God can use anybody for his purposes, no matter their experience or shortcomings.  God simply desires a willingness and a heart that is honest and open… whatever the ‘call’.

While many see Moses as a leader, it is easy to forget that he was not the sole leader of the people.  He was the first but not always the strongest.  Many might say that his protégé Joshua exceeded Moses’ own leadership ability.

Joshua took the reigns from Moses, stepped into leadership at a time of great instability and turmoil, and led the children of Israel into the Promised Land (a land which Moses saw but never experienced).

Many church staff up-and-comers aspire to be a Joshua.  And while Joshua often led well, this is not the type leader that most churches really need.  They already have a Moses on the scene who’s work is not yet complete.

Many churches need an Aaron.

Aaron, Moses’ brother, comes onto the scene as a relatively unknown quantity.  Yet, he lived the leadership experience of most leaders, perhaps one might say fulfilling a more important role than even Joshua.  Few leaders are ever called to be a ‘Joshua’–to step in during a crisis after a seasoned leader is removed by God, take the reigns, and continue the pace without missing a beat.

Most leaders live their lives as an ‘Aaron’.

Aaron was selected by God to assist Moses.  Like Aaron, most leaders will not be the final authority; most will lead from within the organizational chart rather than from the top.  In a critical time of transition for Moses, God used Aaron to accomplish critical leadership functions for His kingdom, and Aaron’s leadership left a mark that can still be seen today (Exodus 4:10-17; Exodus 32:1-6; Exodus 19-29; Numbers 12:1-3; Leviticus 8:1-9).

John Maxwell says that, like Aaron, the “leader in the middle” needs to see themselves as divinely positioned by God and serve with their best effort to glorify God, just as if they were the senior leader.

The church needs less Joshua’s and more Aaron’s.

- – - – -

3:45a – Roll out of bed and into the shower.

4:30a – Arrive at the office and log in to the Mac.

4:31a – Pray.

4:32a – Begin putting final touches on the sermon notes and outline. Why didn’t I finish this earlier in the week?

6:00a – Mostly finished with the outline, time to begin downloading any final media content for the sermon.

6:26a – I really thought that I would be done with notes by now, but I’m not. The stress is starting to build.

7:03a – The music and support teams are starting to arrive.  It’s time to pause and go program the light show for the morning.

7:42a – Back at the Mac.  Time to begin creating the sermon slides that match the message.  This is one of my favorite parts.  It allows for a of creativity and gives me a chance to be sure my notes truly make sense and flow.

8:00a – I can hear runthrough starting in the auditorium.  Now the anxiousness is beginning to set in.  And, as the music pounds through the thin walls separating my office from the auditorium, I realize that the sand is now quickly sifting through the hourglass and the mad rush the start line is on.

8:25a – The slide package is finished and transferring to the presentation computer.  The presenter notes are printed, marked, and ready. Now it’s time to edit my notes for the front prompters, and reset the layout to print notes for my Bible.

8:46a – Doors are open people are everywhere.  I’m in the copy room with my notes, scissors, and a ton of paperclips.  It’s old school, but its how I like my notes.

9:03a – Service has begun.  I’m backstage in the Green Room.

9:04a – Pray. Go over notes. Pray some more. Talk through intro. Pray again. Pace lots. Final restroom opportunity.

9:25a – Cross paths with the band as they exit and I enter the stage.  Walk to thrust. Sweating already. Lights up. Anxiety. Look up. Smile. Calmness.

9:26a – Start line.

…. these intervening moments are completely inexplicable. There is no way to convey the emotions, feelings, thoughts, etc. that occur in the preaching of the Word.  A moment where a man is something of a conduit for the voice of God.  Timothy says simply, “preach the word.” My sermons are typically inductive narratives, one idea building on another until all of the pieces come together at the end to punch through the big idea.  When done well, its powerful.  But it takes every fiber of my skill as well as a tremendous measure of grace to pull it off. By the end, I am wholly spent.  I’ve given everything in me in pursuit of ‘preaching the word.’

9:59a – Head down. Done. Walk off. Final music package starts. For the audience, it’s an emotional breathing moment, an opportunity to let the last few moments of the message sink in.

10:04a – Back on stage one last time before dismissal.  A couple sentences to wrap up and reiterate the main point of the message. Everyone stand for prayer….

10:05a – TRANSCENDENCE

…. I look across the crowd as I am having them stand for closing prayer and I realize that the greeters have opened the rear auditorium exit doors.  The sun is shining outside and the light that is now streaming through the doors and across the crows is nearly blinding.  I suddenly realize that I am sending them out into this light.  In a sense, inside this church is true reality but they are about to leave here for the mission field.  I pause.  The crowd must sense my discombobulation.  It seems like an eternity passes by as I let the light envelop me and permeate every fiber of my being.  It rushes through me like the mighty waters of a treacherous river run and I drown in it.

…. Coming to my senses, I pray.

10:07a – “Have a great week”. Lights dim. Music swells.  Everyone exits.

…. I am, in a sense, in shock. Stunned. Spent yet bathed in the transcendence of what just happened.  In less than an hour I’ll do it all again for the second service. And invariably, again, I’ll be surprised by joy.

- – - – -

That moment.  The eternity where the crowd and this preacher disappear in the light that streams from the outside world haunts me.  I can’t stop thinking about it.  It is one of the few, of not the only, moments where I truly sense God’s wholeness and my complete nothingness.

Being a pastor, Bill is no stranger to adversity, even from within the church sadly.  But I doubt he ever imagined a circumstance quite like this.  A stroke is very much like hitting the pause button on life… and simply waiting, and waiting.  It is a lesson in patience.  It is a lesson in perseverance.  But it’s also been a lesson in paternity.

Let me explain…

In Mark 2 we are told the story of a man who is a ‘lifer’, paralyzed for the entirety of his life.  No hope.  Yet a group of friends weren’t willing to accept that diagnosis with the likes of Jesus roaming the countryside.  So they packed up their friend and took him to the man who was said to have the power to heal.  What faith.  Sadly, on arrival they couldn’t get near the Christ due to the press of the crowd.  I imagine it much like a Walmart on Nascar weekend.

I would have given up.  But not them.  Rather than accept defeat they went to the roof, disassembled it, and lowered their friend into the middle of the crowd directly in front of Christ.  The nerve!

Jesus (somewhat predictably) immediately forgives the man’s sins.  He avoids the more obvious need for physical healing in order to take care of the more important–though less obvious–need for spiritual healing.  It is at this point in the story that an odd thing happens: The scribes (Teachers of the Law) began to question in their hearts.

What could they possibly be questioning?

Their theology (the Old Testament) did not allow for a Messiah that could forgive sins.  They believed only God could do so and that Christ’s belief in his personal ability to do as God could only do was (in their mind) a direct affront to Jehovah. In short, blasphemy.  The Messiah was not supposed to be God.  There was only to be ONE God, Yahweh.

THIS MOMENT was the beginning of the official opposition of Jesus, the opposition that ultimately led to his arrest and death.  It began right here, when God healed a broken man.  The religious leaders simply couldn’t handle it.  It stretched their capacity too far.  God, it would seem, was much bigger than the box they had created for him.  So rather than expand their understanding, they chose the easier route: hardened hearts.

It is interesting to note that in these days sickness and disease were often viewed as punishment from God for a person’s sin.  Perhaps they secretly (or even openly) thought that this man who was paralyzed rightly deserved the fate that he endured.  Maybe they whispered stories to one other of tawdry sins and excesses that resulted in his suffering.  It is not difficult to imagine, mostly, because we’ve all done similarly at one time or another.  And had the New Testament not directly spoken against that narrow mindset we might still think it okay.  And yet, I still find people doing it!

As noted, my Pastor has recently faced serious health concerns, but God has been steadily moving him down the path of healing and recovery.  And there have been moments, days, even weeks when I feel as though I am reliving the story of the paralytic in Mark 12.

I see those who stand around watching the amazing work of God and, in the words of Mark 12:8, question those things in their hearts.  Perhaps it is because some believe that, like the Scribes, all suffering is punishment from God for sin.  I’ve heard loud whispers from those who would put words in God’s mouth as to “why” the suffering has come.  In fact, often their not whispers at all!  There is a strange boldness religious types feel when speaking on behalf of the Creator.

I often see those around me assuming the roles in Mark 12:

• I see crowds of people, so hungry (and even bloated) on Christ that they miss those on the fringes of the crowd that need him most.  Are we missing those with real needs because we’re so concerned with getting fed ourselves?
• I see a few (very few) who are carrying the ones with real needs to the Savior.  These are the real heroes of the story, those who aren’t concerned with the ‘why’ or even ‘how’ of the situation.  They see it as their opportunity to make an impact and, in whatever state they are, carrying their brother.
• I see many, many scribes.  The teachers and leaders of the Law who should have recognized God’s amazing handiwork even in suffering, but didn’t.  This is the real disappointment in the story.  Those that should have been the heroes, but end up a footnote in history as those who eventually murder God himself on a cross.

I learned long ago that I could never fully understand that mystery and reasons for God.  Fortunately, my mostly reformed understanding of Scripture does not make me fear a God who uses providence to work his will in the world.  I understand that the picture is much broader than I will ever see or understand.

God doesn’t need my opinions, talents, or accomplishments.  He only needs my yieldedness.  I pray, daily, that I am one of the ones who carried the paralytic to Christ.  And at the times in my life when I AM the paralytic (and they WILL come), I hope you’ll swallow your pride and carry me instead.

1. Choose to believe the best about the people on your team rather than always assuming the worst about them.
2. Choose to trust them to make decisions that matter without having to run every minor detail by you for your approval.
3. Choose to believe that when they ask particular questions that they aren’t being disloyal but rather seeking clarification.
4. Choose to believe that they really do love the church and want to see it thrive.
5. Choose to lead through inspiration and revelation–NOT intimidation, humiliation, condemnation and manipulation.
6. Choose to listen to them before making a decision that will directly impact them.
7. Choose to value them as a human being and NOT just a person who can perform a task.
8. Choose to take a few extra minutes to coach them through the “why” of a particular decision so that they are equipped/empowered to make the decision on their own the next time.
9. Choose to allow them to present the solution to the problem they are telling you about.  (A great leader will always have a solution to whatever problem they are bringing to your attention.)
10. Choose to point out all of the things they are doing well instead of just focusing on the areas they are messing up.

source

Fast forward to present day.  Having recently completed the most engaging, life-changing, and eye-opening seminary class I’ve ever had the privilige of taking–on church history no less–I feel a need to clear the air, if for no other reason than that my children will not suffer from the religious bigotry that I once did.

First, we Protestants have much more in common with Catholics than we realize.  I grew up believing that the 2,000 or so years between the Book of Revelation and my birth held nothing of importance.  I now know that much of what we stand on in our theology and practice today comes from Catholic roots.  For much of the history of the church there was no Protestant/Catholic distinction.  Study the early church and you will feel very much at home with other Catholics.  We believe many of the same things.

Second, we Protestants would do well to learn from Catholics; there are many ways in which they believe more truly and practice more faithfully than us. Every Protestant has made a “confession” joke at one point or another.  But how many Protestants ever confess anything at all?  I often wonder if it’s the Protestants who are showing up for church on Sunday and then sinning on Monday, not the Catholics.  Further, the Catholic Church has made service to the poor a benchmark of its ministry for quite a long time.  Sadly, it’s only a recent phenomenon that the Evangelical movement has broadly taken this type of ministry seriously.  Their faith is often very deep, rich, and willing to admit that they don’t know all of the answers.  There is a place for mystery in their faith that most of us know nothing about.

Finally, I wonder if we are bigoted concerning Catholicism because we don’t want to understand (or try to understand) their perspective on Scripture.  One of the main problems with the idea of ‘good, solid, evangelical Christianity’ is the bubble we live in.  We think that being ‘solid’ means choosing a ‘safe’ environment, something like an incubator, all warm and cozy and affirming, in which to develop our own beliefs and practices.  But this is absolute nonsense.  I’m talking about testing and confrontation on the ideological level.  We need to have our ideas challenged, too.  We need to have the categories we use to think about God broken open from time to time. We need to have our blind spots exposed.  This will only happen if we’re willing to enter environments that are less like incubators and more like testing grounds. It’s in the breaking and remaking that happens in such a setting that we find our eyes opened to see again.

I often wonder if the Protestant church of the new millennium has become the Catholic church of the Reformation.  If Martin Luther were alive today, would he be nailing a list of thesis to the door of the church you (or even I) attend?

My Pastor has been talking a lot lately about the idea of a “real church” and what that looks like.  I am more convinced than ever that it would not necessarily have the word Protestant attached to it any more than it would the word Catholic. It would not necessarily be reformed or free, and certainly not postmodern or missional.

I’m not advocating weak theology or even tolerance.  I am advocating knowledge and learning, study and openness, discussion and an end to religious bigotry.  I am advocating a return to study about the history of the church lest we enter a second Dark Ages.

portions of the content for this article have been re-purposed from “Why I Chose Notre Dame” at commonjason.com, a discussion of an evangelical student’s decision to do Master’s work at a catholic institution.

Yet sadly, the history lesson stopped at the book of Revelation.  I remember nothing ever being said about the life of the church between the close of the New Testament and present day.  That left nearly two millennia of church history completely ignored.  I don’t believe that I ever considered the fact that two-thousand years worth of Christians roamed the earth between myself and the Apostle John.  I suppose, looking back, that our ignorance was in part reactionary due to the tendency of the Catholic church to ignore the canon in favor of church tradition, not to mention the tendency of mainline Protestant denominations to rely too heavily on traditional liturgy resulting in disconnectedness with modern society.  Yet, I fear, my church swung too far in the opposite direction and completely ignored the rich heritage of the church.

It wasn’t until my thirties (post-college and seminary, which is sad in itself) that I began to study and better appreciate the history of the church.  I often see churches to their specific models as a New Testament church.  I know their reason for doing so: needing to create a much needed connection with the church of Christ rather than unbiblical church tradition, but I worry that many in our churches don’t actually know what the New Testament church was like, and more important to this discussion, what the post- New Testament church was like.  What were their struggles after the death of the Apostles?  How did they understand the New Testament?  What did they know that perhaps we have long forgotten?  These questions should and do matter.  The modern-day church is built on a two-thousand year foundation of rich history, and tradition should play some role in it.  If for no other reason then to prevent us from repeating the mistakes of the past.

We know more about the America’s forefathers than we do the Church Fathers.  The word ‘creed’ means nothing to us and most couldn’t result a single line from any historical church creed.  To us, the word ‘reformed’ means Calvin and the doctrine of election.

That is why I am thankful for a day like All Saints Day and Reformation Day to help us get out of our historical short-sightedness.  We should be spending time telling stories about the neglected heroes of our faith.  Do your churches know how St. Athanasius defied the entire Roman Empire as he championed the Biblical doctrines about Christ’s divinity?  Do they know the moving story of how St. Augustine wandered from the faith and eventually returned to Christ, aided by the constant prayers of Monica, his devout mother?  Do your children know the stories about St. Bonaventure and how he challenged the barbaric Germanic tribes?  Do your children know how he electrified the pagans with his courage and how he proved that their gods were no gods at all?  Do they understand the phrase “Reformata et semper reformanda” and why it was so important then and now?

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son. Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

While this topic is ripe for discussion I am going to avoid it for a more distressing topic… the authority of Scripture and the interpretation thereof.

“For us, this isn’t about sex,” said Ryan Schwarz, a lay leader in a conservative group within the ECLA that opposed the proposal to allow gay clergy in same-sex relationships. “It is a matter of the authority of the Word. The entire expanse of the Bible witnesses to God’s plan . . . which is the lifelong marriage of a man and a woman.”

“There’s no question about the authority of Scripture” in the Lutheran Church, said Phil Soucy, a spokesman for Lutherans Concerned, a pro-gay-rights group within the ECLA. “But we certainly can debate the interpretation of Scripture… The very idea that questioning someone else’s interpretation of Scripture constitutes an assault on the authority of Scripture is nonsense.”

While well said, I believe Mr. Soucy is well-mistaken.  They are two sides of the same coin.

One would be remiss to believe that clergy do not recognize that fact.

USA Today writes that “The Rev. Katrina Foster, a pastor in the Metropolitan New York Synod, pointed out that the [ELCA] church has ordained woman and divorced people in violation of a literal interpretation of scripture.”

So it comes down to your method of interpretation of Scripture, the basic building blocks that define one’s entire belief system.  Whether you interpret the Bible literally, figuratively, allegorically, or otherwise, it DOES matter.

In discussing the issue, USAToday’s Faith and Reason blogger Cathy Lynn Grossman says, “No matter how the ELCA votes… it’s always about the Bible. The Lutherans, after all, take their name from the man who rallied the Reformation under the cry of Solo Scriptura (the Bible alone) in his break from the Catholic Church.”

I wonder if someone should remind the Lutherans that Luther believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible…

What the unchurched world doesn’t need is another cheezy campaign to get people in the doors of churches that coudn’t otherwise care about them.  We trick them into coming one Sunday of the year and then ignore them the other 51.

The Back to Church website lists hypocrisy, judgmentalism, and cliques as the primary reasons for quitting church in the first place.  In order to get these folks back into church, Outreach, Inc. (who sponsors the campaign) suggests spending SIX WEEKS planning for visitors.

Simply put:

1. If a church goes six weeks without a visitor, THERE IS A PROBLEM.
2. If it takes six weeks for a church to prepare for a visitor, THERE IS A PROBLEM.

They suggest:

1. Getting the facilities ready for guests.
2. Training greeters on how to be welcoming.
3. Deciding the sermon/flow early and use it to engage people.
4. Provide resources to congregants to use for inviting.
5. Make the restrooms clean and fully-functional
6. etc., etc.

[insert expletive].  ARE THEY KIDDING?!?!  It’s not bad enough that we have to have a specific Sunday where we plan to invite people to church… but now we have to begin doing a list of things that we should be doing EVERY SINGLE WEEK OF THE YEAR!

Do these churches exist?

Sadly, they do.  And these churches are precisely why people became de-churched in the first place.  Hypocrisy, cliques, and judgmentalism.

So to all of those churches who are planning to celebrate National Back to Church Sunday, and then take the next 51 weeks off… do all of us a favor… DON’T!

And perhaps, that is the point of all of this.

There are many churches that are a mess.  They’ve lost their focus, turned inward, and become more of a club than a community of God.  Sadly, what these churches need is not a cliche’d Back to Church Sunday, it’s a new fervor for the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20)… and perhaps a renewal of the Holy Spirit.

But if you are a church that really wants to make a change and reach out… visit www.backtochurch.com and start making changes.  But don’t invite Joe Unchurched on September 13th.  Get your church in order, and trust me, they’ll start coming on their own.  You won’t be able to keep them away.

“So what is your vision for the future of the music ministry?”

Six months ago our Music Minister told me he was leaving.  It was a late summer evening and we were in the building alone.

“I know.” 

The surprise was clearly evident on his face.  He had tried so hard to keep it under cover but ultimately had failed.  I’d actually known for months.  The reality is, most people have a hard time hiding a job search from employers and coworkers.  He’d done admirably, but like most of us, the truth soon catches up to us.  It would be nice in church work if we could be more honest and open about these things, but the reality is that typical church climate doesn’t really allow for such unabashed honesty… so we hide such things for as long as we can. 

This event catapulted our church into a nationwide search for God’s next man. 

And here I was, several months later, interviewing the young man we’d chosen out of an overwhelming number of applicants as the most promising candidate.  The question hung loosely in the air between us.

“So what is your vision for the future of the music ministry?”

It was one of the easiest questions I’ve answered in a long time.  I’d been asked that question a lot lately by those with a vested interest in our music search, and it is a great question.  It drives directly to the core issues that need considered in a staff search such as this.  While staff transitions offer an opportunity to make changes to the status quo, it also opens a church up to the possibility of straying from morings that should instead be held fast.

Often, it is the best of times and the worst of times.

Yet, I dream…

I dream of a music ministry that is less interested in leading in worship and more interested in being lead worshippers.  I dream of music that creates a vibrancy in the church, drawing all those who hear it closer to the God who can be known.  I dream of a music minister who’s references speak of his character and heart above all else.  I dream of music that is both cutting edge yet rooted in the rich history of church tradition.  I dream of a worship experience where I lose myself in the message of Christ and the overwhelming love of the father, a place where the prodigal is always welcome and the older brother is softened to repentance.  I dream of a music ministry that doesn’t take itself too seriously but is willing to open itself up for guidance and direction.  I dream of a music ministry understands it is ‘one of many’ in the ministries of the church.  I dream of a music ministry that other churches look to and long to model themselves after.

In short, I dream of a church music experience led by those who would rather follow, but allow God to use their talents to be a part of crafted worship experiences that bring people closer to the transcendant Father in Heaven who is always seeking to redeem and repair his fallen creation, drawing them ever closer unto Himself.

THAT is my dream.

So I broke the silence with the young man who would soon accept the offer we were about to make, “Funny you should ask that question… I’ve been getting it a lot lately…”

Was I crazy? What would the next step be? Where would I go? I have a great job and a family that is growing by leaps and bounds. What am I thinking? Is the timing right? How can we ever make it work?

I thought. I prayed. I discussed with my wife. I sought wise counsel. I prayed again. But mostly…

I dreamed.

Pieces quickly began falling into place and I soon found myself in an empty classroom on a bitterly cold January morning awaiting the start of my first class.

De’ja vu…

Students (several by far my junior) began filing in. Bookbags. Notebooks. Laptops. Finally a professor.

“Welcome to class. Let’s begin with devotions. Open to Matthew chapter five….”

My mind immediately trailed off. I knew I was in the right place. I knew I was home.

I leaped thirteen years into my past to the first class of the first day in undergrad. 1996. An unknown Professor who was destined to become a great friend, Jim Leightenheimer, opened the class by saying simply, “Let’s pray,” and then actually doing so.

To a boy who grew up in the public school system, those are defining words.

I was instantly and insatiably hooked.

Back to reality.

So here I am: Doing quizzes, writing papers, attending study sessions, and subjecting myself to the educational system again. And I am loving it…

I’m loving it because I’ve had an epiphany. I finally understand why I continue to find myself behind a wooden desk.

I am a lifelong learner.
No. I am compelled to be a lifelong learner, in both media AND biblical studies.

The fields of media and communications are always changing. I must always be a student of them to remain effective in the practice of them.

The Bible is never changing, but it is a pursuit that I will never master. The more I learn the more aware I am of how little I truly know.

So as that friend of mine aptly closed, “I hope the first day back on your continued journey is fantastic,” I’ve realized that is a journey that will not end.

If you ever need to find me, now or decades hence, … look in a classroom.