Leaders, jealousy, and authority

I do some part time work at the Pennsylvania Famshow Complex as a security guard. (No, I don't carry a gun!) As part of the responsibilities, sometimes I interact with three specific groups of law enforcement personnel each with different levels of authority - the Pennsylvania State Police, the Harrisburg City Police, and the Capitol Police. The State Police jurisdiction is the state of Pennsylvania, the Harrisburg Police patrol the city of Harrisburg, and the Capitol Police take care of the Capital Complex as well as a few other facilities.

In my interaction with these three groups, I have made an interesting discovery. The less an officer's sphere of authority, the more jealously he/she tends to protect that sphere. (I am speaking generally here). As a whole, I have discovered the Capitol Police more likely to flaunt their authority than do the Harrisburg Police force and the Harrisburg Police more likely to flaunt their authority than do the State Police.

As I pondered this, it occurred to me that the same thing often happens in the church world. It seems to me that far too many leaders jealously protect their small sphere of influence. I have been to Ministerium meetings and Pastor's gatherings and I have seen the posturing that takes place. If it wasn't so tragic, it would be amusing.

In the church, the guarded territory is not a geographic location but rather it is people. Leaders will release people to follow their God-given dreams AS LONG AS they do it according to the standards of acceptability set by the leaders. If people do not fit into the accepted mold, they are immediately labeled as rebellious.

I recently spoke with a husband and wife whose church leaders encouraged them to launch out and minister to to people in their home. As this couple began to do so, the leadership of the church began to tell them how to minister, when to minister, and to whom they could minister. Put quite simply, the church leaders were flaunting their authority. (Which incidentally, tells me that their real authority is quite limited indeed)

It seems to me that people with real authority have a confidence that does not require them to flaunt what authority they have. Far too many leaders in the church today are living small, jealously guarding their turf. Their actions tell me a great deal about their sphere of authority.

Into the shadows

Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” (Mark 10:32-34)

From my leadership experience, I have discerned a startling truth – People will willingly follow a good leader almost anywhere except into the valley of the shadow of death. God’s pattern of leadership as revealed in Jesus requires leaders to embrace what feels like a downward spiral into the shadows, into a place where the glory of leadership dissipates completely.

Jesus’ disciples were astounded that He would choose to travel to Jerusalem in the face of imminent danger. His steady movement toward a place of apparent death struck fear to their hearts. Their consternation with Jesus’ travel plans blinded them to see through the valley of the shadow of death to the glorious reality of the resurrection.

Jesus’ disciples had dreams of Jesus being a king like David. In their minds, not only was Jesus destined to be a king, but they were poised to have leading roles in this emerging glorious kingdom. Therefore, Jesus’ journey into the shadow lands of death caused a great deal of consternation in them. They needed Him to establish a kingdom, to be the monarch of the new Jewish superpower.

In the context of Jesus’ journey into impending death, in the context of their fear, James and John came to Jesus asking for positions of power in the empire that they were certain that Jesus would establish. (Read Mark 10:35-37). It was as if they were reminding Jesus that He had a responsibility to establish the new Jewish superpower.

Jesus’ experience with His disciples mirrors much of my own experience. People will follow a leader as long as the leader is building something magnificent. They deeply desire to be a part of something grandiose.

For leaders seeking validation from the people they lead, it becomes easy to never make the journey into the valley of the shadow of death due to the expectations of those being led. To not complete the leadership journey, however, will negate the leader from engaging with God’s pattern for leadership. Consequently the Kingdom of God is never established through that leader.

It is important to note that Jesus’ own journey into the shadow lands was the prelude to resurrection power. God was establishing His kingdom through Jesus. Even so today – leaders must journey to the shadow lands of death to discover a new and fresh authority and life.

From my own experience I can tell you that any leader who makes the journey into death and the cross will probably not be popular. Throughout the years of leading and being a catalyst in the emergence of God’s Kingdom on earth, I have experienced the resistance that comes from the demonic hordes seeking to destroy the new things God was bringing forth. However, the greatest resistance I have received on my walk with God occurred when I intentionally followed God into the valley of the shadow of death.

Many of the people I have led consistently applied pressure on me to abandon the journey into “nothingness” regardless how much I tried communicate with them the power (and the Jesus pattern) of the journey into “nothingness”. Beyond the pressure from people, my own desire for significance was compounded by the voices of the enemy encouraging me to choose a less threatening path to resurrection life. (Which, incidentally, does not exist).

For the past number of years, the gentle whisper of heaven, the voice of the Father, has invited me to choose the way of the valley of the shadow of death. I have chosen to resolutely heed the invitation, knowing that in all likelihood, I would find myself not on some grandiose stage, but in the shadows of the world and the church.

However, I have found some diamonds in the place of darkness. In the shadow lands I have found that the barrier between heaven and earth are minimal. This past year, I experienced the kiss of the Father for an extended period. That kiss has sustained me in my resolution to press ahead. For the first time in my life, I feel like God is my friend. I am acutely aware of the invitation to participate with Him in the redemption of creation.

Leaders – press on to Jerusalem; it is the way of God. Purpose to enter the valley of the shadow of death as God invites you to do so. To grasp at our dreams of greatness will cause us to miss the point, to miss resurrection life.

living for the cause

This week Beverly and I watched the movie Amazing Grace. It is the story of William Wilberforce. Wilberforce was the driving force behind the abolition of slavery in the 1800's in Great Britain. While the movie seemed slow at times, it moved me deeply. Wilberforce's story is one of a man who gave his life to accomplish the work of God in society. In spite of repeated setbacks, Wilberforce lived to see Great Britain outlaw slavery.

Wilberforce literally gave his life to accomplish something beyond himself. This is the pattern of Jesus. Paul, the apostle, describes Jesus' life in the following words:

Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name... (Philippians 2:5-9)

Jesus gave His life for the accomplishment of God's purposes in the world. As a result, the world was forever changed. Jesus gave His life for two things. (1) To be with the Father and accomplish His purposes and (2) to serve people in a way that restored them to place intended by the Father.

I believe that each of us has the same opportunity to "live large" and give our life to accomplish God's purposes in the world today. Unfortunately the difficulties usually cause people to choose a "small life" (a life that revolves around themselves and their comfort) and as such never really accomplish anything with their time. Too often we choose the way of safety, sacrificing the opportunity to truly do God-sized things for our own comfort. A wealthy young man came to Jesus but was unwilling to disburse his puny wealth in order to participate with God in his world. (Any amount of wealth is puny compared to the greatness of partnering with God in the redemption of creation).

I choose to live my life for a cause, for the cause of Christ and His current work in the world today. The cause motivates me to willingly sacrifice things people hold dear so that the rule of God can be established on the earth today. I will give my life for a cause that is beyond the comforts of self-centeredness.

Someday I will have to give an account for what I did with my life. I want my life to have radically effected eternity. I want the purposes of God to be evident in the way I lived. I want people to experience all that God has for them because of the way I lived.

Today I choose to live for a cause beyond me. I choose to partner with God and I choose to serve people.

following Jesus in 2007

Jesus' constant invitation to people was "follow Me". To the fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, He said "follow Me". To Matthew the tax collector, He said "follow Me". To a wealthy young man, He said "sell what you have and follow me".

I believe that Jesus still invites us to follow Him in 2007. The question is this - How does following Jesus look in 2007? For each person, that may look somewhat differently. One certainty - if we are to follow Jesus in 2007, then we need to know Him.

For the past several years, most of my Bible reading occurred in the gospels. I want to know Jesus, to understand how He would respond to the situations I face. In the process, I have discovered a gradual but steady change in my thinking. My theology has been challenged. My presuppositions about Jesus and His behaviors have been shaken. Things I held dear were contested. I discovered more questions than answers. But perhaps the deepest transformation involved my priorities.

If we follow Jesus some themes begin to emerge in our life. Themes like:

• A deeper focus on people and less focus on systems and structures (incidentally this results in a deep frustration with religious leaders who value systems and structures above people)
• Less need to control
• Rest instead of striving
• A movement away from "right versus wrong" toward a focus on "life"
• A transformation from programmed discipleship to a deep heart-level interaction with people

This is certainly not a comprehensive list of transformational themes that emerge in our life. Time and space will not permit me to discuss them all. Just as following Jesus transformed the lives of people almost 2000 years ago, today we discover a radical transformation that occurs as we follow Him.

Let me clarify - When I use the term "following Jesus", I am not speaking of following a church (even though the fellowship of believers is a vital part of this walk). I am not speaking about following a pastor or a priest. (even though leadership is part of God's Kingdom). I am speaking of a wildly dangerous adventure, abandoning the things we hold most dear in order to walk with Jesus today. This is a practical lifestyle. We will begin to embody the priorities of Jesus.

I would encourage each of us together to ask, "How does following Jesus look in my life in 2007? Pursue Him and His priorities!

What is really important?

During the past several years, God stripped away many of the things with which I identified myself (and my relationship with Him). For example, I have not purchased a "worship album" in six months. It's not that I don't like music, it's not that I don't deeply enjoy worshipping. Yet God has limited the musical worship in my life at this time. I still worship and pray, but it often is in silence (external silence). The grace to lead larger conferences has disappeared, the invitations to teach have almost dissipated. My identity as a "pastor" no longer exists.

Perhaps at a deeper level, my ability to provide income for my family seems to have diminished. My inclination to work harder, to try more gets me nowhere. An then on top of all this, my efforts to control my emotions and sinful nature fall woefully short.

So who am I today?

In spite of the discomfort of my situation that last several years, there are some things I know. I know that I am a son of the I AM. I know that He is good and loves me deeply. But most of all I KNOW HIM!

I have discovered the reality of God apart from all the "props" that we assume we need. I have discovered what really is real - His love, His desire to be with me, His approval of me. He doesn't love me for what I do but for who I am.