question it. And so I try and do the same, relying on his guidance and strength. I don't get it right every time. I make my fair share of mistakes. But I can move forward knowing that I'm learning how to exhibit the love and leadership that my God shows me.

inauguration

There is no denying how excited I am about today's events.  But under it all is an excitement about my country.  I have three amazing kids and one of them is from Africa.  When my parents were their age it was impossible for them to be at the same schools, eat at the same restaurants, shop in the same stores.  There are just so many things that as a mixed race family we take for granted.  It's so strange to think that many of the things we do as a family were impossible such a short time ago.  And today I've been constantly reminded of that truth.  It makes me proud to know that our country and our world has come so far.

Religious freedom

I've been thinking quite a bit lately about tolerance. It just seems to me that we as Americans have developed a habit of using the word tolerance in contexts and ways it does not really mean or apply to. What I mean by this is that we have a tendency to cover up compromise by describing it in terms of tolerance. Take the current holiday season. "Tolerance" as we now use it means finding ways to celebrate the holiday season without offending others. That's not tolerance, it's avoiding conflict with compromise.

Tolerance means living next to someone who's beliefs and their practices are offensive to me without it preventing me from being a good neighbor or even a friend. True religious tolerance means living with each other despite the aspects of our various faiths that others find offensive. And there are things that are offensive. If your faith is different than mine then there are going to be things I believe that are offensive to you and vice versa. And the beauty of America is that this is a founding principle. Many of the first colonists came to the New World to find freedom of religious practice. In recent years we've taken that freedom and shackled it in the name of "tolerance".
Here's the text of the 1st Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Changing how I practice and express my religious faith because some may find it offensive prohibits my free exercise of religion. I don't like everything I see people doing or saying around me. I don't like many of the things that I see people believing. But I don't try to constrain their beliefs and practices and I don't want them to do the same to me. As a Christian what I often see is the practice of religious freedoms for some religions but not all. And in today's cultural climate it is usually Christianity that is expected to make way and be restrained so that others might practice their religion or lack there of freely.

And the holiday season is the peak of this activity. Christmas may be based on religious beliefs but its general practice is far from those origins. What does a Christmas tree have to do with the events surrounding Christ's birth? Nothing! But we feel the need to call it a holiday tree so that it doesn't offend non-Christians?! I'm offended!

Being and doing

There is a constant tension we face as followers of Jesus between being the church and doing church.  In the best circumstances we fully embrace our identity as the church of Christ and it influences and flows through every aspect of our lives.  On the other hand we can slip into the comfortable behavior of simply doing the things we think the church does and it has minimal impact on anything we do other than being an annoyance because we need to check some activities off our list.

Doing is easy.  It's fairly simple and pain free.  It maintains the status quo and there's no worries about rocking the boat.  It doesn't have to have any affect on our relationships because we can choose when we do church, we can turn it on and off for convenience.

But when we are totally consumed with being the church everything is impacted.  There is nothing we do that goes untouched because being the church is at the core of our identity.  It changes how we work, how we relate to our friends and family, how we live out our everyday lives.

I find that my world is constantly being rocked by a growing awareness of how each and every day I need God.  I need His reminders that I am loved, that I have been called His child.  I need His reminders that He is the source of who I am.  I need Him because I realize how easy it is for me to slip into doing rather than being.

a loose wire

Typically I'm not one for construction project illustrations but since I just finished helping my dad wire some lights...

The interesting thing about any electrical circuit, be it lights or outlets, is that it only takes one missed connection to keep the whole thing from working properly. Some parts make work just fine, but the overall capacity is diminished by that missed connection. The same is true for growing our missional communities and expressions. If we fail to make certain connections, the rest won't work as well. Sometimes it's a key person that hasn't been included or reached out to. Other times it may be an idea or piece of information that wasn't properly communicated. It can even be an overlooked step in the discipleship process.

At every step as we reach out, minister to and disciple those around us we must take care to check and assess for these missed connections. One repaired connection could be the key to restoring the rest of their life to one of full abundance, the full capacity of what it can be.

Anyway, that's my brief thought on electrical wiring and the church.

Peter, Cornelius and stepping out of our comfort zone

Acts 10 is fascinating to me for many reasons. But as I was reading
through it today something really struck me. How similar are Peter's
hangups regarding race, religion and culture to my own? I live in a
diverse neighborhood, a diverse city. How often do my preconceived
notions get in the way of fostering new relationships? How many
Cornelius' live on my street that I am hesitating to spend time with
because it's uncomfortable? The ESV states it this way: "What God has
made clean do not call common." In my own strength I say to myself that to be about God's work of redemption and restoration means getting dirty. It's never easy. Stuff will always come up. But God blatantly tells us that He's the one who got dirty. He's the one who's making things clean. Our job is to step out of our comfort zone and enter these relationships where we get to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ. My opinions are no longer an excuse for holding back. Am I willing to admit that we are all made in His image and set aside petty reasons for maintaining separate lives. I am thankful for the fact that God is constantly challenging my shallow thoughts with the truth of Himself, His work in us and His love for us.

times of trial

Sara and I were chatting this morning about spiritual attacks. They are always with us but there are definitely periods where they seem to increase in scope and frequency. There are some tremendous things happening in our Missional Community and in our neighborhood. God is clearly at work. And when God is at work Satan will do all he can to sabotage it. So we must be on guard. We must be prepared for the reality of battle. And we can be encouraged by the Peter's words in 1 Peter 5:6-11
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be
watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

looking through the mirror of change

Change is never an easy thing. And the reality is that change is an integral part of life. It's something we cannot avoid. In the midst of change, great or small, we come face to face with issues of identity and presuppositions. The real challenge is not how we handle change itself but how we handle those issues. It is in these moments that many of our presuppositions about life and ourselves scream loudly that something is wrong. What is tragic is how loudly the lies scream out at us. Lies about our abilities, fairness, odds of success, trust and love. But we can overcome the lies. In the midst of it all we can grab hold of truth. In doing so we push back the destructive tendencies of the lies, giving us the strength, courage and perseverance to face change head on. There is such beauty to be found in discovering new depths to the truth of who you are and what you are capable of doing and becoming. Too often we are our worst enemy because we give in to the ease of believing the lies. The real greatness of coming through change is when we come through with greater understanding of who we really are.

I am a child of God, made in His image. He has uniquely gifted me for the challenges before me and He will be faithful to complete what He has begun. I am loved and trusted more than I can possibly comprehend. In light of these truths change isn't all that bad.