Leadership in the American Church

This coming Sunday, Larry is preaching on Mark 10:35-45 – the passage about who is great, and who is to lead. The American church is obsessed with leadership. The charismatic pastor is featured on the website, the powerful preacher draws a crowd when he (usually a he) preaches, the charismatic worship leader, the authoritative bishop is celebrated on the billboard.

In the American church, Leadership has taken on the image of a dynamic, up front personality who waves a vision in front of the people.

This is simply cultural assimilation. The church is obsessed with leadership because our culture is (or was) obsessed with leadership. This obsession with leadership has created two equal and opposite reactions in the church;

1. People who pursue leadership in the church as a position of power and influence.

2. People who are uncomfortable with the idea of leadership and either resent it or defer to it, grateful that it is not up to them.

Churches are filled with people who have abdicated their roles and leaders who are taking up too many roles. The structure of the church is more like the structure of an Empire, with a single dominant leader and many passive supporters. We have a crisis of leadership – some monopolizing it, others abandoning it.

What Does the Bible Say About Leadership?

(Not as much as some church management books would have you believe!)

1. Jesus is Lord

In this regard, the issue is simple. Jesus Christ is Lord of the church and Lord of the world. This is not an issue under debate. All leadership within the church is to submit to the gracious and firm call of Christ. If Christ commands it, no matter how inadequate we feel we must obey. If Christ commands it, no matter how clever or competent we think we are, we are only soldiers under orders.

2. Solo Leaders are Not the Ideal

The Bible is not obsessed with leadership, because the Bible is not impressed with people. The Bible highlights human incompetence, inadequacy and weakness. The great fathers of the faith are almost comical in their obvious faults. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are more notable for their weaknesses and their life stories are more marked by the grace of God than their ability to lead morally or otherwise.

Kingship, the Biblical model of leadership, is always treated with ambivalence. A good king is a good thing. But a good king is never fully good. That’s why the king is always put into a contentious relationship with a prophet. But even the prophets themselves are shown to be fearful and anxious, and sometimes make mistakes. The hero of the Bible stories is always God, not human actors.

King David, the paradigmatic king, has highs and definite lows. And more to the point whenever he begins to see himself as the ‘savior’ or true leader of his people God is quick to put him in his place (2 Sam 7, 12, 24). He needs his prophet, Nathan, to pull him back from his worst excesses.

But such is our obsession with leadership that modern Christian authors look for it when it doesn’t exist. We paint Peter as a great leader – when the gospel writers go out of their way to show him as a deeply fearful, brash and misguided man. Paul is constantly defending himself from the charges that he is not charismatic enough to be a true apostle.

Who is the leader of the New Testament church? Paul is the most prolific writer and church planter, but his authority is often questioned and is required to defend his legitimacy at every stage. Moreover, he is too busy planting new churches to remain in a position of authority. Peter is the erstwhile ‘founder’ but he is challenged by Paul, and finds himself on a steep learning curve. James is labeled one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem, but only one of. Even in the relative hierarchy laid out in the book of Titus, a plurality of elders is expected (Titus 1:5). Any command to submit to leadership in the church is plural (Hebrews 13:17). The New Testament is a conversation between leaders – sometimes a difficult conversation – rather than a top down set of orders.

This is not to say that there is no need for good organizational leadership, good administration and competence. But these things play less of a role in the movements of God than we might like. The three best human models of leadership in Scripture; Joseph, Nehemiah and Daniel, are so defined by their oppression, difficult circumstances, and the leaders over them, that we are hardly tempted to model our own lives on theirs!

3. We Are Responsible

If leadership is not something that we should be obsessed about, this does not absolve us of responsibility. Grace means that God does choose, anoint, appoint and charge people to lead his church – sinful and broken though we are. Abraham, David, Jacob, Peter and Paul were all chosen, not because of their competence but in spite of their incompetence. Leadership in the Bible is essentially charismatic – it is a gift from God. The church is led by people gifted by God, through the gracious call of God. As Paul says, God loves to use what is weak in the world to shame the strong. (1 Cor 1:26-30).

The point here is that, despite our inadequacy, God uses us to carry out the work of the gospel. A preacher must preach with all his or her might, but God does the work. People will not hear the gospel unless they are told by someone, but it is God who calls. People will only know the love of God when they see it in us, but it is God’s love, not ours which will save them. We acknowledge God as Lord, but take the responsibility that he gives us.

3. Authority in the Household (Smaller Settings)

Interestingly, the most direct discussion of leadership occurs in the household commands of Ephesians and Colossians. Leadership should exist in the home. We need the authority of father and mother, and the father should take responsibility as head of household. The household in Scripture is not simply the nuclear family, but a small household of extended family and various servants. In these settings, there is clear discussion about authority and leadership. 2 points can be made here about smaller leadership environments.

1. In these smaller settings, the goal is not permanent leadership structures, but places of developing and flourishing so that everyone can become leaders in other smaller settings. A governor of a state does not lead people to become governors themselves. But a mother and a father do raise children to become mothers and fathers themselves someday.

2. In these smaller settings the pattern of leadership is personal, and by example. It is not primarily organizational but organic. Leadership is most effective and resistant to corruption in smaller settings.

So, the biblical model is a diversity of gifts and a diversity of roles usually operating in a relatively small environment. The church is built around a group of people, each inadequate in themselves, but together, a united body working together to lead and grow God’s people. Sole leadership is not the biblical ideal. However, leaders are called to guide the people in community, and give shape to the church. In most cases, that leadership takes place in smaller contexts.

The One Church with Many Leaders

We need to resist the world’s dependence on solo leaders who lead from strength alone. Only then we will we discover the true power of the church in Christ. The great vision of God is a body fully dependent on Him, fully united in love. In this way the church is both weak and strong. It is weak because it is filled with weak people. All of who depend on God and on each other. But it is strong because people are faithfully and humbly taking responsibility. Or, as Jesus says in our passage this Sunday, “…whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”

- Josh

20:21 Group Primer

What are 20:21 Group?

20:21 Groups are the practice of discipling and discipleship within OCC. It is where everyone who so desires can get into a small, intimate circle of friends and do the gracious work of helping each other to know ourselves and the gospel more fully. The principles of 20:21 Group are 1. that we are called to make disciples, and Christ will build his church and 2. By the power of the Holy Spirit, each one of us is equipped to disciple others. In other words, discipleship is not the purview of the professionals.

Why 20:21?

The name of the groups comes from John 20:21 – “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Just as we receive Christ’s word and power, we are called to turn and give that to others. Matthew 10:8 says much the same thing about the Holy Spirit – ‘Freely you have received. Freely give.’

20:21 groups are small enough so that no matter how young or inexperienced we are in the word of God, we can begin this process of both giving and receiving. It is a process of breathing in the oxygen of God’s life giving spirit and breathing it out onto others that is the dynamic of a growing Christian community.

20:21 Group meet once a week or every two weeks, for an unbounded period of time. 20:21 Group should primarily be spiritual friendships not a program you commit to. If worship is where we ‘share a moment’ and neighborhood groups are where we ‘share a mission’ then 20:21 Group are where we truly share our lives. Our vision is that OCC be filled with people who graciously and powerfully disciple others.

How do 20:21 Group Form?

As organically as possible. Often 20:21 Groups can arise out of a Neighborhood Group, but they can be called together by anyone who desires to grow in Christ. If you would like to join a 20:21 Group, and don’t know where to start, reach out and connect with Josh.

Sometimes a leader will call people together, but it is not necessary for a leader to start a group. Within a 20:21 Group, a leader will probably emerge, but each person in the group has permission to speak to the other.

A suggestion is to connect with someone you already have an existing relationship with, and then seek together to invite someone to join you. Coinciding schedules is probably the most important determinant for whether a group will be sustainable or not.

The best 20:21 Groups are three people – with three people we can allow different perspectives to speak into our lives. More than three it makes it more difficult to schedule and you probably won’t get enough time to share. If you invite a new person into the group, that’s great – but it probably means that the group should either split to two new groups of two, and seek a new person to join, or one person can spin off to start a new group.

What Happens in 20:21 Group?

Friendship, real conversation, prayer for each other and others, and Scripture exposure. It is not a Bible study, but a way to proclaim the gospel to one another for the purpose of change.

Friendship: Get to know one another. Know each other’s families and backgrounds. Take some time to hear each other’s stories. It is appropriate to spend the first 3 weeks allowing each person to share their story.

Real Conversation: Shoot the breeze, but make sure to go deep. Don’t allow the time to get away from you. The time doesn’t have to be over coffee or food, but make sure you sit down and talk directly to each other.

Prayer: Pray for each other, and for other people.

Scripture Exposure: Open the word and read a passage each week. We are learning more and more how to support you in this aspect of the group. We want to provide you with notes and training on the road.

The Weight of Marriage

Once again, a hard word from Jesus this last week in the gospel of Mark. In regards to divorce, Jesus takes a more rigorous stand than even the strictest teachers of his day. It seems that Jesus refuses to abandon the dream of God; that in spite of human brokenness and evil, the renewal of all things is still possible. Some of us evade or diminish this vision by ignoring the perfect law of God and saying it doesn't apply. Some of us evade or diminish this vision by 'gaming' the perfect law, and trying to tweak it to fit our own inadequacy. (This is what the Pharisees seem to do regularly in the gospels.)

But, and here is the important point, Jesus never diminishes the implicit hope in God's word. He wants us to stand in the beautiful and blinding light of the law of God. It might kill us (morally speaking) but it is the only light in which we can begin to understand God's grace.

If we don't hold God's law as high as Jesus does, Jesus' saving death is made irrelevant. Anything that 'gets us out of it' - that diminishes and weakens the clear vision of God presented in the law undermines our need for God's grace.

In the issue of divorce, Jesus holds that marriage is representative of God's vision of human flourishing and impossible to undo. When we attempt to find a way to make divorce 'okay' we are preferring our patchwork redemption over God's perfect promise of redemption.

We should simply admit that we are unable and trust that God is able. Here is where the humble, confident Christian is born.

What an incredibly difficult word - but it offers hope instead of false promises. I am very curious to hear if any of you had a take on how Larry and I tackled this passage.

Some other resources:

A very helpful book on this issue is called 'Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible'. It addresses a number of the practical, pastoral issues not covered in the sermon on Sunday. The author also has a website that addresses further issues.

Andy Stanley also has a helpful sermon on this issue. You can find it here.

Examining Our Hearts

One of the the things I mentioned in the sermon yesterday is how hard it is to examine the depths of our own hearts. We are afraid of what we will find there; that if we are honest about our real brokenness and sin, we will despair.

It reminded me of a passage from Bob Munger, in his classic sermon 'My Heart, Christ's Home'. In it he writes:

There is just one more matter that I might share with you. One day I found Him waiting for me at the door. An arresting look was in His eye. As I entered, He said to me, "There is a peculiar odor in the house. There is something dead around here. It's upstairs. I think it is in the hall closet." As soon as He said this, I knew what He was talking about. Yes, there was a small closet up there on the landing, just a few feet square, and in that closet, behind lock and key, I had one or two little personal things that I did not want anyone to know about and certainly I did not want Christ to see them. I knew they were dead and rotting things left over from the old life. And yet I loved them, and I wanted them so for myself that I was afraid to admit they were there. Reluctantly, I went up with Him, and as we mounted the stairs the odor became stronger and stronger. He pointed at the door. "It's in there! Some dead thing!"
I was angry. That's the only way I can put it. I had given Him access to the library, the dining room, the living room, the workroom, the playroom, and now He was asking me about a little two-by-four closet. I said to myself, "This is too much. I am not going to give Him the key."
"Well," He said, reading my thoughts, "if you think I'm going to stay up here on the second floor with this odor, you are mistaken. I will take my bed out on the back porch. I'm certainly not going to put up with that." Then I saw Him start down the stairs.

When you have come to know and love Christ, the worst thing that can happen is to sense His fellowship retreating from you. I had to surrender. "I'll give You the key," I said sadly, "but You'll have to open the closet and clean it out. I haven't the strength to do it."

"I know," He said. "I know you haven't. Just give me the key. Just authorize me to take care of that closet and I will." So with trembling fingers I passed the key to Him. He took it from my hand, walked over to the door, opened it, entered it, took out all the putrefying stuff that was rotting there, and threw it away. Then He cleaned the closet and painted it, fixed it up, doing it all in a moment's time. Oh, what victory and release to have that dead thing out of my life!

We also talked about hell last night. I know this is a topic about which there is much confusion. It's been in the news recently because of some recent books and controversy. Here is the best article I have read on the issue: Tim Keller on the Importance of Hell.

The Difficult Path

After hearing Larry's sermon on Sunday, and reflecting on Mark 8:34 all last week, the question that keeps bouncing in my head is this: Is following Jesus difficult or easy?

Throughout the history the church has swung between a 'difficult' vision of discipleship and an 'easy' one. In the early church, martyrdom meant that following Christ was clearly a difficult life choice. But as Christianity became accepted and eventually enshrined as the state religion after Emperor Constantine, many found following Christ to be convenient. In reaction to this, the ascetic movement arose and the Desert Fathers and Mothers voluntarily gave up everything to find Christ in the difficult desert - as a rebuke to comfortable religion in the mainstream. Ever since then, the church has swung between crushing obligation, and what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called 'cheap grace'.

Jesus teaches the true difficulty of following him. It is not a difficulty of trying harder, working harder or being better. It is the difficulty of following him and trusting in his words. Peter followed Jesus every step, until the moment of the cross. And then he abandoned Jesus. We may like much of what Jesus has to say, but the real test comes when what Jesus calls us to feels offensive to us. That's the moment of denying ourselves and taking up our cross.

That's going to mean different things for different people. For some of us it will mean turning the other cheek when we would rather fight. For some of us it will mean entering into a difficult conversation when we would rather run away. For some of us it will mean praying rather than working, For some of us, it will mean working for others when we would rather be indulging ourselves.

The crucial issue is trust. Do we trust Jesus more than we trust ourselves? It means dying to complete understanding and taking up the burden of not know everything - living by trust. It means dying to my judgment of others and taking up the burden of forgiveness. It means dying to my identity and taking up the burden of the church community. It means dying to my comfort and taking up the needs of the city/world. It means dying to my freedom and taking up obedience It means dying to my intellectual pride and taking up the shaming burden of Jesus' name. It means dying to my moral pride and taking up the shaming burden of Jesus' grace.

That's what I am wrestling with today.

Instead of Worry: Rest

Sabbath as Natural Order of All Creatures: We Are Dependent!
Leviticus 25:1-17 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. 3 For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. The Sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired servant and the sojourner who lives with you, and for your cattle and for the wild animals that are in your land: all its yield shall be for food.

We are compelled to rest because we are creatures.

We live in permanent impermanence.

“When we breathe, we do stop inhaling because have taken in all the oxygen we will ever need, but because we have all the oxygen we need for this breath.” Wayne Mueller

(There is judgment against those who ‘add field to field’ (Isa 5:8)

Instead of Worry: Rest

Interesting lecture on taking time off… incidentally, taking a Sabbath year!

http://www.ted.com/talks/stefan_sagmeister_the_power_of_time_off.html