Reflecting on the US Presidential Election one month later, December 10th, 2012. As we find ourselves one month beyond the conclusion of the 2012 US Presidential Election, it’s apparent that the echoes of discontent persist on social media platforms. Despite Obama securing re-election, a substantial segment of the American population adamantly resists embracing a Democrat-led…
It’s common to hear us church-goers get into a heated debate over church politics, leadership structure, etc. Every once in a while, I’m reminded and humbled that the Church doesn’t just exist in our Western world circles. The Church is alive and active all over the world. Much of it, experiencing terrible persecution for their faith. In our Western culture, I wonder if and/or when we will experience persecution.
My starting point for today’s post is a caveat; generally, I do believe the old adage that, “With age comes wisdom.” The older a person gets, for the most part, the stronger their ability to make the right decision in various situations. That being said, we can’t ignore the conflicting cultural motto, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
The widening gap between the old and the young. I’ve been thinking about the difference between today’s paid ministry staff compared to the voluntary workers in the early church. Specifically, I was asking the question, “Who was in their twenties and thirties during Paul’s day, and what were they doing?”
The teens before us (in the 80s) had broken through a lot of the legalism regarding playing cards, pool halls, going to movies and best of all, listening to rock music! By the 90s, Christian rock options were coming out of every major city faster than we could memorize lyrics. Christian artists were coming out of the woodwork, creating sounds that drove teen culture; yet carried positive or at least neutral messages with every note.
Our first residence in Alaska was supposed to be a ground level, a two-bedroom apartment within a couple of miles of the church. We soon found out that we’d be temporarily staying in a traditional Alaskan log cabin!
Take a moment to meditate on the deeper level of this Scripture. “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21) It’s next level, isn’t it? One of those reflections of time and space. I often find myself getting lost in Scriptures like this one. I’m consumed by thoughts of how God is guiding my life, and my eternal life for those willing to accept that statement. God’s sovereignty always seems to be on my mind and always has been.
Being a Christian can be rough. One of the challenges is journeying through seasons of doubt. Not so much doubting whether or not Jesus exists. It’s more like doubting whether or not following Jesus’ example is really worth it. (Yup, I really said that.)
Yesterday, I left you with my vacation dilemma. I had lost a contact lens after my first dive into the pool on vacation. If you have no idea what I’m referring to, click here: What I Learned About Leadership From Losing a Contact Lens. Now back to my story.
Service is a key component of leadership. Good service is hard to come by these days. A good leader should be providing service excellence and therefore, training team members to follow their example. Unfortunately, there’s a temptation to be too busy (or too proud), to provide high-calibre service.
When it’s time to captain the team instead of coaching it. You have a great team, and you’ve been coaching well. That’s fantastic and should be celebrated. However, let’s not forget that in any area of leadership, you’re not only on the sidelines, you’re also in the game.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post focusing on why coaches make great pastors. After a great conversation with a friend about the post, I realized that this topic doesn’t just pastors. So, let’s reframe this conversation around all leaders.