a little diddy on leadership

Did some "leadership" reading recently and have been doing some pondering. I sent my thoughts to my church elders and staff... thought I would share them here, too. Ladies, my apologies in advance.

Imagine you are Joshua. You have just led over a million people across the Jordan on dry ground. Momentum is high. People are excited and they are just waiting for you to tell them what's next. So, you ask God for direction and you get Joshua 5:2-3: At that time the Lord said to Joshua, 'Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.' So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.

Leadership is TOUGH.
Did God tell Joshua to find a few good men to empower and delegate? Nope. Did God tell Joshua to find folks who were trained in this discipline? Nope. Did God tell Joshua to find people who were willing to do this for him? Nope. Leaders are those who know that God knows they will do the things no one else is willing to do. Leaders are willing to roll up their sleeves and fully invest. Leaders are not cowards who fear what others may think (and please remember, Joshua had over 500,000 men to face who, I'm sure, did NOT love this idea).

Leadership is tough. We are at a point, and will be again, where we need to humbly ask ourselves, "Can God trust me to do the things that no one else wants to do, but are absolutely essential for the success of the church that I am leading?"

Leadership is SACRIFICE.
Everyone loves the idea of progress, improvement, growth... it's the sacrifice associated with these things that we have a problem with. Maybe that's why Jesus challenged us to take up our cross daily, instead of sit on our couch? We love hearing stories of sacrifice and even get energized when we see someone sacrifice. We just don't like it when it comes to us.

Leadership is sacrifice. We are at a point, and will be again, when our personal preferences, our desire to please others or our adaptation to a style must be weighed against the character, call and commitment of Christ in us.

Leadership is SERVING.
Scripture doesn't say anything about anyone rebelling against Joshua's plan. Think about it, over 500,000 men were willing to expose themselves to some seriously intense pain and discomfort when they thought they were about to finally "arrive" in paradise... and NO ONE pushed back. Why? Could it have been because these men knew Joshua, their leader, had already submitted himself to the same experience? He wasn't asking them to walk a journey, take a risk, or submit to an experience he had never walked, risked or endured... or would be unwilling to walk, risk or endure WITH THEM. He knew the pain and sacrifice associated with the vision he was casting and yet he could ask it with integrity because he was experienced, seasoned and committed.

Leadership is serving. We are at a point, and will be again, when we must hold ourselves to that which we, as leaders, embody, expect, profess, teach and demand.

Are we ready to lead?

bi-polar faith

The Saturday after Jesus' crucifixion was a silent day, at best. Bewilderment, fear, frustration and anger were likely emotions for those who celebrated the triumphal entry of their king just 48 hours earlier. The most fundemental discipline of being a God-follower had been elevated to status-critical : walking by faith rather than sight.

When Jesus interacted with people, he challenged the religious to be humble, the learned to be relevant, the healthy to be hope, and the wealthy to be gracious.

He encouraged the diligent to sit and rest, the lazy to work and earn, the weak to get up and walk, and the strong honor the weak.

He taught parents to become children, children to become heirs, foreigners to become citizens, and citizens to become inclusive.

Yet many Christ-followers, like those on that Saturday long ago, exchange God's gift of transformational faith for a bipolar faith. One day we are singing and shouting His praises; the next, hunkered down ready to sit out the next season (or more) because our loss is just too great and we don't see enough personal benefit to justify the cost.

As creative worshipers, we must remain committed to the details while increasingly cognizant of the fuller expression. In other words, our worship cannot be centered on this one life that has been changed but centered on the One who can change all life. Then, and only then, will our faith grow beyond "me" and "my" benefit, to him and his purpose.

This might be the only way to elevate our worship beyond ourselves and Easter beyond another hallmark holiday with chocolate bunnies and new clothes.

how He loves

John Mark McMillan wrote a song called "How He Loves"...

The song is about John's struggle with his best friend's death; specifically why God, a supposed loving God, would allow his friend to die suddently in a car accident. The answer God spoke into John's heart was this: God allowed him to die because God did love him and was ready for him to come home.

John's friend was in a prayer meeting the morning before he died. In that prayer meeting, his friend prayed that whatever God required or asked of him for the message of Christ to be heard, be it life or death, he would give it.

Now, I'm not quick to believe that God said, "Aw'ite..." then *poof*, John's friend died. But I do know God gave every human being the right to make choices (like the right of John's friend to choose humbly, and the right of the driver who hit and killed John's friend to choose wrecklessly), yet reserved for himself the right to work any choice into his larger plan and purpose.

Listen to this quote from John:

I do believe the effect this song has had on people is part of a promise the Lord made when He took my friend home. I regularly receive messages from kids battling with depression and suicide who tell him the song turned them around, that it even saved their lives. I don't understand how all that works theologically. I just know that's the way it is.

Click here to read the words and watch a live performance of "How He Loves".