Well, of course not! God doesn't confuse us—He guides us. Are we confused? Well, yes, sometimes we are confused and it's at those times when we need to listen closely to God. What is He trying to tell us? I have, for many years, been trying to humbly find the truth about God's call on The Church. Does He want us to build His Kingdom and Love One Another at the same time? Yes. That's not the issue. The issue is that sometimes we act like it's one or the other. I see it all the time. You probably do too.

Here's a list of characteristics I often observe in church leaders around the subject of "Go Ye Into All the World..." and "Love One Another."

Do you find yourself erring in one direction or another on any of these points? First of all, they might seem extremely unfair and judgemental, and I could easily agree with you on that point. But the truth is, at their worst, church leaders often jump to an extreme side of leadership in order to get the job done. I didn't put this list together in order to make some sweeping comment about the state of church leadership. I put it together to encourage some thought about how we're doing our job—how we're following God's Word.

As Tony Campolo would say, "Read this book or I'll break both your legs!"       The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God's Call to Justice (Hardcover) by Mark Labberton (Author)

Ramblings on integrity...

Recently, we were visiting an Episcopalian church near our new home. The rector is a young, sincere, and a friendly reminder of the kind of leadership I would like to see in more pastors. After the service, he was welcoming, thoughtful, and curious about our family and how we happened to pick his church to visit. The service had been very "high" and we remarked about the fact that we had, in fact, encountered the transcendent God during mass. He accepted our assessment without comment. We joked about how difficult it is to find that same God in more informal churches sometimes. I said, "Don't change anything about what you're doing or we might not come back." His unemotional and uncharged answer gave me pause. He said, "That's fine, I didn't invite you." He went on to explain, "If God wants you to come here again, it will be at His invitation, not mine. That's not my job." One could argue that point of view from a Great Commission standpoint, but I liked the way he placed some responsibility on me to make decisions about my worshipping habits. He had put me in my place, and I deserved it!

Another great book...Beyond Smells & Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy (Paperback) by Mark Galli (Author)

***

Have you ever had God put you in your place? What should that place look like? I don't know, but I suspect that it looks like a kind of paradise—a place where God and man meet in profound recognition of their relative positions to one another. Being put in your place is a gift of God. It's His way of saying, "I know who you are, and I want you to be content with it."

***

Many years ago, while working on my music degrees, I encountered a gentleman who wanted to give me a scholarship so that I might continue my studies without sinking into debt. I needed the money and I was complimented that this gift had been offered. I took his scholarship and thanked him many times through my career. He always reacted with a deep sense of thankfulness that he had been useful in helping out a fellow musician.

He died a few years back and I attended his memorial service. There his wife said to me, "Harold always thought you were a person of high integrity who would not fail to reach the highest standards in your achievements." I winced a little when she said it. Had I actually met that high standard? Did I spend as much time in the practice room as I should? Did I always do my absolute best at the highest standards of quality? Hardly! I accepted her gracious words and moved away quickly. I was embarrassed at some level, and knew that my standards for myself were less than my mentor had hoped for or expected. Would I ever achieve those standards of excellence?

Here's what I think God was saying to me in that moment. "You will never meet your expectations for yourself and you won't meet my expectations for you either. I knew that would happen. That's why I sent my Son to sacrifice His life for your sin. You're not perfect and you won't be perfect, but keep moving toward Me and I'll keep loving you and guiding your steps. That's how this works."

—Doug Lawrence

 
Doug Lawrence

Well, of course not! God doesn't confuse us—He guides us. Are we confused? Well, yes, sometimes we are confused and it's at those times when we need to listen closely to God. What is He trying to tell us? I have, for many years, been trying to humbly find the truth about God's call on The Church. Does He want us to build His Kingdom and Love One Another at the same time? Yes. That's not the issue. The issue is that sometimes we act like it's one or the other. I see it all the time. You probably do too.

Here's a list of characteristics I often observe in church leaders around the subject of "Go Ye Into All the World..." and "Love One Another."

Do you find yourself erring in one direction or another on any of these points? First of all, they might seem extremely unfair and judgemental, and I could easily agree with you on that point. But the truth is, at their worst, church leaders often jump to an extreme side of leadership in order to get the job done. I didn't put this list together in order to make some sweeping comment about the state of church leadership. I put it together to encourage some thought about how we're doing our job—how we're following God's Word.

As Tony Campolo would say, "Read this book or I'll break both your legs!"       The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God's Call to Justice (Hardcover) by Mark Labberton (Author)

Ramblings on integrity...

Recently, we were visiting an Episcopalian church near our new home. The rector is a young, sincere, and a friendly reminder of the kind of leadership I would like to see in more pastors. After the service, he was welcoming, thoughtful, and curious about our family and how we happened to pick his church to visit. The service had been very "high" and we remarked about the fact that we had, in fact, encountered the transcendent God during mass. He accepted our assessment without comment. We joked about how difficult it is to find that same God in more informal churches sometimes. I said, "Don't change anything about what you're doing or we might not come back." His unemotional and uncharged answer gave me pause. He said, "That's fine, I didn't invite you." He went on to explain, "If God wants you to come here again, it will be at His invitation, not mine. That's not my job." One could argue that point of view from a Great Commission standpoint, but I liked the way he placed some responsibility on me to make decisions about my worshipping habits. He had put me in my place, and I deserved it!

Another great book...Beyond Smells & Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy (Paperback) by Mark Galli (Author)

***

Have you ever had God put you in your place? What should that place look like? I don't know, but I suspect that it looks like a kind of paradise—a place where God and man meet in profound recognition of their relative positions to one another. Being put in your place is a gift of God. It's His way of saying, "I know who you are, and I want you to be content with it."

***

Many years ago, while working on my music degrees, I encountered a gentleman who wanted to give me a scholarship so that I might continue my studies without sinking into debt. I needed the money and I was complimented that this gift had been offered. I took his scholarship and thanked him many times through my career. He always reacted with a deep sense of thankfulness that he had been useful in helping out a fellow musician.

He died a few years back and I attended his memorial service. There his wife said to me, "Harold always thought you were a person of high integrity who would not fail to reach the highest standards in your achievements." I winced a little when she said it. Had I actually met that high standard? Did I spend as much time in the practice room as I should? Did I always do my absolute best at the highest standards of quality? Hardly! I accepted her gracious words and moved away quickly. I was embarrassed at some level, and knew that my standards for myself were less than my mentor had hoped for or expected. Would I ever achieve those standards of excellence?

Here's what I think God was saying to me in that moment. "You will never meet your expectations for yourself and you won't meet my expectations for you either. I knew that would happen. That's why I sent my Son to sacrifice His life for your sin. You're not perfect and you won't be perfect, but keep moving toward Me and I'll keep loving you and guiding your steps. That's how this works."

—Doug Lawrence

 
Doug Lawrence