Those Pesky Little Questions and Details!

So, this is the time of year in my daily Bible reading, where I have reached Leviticus.  I have to be honest, I tend to skim read this section because it is full of rules and regulations.  If you sin in this certain way, you take this specific animal to the Priest.  The Priest then does this, waves that, sprinkles this, etc. etc and on and on it goes.  My eyes tend to glaze over!  Detail overload!  How can this be important for anyone today?

But I had an “ah-ha” moment as I thought about all of those pesky little details.  I realized that people understood clearly what they had done and what they needed to do in order to correct the sin.  Or, if they wanted to offer a Thanksgiving offering, they clearly understood what was required and how to go about doing it.  Everyone, at all levels of the community, understood what was expected and why it was necessary.  It was clear cut, precise and purposeful.

There is a valuable lesson that we can glean from this detailed account.  If you ask the average person in the pew, why we do what we do, in church or in the community, most individuals could not answer the question.  Maybe they would say it is because it has been done a certain way for as long as they remember.  Or, maybe they would say it is because they heard about some other church doing this and it worked for them.  Is this really the answer that we want to give?

Back in elementary school, we learned about the proper way to evaluate a story.  We had to be able to identify who, what, where, when, how and why.  Who were the main characters?  What was the story about?  Where was the story taking place?  When were these events happening?  How were they going about resolving the story?  Why were they doing what they were doing?  As I thought about this, I realized that these are the types of questions we in the church should be asking.  Then I realized, we’re not asking these questions!  We’re so busy “doing” ministry trying to make something work that we forget to take the time to lay out a plan ahead of time, clearly stating what we are trying to do, why we are doing it and what we hope the outcome will be.  We end up with a hodge-podge of things that sort of work, or don’t work at all and then wonder why we didn’t see any results.

Let’s take food ministry for example.  Who exactly are you trying to reach out to?  Who will be doing the work?  Who is in charge?  What are you planning on doing?  What is the hoped for outcome?  Where will you be doing this?  At church?  Somewhere out in the community?  When will you be doing this?  One time?  On a continual basis?  When you have enough volunteers?  When it is most convenient for the individuals you are trying to reach?  How do you intend to do this?  How will this fulfill a ministry goal?  How do you intend to let people know about this program?  Why are you doing this?  Is it because it is on a checklist?  Is it because you want to fill a need in the community?  There are so many more questions that could be asked, but my point is this-if you can answer these questions then the chances for success increase because you can demonstrate purpose, interest and passion .  There is a clear plan and people fully grasp the details.  If someone asks a question, you can give a reasonably intelligent answer!

We want our members to use their gifts and graces for work in ministry and, particularly, outreach.  Or, to use the word we least like to talk about, we want our members to be active in evangelism.  But we fail to give them the tools to understand why we are doing certain things and why this is important.  Then leadership wonders why things are not happening in our congregations?!

We bemoan the fact that too many of our congregations are “inwardly focused”.  I understand the argument and there is some validity to the statement.  There are individuals who are very comfortable with the idea that going to church is all you need, to be a good Christian.  But, I also know that there are individuals out there who would like to do more, but feel that they are ill equipped to reach out, because they don’t understand some of these things themselves!  They can not answer what Methodists believe or why they believe these things.  They can’t answer why a particular outreach ministry is an important reflection of the values of the church.  And in some cases, we ask individuals to take on tasks that they are not comfortable handling.  Asking an introvert to be a greeter at the front door would be a good example.  There are individuals who are not going to be terribly outgoing but are wonderful at handling behind the scenes details.  Their “evangelism” is going to look very different from an extrovert’s style of evangelism.  If we could focus a little more on the inward development of an individual-helping them to identify their gifts and graces, helping them understand where they could use those gifts and why using those gifts matter, I think we would see their confidence level go up.  We would see them feeling far more comfortable with talking to others and reaching out to others because they understand the details.  They can explain the purpose.  They understand why this is being done, they understand why it has value and is important and, if someone asks a question, they can answer with confidence.

Jesus didn’t just pick twelve guys out of a hat and then send them out into the world.  He worked with them.  He trained them.  He led them by example.  He answered their questions.  He equipped them with the skills that they needed to do effective ministry, then he sent them out!  We see the same pattern in Acts as well.  The Apostles didn’t send just anyone out to do ministry.  They sent out those individuals who they felt were equipped to handle the mission.

Do we want effective ministry?  If we do, then we have to invest in training our members and equipping them with the skills that they need.  And we have to look at our various forms of ministry and ask the questions that provide the details that under gird the “why”.  Until we do both, we will not see long term tangible results.  The mission or outreach will last only as long as someone stays excited about it and then it will collapse and fall by the wayside.  We will comfort ourselves with the thought that we at least tried, but it just didn’t work in this area.

We have to stop doing things just because it was suggested in a book, or someone else did it or it sounds like something interesting to try.  We need to stop with the rah rah speeches or the finger pointing “guilt you into doing it” approach.  We need to start doing ministry because we have a compelling reason to do so and we can explain the reason in great detail.  We need to know that we have the individuals in place who can handle the mission.

It’s time that we started asking those pesky questions.  It’s time to start focusing, first, on those little details.  Those pesky little questions, those little details, can make all the difference!

Shepherd Leadership

I think that the first thing that we need to look at when talking about the seven churches in Revelation is the role that leadership played.  Leaders and leadership teams can make or break a congregation.  On the flip side, congregations can make or break a leader or leadership team as well!  Let's go back to First Peter chapter 5 where he tells the leaders his concern (from The Message paraphrase):

"Here's my concern: that you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd.  Not because you have to, but because you want to please God.  Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.  Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way."

Here is Webster's dictionary definition of Shepherd as it relates to leading:

"to conduct, guide (a group of people) and prevent them from lagging or straying" 

So a Shepherd leader guides a group diligently (preventing lagging and straying) and they do so because they want to please God.  It's not because they "have to", or because they like being in charge or because they think they'll get something out of it.  It's because of a love of pleasing God and doing what he has asked of his leaders.

Ezekiel 34 gives us an idea of what God had in mind when he describes what God plans to do as THE Shepherd.  God the Shepherd will:  rescue, bring them out, gather them, bring them to the mountain, feed them with "good pasture", make them to lie down (rest).  He will also, seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.

Feeling overwhelmed yet?  Sound like Mission Impossible especially with some of the goats at your church who like to ram into everything head first?  On our own, I would agree that the task seems insurmountable!

I started writing this particular piece on Monday with the intent of publishing it on Monday.  I wanted to come up with some sort of list of characteristics that define a leader and really flesh out this idea of Shepherd Leadership.  So I pulled all of my books out on church growth and spent time browsing through them again.  What took me by surprise, was the realization that none of these books talk about what makes a good leader in the first place!  Each and every book, that I have read, specifically, about church growth and turn-around strategies focuses on the congregation-not the minister leading the congregation.  It is assumed that a minister already has the skill set to implement an effective vision.  The closest I can come to a list of leadership skills comes from the book "Turn Around Strategies for the Small Church" by Ron Crandall.  Here are the 11 items that he labeled "Leadership role of the Pastor":

1)  Visionary  2)  Enabler/Encourager  3)  Partner/Friend  4)  Facilitator  5)  Cheerleader
6) Transformational Leader/Change Agent  7)  Spiritual Leader  8)  Caregiver
9)  Manager/Director  10)  Coach for Success  11)  Expert/Initiator

Pardon me for saying so, but I think that list is just as clear as mud!  And maybe, just maybe, that is why we have growth issues in the modern day church.  If a minister-the shepherd-the leader doesn't have a clear understanding of what is truly required of them out in the field, then how can they lead change?  A minister needs a clear understanding of their calling and vision.  They need to know their strengths and weaknesses.  What is a minister's specific gifts and how can they best use them when ministering to a congregation?  If you do not have that in the first place then how can an individual be expected to help a congregation cast a vision?

The first session that Adam Hamilton led at Leadership Institute had to do with Leadership Essentials.  His five point list is where I got the Ezekiel 34 reference from, that I talked about earlier.  Here's what he said:

1)  It's all about people.  Effective leaders build relationships.
2)  Leaders Clarify the Mission.  Mission=Why (Ezek. 34)
3)  Leaders help churches or ministries to discern God's Vision.  Vision=Where
4)  Leaders honestly face shortcomings and pursue excellence.  How can we do this better?
5)  Meaningful, moving, well led worship.

Bill Hybels also spoke at the Leadership Institute but I will leave what he had to say for another day.  As to Adam's list, I like it, I think it is workable but I also believe that the list comes from a place where the leader has a clear personal vision in the first place.  I'm not so convinced that all of our Ministers have that sort of clear vision to begin with!

So instead of focusing on accountability, perhaps the leadership of the church should focus on helping their ministers create their own clear vision before they ask them to help a congregation create a vision for ministry in their community.  Perhaps we need to go back and look at how these individuals are being trained in the first place.  Are we truly preparing them to be able to handle what they will experience when they are assigned to a local congregation?  Have we helped them clarify why they are in ministry?  Is that vision strong enough to carry them over the rough patches?  Do they have the skill set to be able to Shepherd a church through a process of change?  I think that these are questions worth asking.  If we want to see change, we need to make certain that the individuals being asked to lead the change, clearly understand their vision, first!

Want to create Shepherd Leaders?  Then give them the tools they need to be able to see the process through!

Disconnect?

Here are a couple of posts by two Methodist bloggers that I read regularly.  Even though they are talking about different topics, if you look more closely, they are both talking about the same thing.

The Mediocre Commission from Dan Dick's Unitedmethodeviations blog

English Major Reads the Mission from John Meunier's An Arrow Through the Air blog

I'm looking at these posts after having read about Hezekiah in Second Chronicles chapters 29-32.  What struck me most as I read this section was what a dynamic leader King Hezekiah was in his time!  He focused on one thing only-as the leader he wanted Israel to get right with God again.  He cleaned up the temple, he cleaned up the town, he got rid of the things that had taken them away from God so they could focus on worshiping THE GOD once again.  Not only was there action regarding what he said, there was commitment.  The people clearly understood what was being asked of them and how to go about "fixing" the problem.  They cleaned up their act!  And they did so, without hesitation.  

Hang on to this thought as I jump over to Hebrews 3:7-8 (NRSV)

"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in rebellion, as on the day of testing in the wilderness..."

Here's what the footnote says on verse 7 in the Wesley Study Bible:

"The emphasis on 'today' throughout this passage strikes a note of urgency.  Responding to the word we hear from God is the first priority for each day, not to be put off until another day."

Again, there is an emphasis on action and commitment.  

So, where is the disconnect today?  Where are the dynamic leaders clearly putting out a message of what needs to be done?  That, in a round about way, is the message I get from both Dan and John's blog posts (although they might disagree with my interpretation and conclusions).  This is not something that is happening just in the United Methodist church, this is happening in denominations across the country and around the world.  Not all!  But enough to raise the eyebrows.

It's not just leadership that is the issue though.  Let's go back to Hezekiah.  He cleaned out the temple and the towns-he got rid of the "sacred cows", to use a turn of phrase.  What would have happened if the people resented the fact that he removed the "pagan rubbish"?  What if they couldn't let go of that Asherah pole  because it had been standing for 100 years?  It was part of their "cultural heritage".    There are two sides to this coin-ineffective leadership on the one side, members who just won't let go of certain things on the other.

How do we overcome the disconnect?  One suggestion I have, is look at what Church of the Resurrection does, not because everyone should be like them, but because they have a very clearly planned path of Discipleship training (and it's not a 36 week course).  When someone asks them the question "what do I do next" they are able to answer that question because they have a course path already planned out.  It's clear, it's concise and it's ongoing.  The goal is to deepen their knowledge, their faith and their commitment (or as they describe it:  Head-Heart-Hands).  If members have a deeper spiritual walk, perhaps they will not feel the need to hang on to something that just doesn't work any longer.  It probably is not the only solution out there but I do think it is worth considering.  So that addresses one side of the coin, but how about the other side, the leadership side?

 Where, oh where, are the dynamic leaders who can guide a congregation to make needed change without inciting a riot?  Is that expectation of a leader to high a standard to set?  Now I suppose we could just avoid that sort of confrontation by letting the established churches continue on doing their thing and, instead, start brand new congregations.  But here's the flaw with that plan-at some point the "new" church becomes an old established church and you have the same exact problems all over again!  So how do we train our leaders to walk that fine line?  I get the distinct impression that most ministers would welcome some training in this area.  A class that is part "cast a dynamic vision" and "how to handle the grief of letting things go" counseling for church members.

All I'm saying is, we might as well try to address the issues now because it sure beats going round the mulberry bush over and over again!  If we can help our ministers to become better at managing transitions then we spend less time in-fighting and more time focusing on the community around us.  And let me just say this, because I have experienced it first hand, change poorly executed causes A LOT of hurt feelings and heartache and the damage of the "ghosts of Christmas past" carry on long after you think it's all said and done!  There are members who may be able to forgive but I can tell you they don't forget!  Although, you may not have been the minister who instituted the change, you better believe that at some point, it will be brought out of the closet and you will be forced to deal with the aftermath.  It's not pretty and it surely is not a lot of fun!

gett'n to it!  It's time to reconnect!

Reclaiming the Essence of Worship

Worship is a touchy subject in many churches.  What makes it such a painful topic of conversation is "format" or "style of worship".  These disagreements have caused some serious rifts in congregations-worship wars!  I have some very strong opinions on worship and having planned worship, led worship and participated in worship I have just one thing to say.  Get over it!!!  Worship is not about "how" you do it, it is about why!

I like this take on worship in Psalm 100 in The Message paraphrase:

"On your feet now-applaud God!  Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence...Enter with the password: 'Thank you!' Make yourselves at home, talking praise.  Thank him.  Worship him."

Bottom line, it's not about us feeling good.  It is about us praising God and thanking God.  That is the whole point and all roads in regards to worship had better lead to God!  It's just that simple.

I, being a lover of all music, can worship God equally as well with a hymn as I can with a contemporary praise song!  Classical music?  Excellent.  Gregorian chant?  Inspiring.  Gospel music?  Fantastic!  I love it all and I can find a path to worship through any of these styles of music.  This is probably why I find worship wars so utterly ridiculous and pointless!  As far as I am concerned, the arguments miss the point!  A well planned worship service always leads the congregation on to the path of praise, thankfulness and worship in the presence of God!  Who are you focusing on?  What is your focus?  Are you really focusing on worshiping God?  Why did you pick this song or hymn?  Why do you have the service in this order?  If you are planning worship, then details matter!  Let me give you a couple of examples.

When I took over planning the contemporary service at our church there was one change that I insisted on which caught everyone by surprise.  It involved lighting the candles up front.  I wanted a child in our congregation to "bring the light in" and "carry the light out".  I didn't suggest this simply because I liked the idea!  I insisted on it because it was symbolic.  A child, bringing in the light of Christ, that light, prominently displayed up front and at the end of the service, a child carrying the light of Christ out in to the world.  Symbols matter!  They are important and I thought it was important to bring some of that symbolism back in to the service!  If the whole point of worship is about praising God and thanking God, a child is a good reminder about approaching the throne with child like faith!

Another complaint that I have heard is about saying the Lord's prayer.  Everybody does it by rote, it's just a part of the service, it means nothing, blah blah blah.  Well, maybe the reason it is rote is because someone hasn't done a thorough enough job of explaining the meaning behind it.  Or maybe it is because we as individuals haven't stopped long enough to think about what that prayer really says!

Let's stop and think about this for a minute and break it down.  "Our father"-yours, mine and everyone whether they acknowledge God or not.  "Who art in heaven"-the place that we are a part of yet is bigger than anything we can imagine.  "Hallowed be they name"-father totally rocks and we should honor him!  "Thy kingdom come"-I can't wait to see the big picture!  "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"-help me do and act the way that you would, father!  "Give us this day our daily bread"-provide for me what I need to do what you ask of me today.  "And forgive us our trespasses"-forgive my stumbles and ignorance.  "As we forgive those who trespass against us."-remind me that I need to forgive those who have hurt me.  "And lead us not in to temptation"-give me the wisdom to not do the wrong thing!  "But deliver us from evil"-let your holy spirit guide my every move.  "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever!" - your world is more real than this world and you are in control of all of it!   Thank goodness! "Amen"-so be it.

That was long but I think you get my point.  Everything that is a part of worship should have meaning.  The words, the symbols and the order matter.  And if you have to take a minute to explain it then do it-educate your congregation!  Think of worship planning like a river.  A river has rapids and quiet pools but a river always flows forward. The trees, the flowers and the rocks are there for a reason.  The point of worship is to praise God and to thank God and the river of worship should flow forward and bring us closer to that essence of worship.  And if you are a member of the congregation, remember that spirit of thanksgiving as you join with others to worship God with your presence and your praise!

So instead of wasting our time bickering over worship style why don't we instead focus on why we worship?  Let's focus instead on reclaiming the essence and true purpose of worship!  Regardless of what format or style that you use, make sure that what you do leads the congregation towards praising God and thanking God!  If all roads lead to God then you will have an inspiring worship service-regardless of style!  It's time that the people of God reclaim the essence of worship!  Amen and Amen!

I'm getting off my soapbox now...

"Elemental P" A Life with Meaning

When you are a parent of a child with Asperger's (Autism Spectrum Disorder) you sometimes have to get creative in order to get your child to do what he needs to do!  My son Randy was not fond of washing his hands.  He would turn on the water, stick a finger in and then proclaim he was done!  After trying all sorts of things I finally came upon something that worked!  I told him that he had to put both hands in the water, rub them together and sing the ABC song.  Once the song was done, he was done and he could turn off the water and dry his hands.  Since he enjoys singing he was delighted with this idea and continues to sing the ABC song to this day!

One day, I noticed that when he sings L-M-N-O-P it sounds like he is saying "elemental P" and I thought "hmm...that's interesting" and kind of let it go at that.  The Spirit though, kept nudging me and I had a very clear impression that I needed to pay attention to this because there was a lesson just waiting to be revealed!

Elemental P-what could it possibly be and why is it so important?  Well guess what happened this morning when I was reading in Proverbs?  I made the connection!  Chapter 9 makes a clear distinction between Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly.  In The Message paraphrase Lady Wisdom prepares a meal and goes out to a prominent place and asks:

"Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on?  Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!...Leave your impoverished confusion and live!  Walk up the street to a life with meaning."

A life with meaning!  Elemental P!  It's not one word, it is many words and all of them are connected to wisdom!  So I made a list.  It is by no means complete, but these are words that jumped out at me in regards to living a life with meaning.

Purpose:  Who am I and why am I here?  At some point in time everyone asks themselves this question.

Plan and Picture:  What is God's plan for my life?  How do I fit in to God's big picture?

Prayer and Praise:  Prayer being a two way conversation where I ask but I also listen.  Praise where I worship and bring my thanks and remain awed by the wonders God has created. 

Promise and Peace:  Promise meaning I listen to what God is saying to me and believe what is being said-that it will come to pass.  Peace-that I understand that even though challenges still exist I rest in the peace of knowing that God is fully in charge.

Perception and Parallels:  Another word might be discernment.  When I read God's word what is it saying to me?  Am I making the connection between how this verse or story from the past is still relevant today?  Can I see the parallel and apply it to something happening now? 

Person:  When I look at other people do I see them as God sees them?  Or do I judge them by worldly standards?  Am I being asked to do something in their lives?  How do I help them connect to a life of faith?

Parameters and Pace:  Boundaries are set for a reason.  To follow Jesus means to accept parameters for my own good!  Pace-do I let God take the lead or do I try to rush out ahead?  Running the good race does not imply a sprint.  It's more like running a marathon and any runner knows that if you don't want to hit the wall you have to pace yourself!

Honestly, I've blown the opportunity in each and every item on this list at one point or another!  I've been impatient, I've pushed too hard!  I have forgotten to be thankful.  I've whined, griped and complained.  I haven't liked the answer to a question.  I have had to confess my folly and ask for forgiveness.  That's the beauty of Grace, you can fall flat on your face and God will still love and forgive you if you ask Him!  Even your failures on your life journey can bring you closer to wisdom!  The closer you get, the more you realize that yes, your life does have meaning!  You were put here for a purpose.  Part of the journey is getting your ego out of the way and listening to the plans that God has in store for you!  My darling friends, my prayer is that you find your "Elemental P" and have the courage to follow and trust God!  

It has been an interesting lesson indeed! 

Your Business is Life, Not Death...Life is Urgent

I enjoy The Message Paraphrase but sometimes I have to go back to my NIV or Wesleyan Study Bible to see what The Message is talking about.  The phrase that I used as the title comes from The Message paraphrase of Luke 9:60 which, in the Wesleyan Study Bible reads:

"Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."

The comment in the Wesleyan Study Bible on this particular section is:

"The Cross is crowded out by the cares of life."

What is this business of life?  Why is it so urgent?  Every person's experience is different but, personally, I have recently had this sense that in the United States we are literally talking ourselves to death!  We're not using words of life but rather words of death.  Hopelessness, helplessness and despair.  There's plenty of doom and gloom to go around-the economy is bad, Congress seems to be doing nothing, the President seems to be unclear about a plan or direction.  Even in our own church, our leaders focus on decline and lack of resources!  I think we are all pretty clear on the challenges we face considering the fact that we hear about it in endless news reports!  There's an old saying that says you get what you expect, meaning you get what you focus on.  What has been our focus as of late?  Death.  Death of jobs, death of growth, death of the American dream, death of working together, death of hopes, ideas and possibilities. 

Our business is not death!  Our business is life and it is urgent business!  Jesus was very clear when asked what was the greatest command.  First, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.  Second, love your neighbor as yourself.  Do for others what you would have them do for you. 

How do you do the first?  Seek God's Spirit first!  Praise, worship, prayer and Bible study put you in a position of peace, love, joy, hope and faith.  You open yourself up to the possibility of new God given ideas and insights!  It's not about what you can do, it is about what God can do in you and through you!  When you take the focus off of yourself, it's like climbing to the top of a mountain where your view suddenly expands!  Praise, worship, prayer and Bible study are tools.    They help you seek God's Spirit.

That expanded view brings us to the second part of the greatest command.  We all want to be loved, cherished and respected.  We all want to be treated kindly.  No one wants to live a life of fear, a life of lack, a life of insecurity, a life that is so unstable that we go from crisis to crisis with no end in sight!  Fear, in my opinion, is the greatest driving factor behind self obsession.  It causes us to do whatever we can to protect ourselves and to protect what little we have.  It raises the question of "what's in it for me?"  We are so afraid of losing something that we are not willing to step out and give.  We become so entrenched that we choose not to work with others for the good of all.  The second part calls us to focus outward-to treat others kindly.  It could be as simple as offering a word of encouragement.  It could be as simple as taking the extra produce from the garden and bringing it to the local food shelf.  It could be as simple as risking some of that hard earned money and helping a local entrepreneur with a good idea expand his small business.  It could be as simple as mentoring a parolee and helping them get a solid start on a new life.  The list is endless but the point is simple.  How do you want to be treated?  That is how God expects you to treat those around you.  The Spirit of God is loving and forgiving and generous.  It guides us on right paths, corrects us when we stray and gives us vision and purpose.  It is not a spirit of despair it is a SPIRIT of LIFE!

It's time to start speaking life!  It's time to get our moral compass back on track and start focusing on the greatest command!  That doesn't mean we put on rose colored glasses and bury our heads in the sand and ignore our problems hoping that things will get better.  It means we stop the finger pointing and the blaming.  It means turning our focus from ourselves and this narrative of fear and death and instead focusing on God and climbing that mountain towards the bigger view.  It means using our God given creativity and acting on God inspired ideas.  It means rolling up our sleeves and working together!

Our business is life and it is urgent!  It's time to start acting like it and it is time to start speaking words of life!