Skip to content

Archive for April, 2010

26
Apr

Its OK to Say the F-Word

In reflection on Dean’s apology for his use of the s-word in last week’s sermon I couldn’t pass up a little tongue in cheek post. Mike Foster tempted me and I couldn’t refuse with his post today. Enjoy.

People of the Second Chance

ITS OK TO SAY THE F-WORD
April 25th, 2010 8:07:23 pm

f-word-grace-people-of-the-second-chance Posted by Mike Foster: Follow Mike On Twitter

The F-word is a dirty word and people don’t like to hear it.

Just understand if you dare mention it, respectable people may not like you.

God help us if we ever say it in church or in staff meetings.

It’s critical that we shield our children from experiencing it.

The F-word is used in the gutter and foul places.

Sometimes it slips out after throwing back a few beers in raw conversations with our friends.

Now I’m not talking about the four letter F-word but the other word we shouldn’t say. The word is….FAILURE.

In our success addicted culture it’s just not cool to bring it up. We dare not say such things.

But I’m not willing to censor my language anymore. And you shouldn’t either.

Just plan on the F-word to pop out when I talk to you.

I’m really sorry if you’re bothered by this but I just can’t help myself.

I curse like a prodigal.

12
Apr

His Bidding

Another classic this week by David Timms, see the Good Friday post for his last bit of insight. Let me also recommend a book we used in his Servant Leadership class that I feel is a must read for every Christian who leads, every staff person, every elder: Uncommon Leadership by Robert Dean Kuest It’s a phenomenal book, not popular, but phenomenal.

Good servants don’t get to do what they want.

In the ancient world, slaves and servants did not enjoy the freedom to pursue personal ambition, vision, or plans. They served their master’s pleasure. The very notion that they might have their own agenda or function autonomously never crossed their minds, except in rebellious moments. Serving their master did not leave room to choose their own career, build their own little kingdoms, or seek power and fame. They lived, humbly, for a single purpose—to do the master’s bidding.

When the apostle Paul described himself as a bondslave of Christ, this model of servitude surely dominated his thinking. He understood very well that the primary task of slavery to Christ is not busyness of our own making or dreams of our own devising but diligent attentiveness to the Master, willingness to do as He requests, and obedient responsiveness.

If Jesus or Paul had spoken of themselves (and us) as team captains, chief strategists, Kingdom CEOs, we might rightly surmise that our job is to take charge. But the words steward, servant, and slave dominate their language.

The servant metaphor underscores a profound spiritual truth. We are not our own. We have been bought with a price. Christ redeemed us (bought as back—a slavery term) by dying on the Cross.

In a church as enamored with power, allusions of grandeur, and visions of personal success as the world, those of us who wear the mantle of leader would do well to replace it in our minds with the biblical image of slavery. When ambition, power, pride, and control intoxicate us and leave us spiritually numbed and stumbling, it might help to revisit some of the oldest Christian ground of all.

“Though Jesus was in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant.” (Philippians 2:6-7)

Of course, the call to servanthood extends well beyond those in Christian leadership. It includes all of us who name Christ as Lord.

Whose bidding are we doing this week? Are we attentive and responsive to Him above all else? Or do we remain distracted and devising our own plans? May we increasingly discover true freedom in serving Him.

In HOPE –

David

1
Apr

The god of Significance – part 4

David Timms is a teacher and friend. I’m honored to call him both. His reflections below are worth digesting and may cause you to significantly re-think why we lead. Is our quest to be great leaders really bowing to the god of Significance? To check out more by him pick up one of his books.

       Servants not Leaders

The “leadership” buzzword of the past 25-30 years has completely distracted us. We’ve blamed the demise of congregations on poor leadership. We’ve cried out for stronger leadership. We’ve attended leadership conferences and devoured leadership books.

In church circles, leadership sells well. People buy it — and buy into it — by the bucketload. We nurture it and honor it and cheer each other on to be more visionary, authoritative, democratic, decisive, ends-focused, goal-driven, and success-oriented.

It’s the age-old quest for greatness, shrouded loosely in the ecclesiastical garb of respectability.

But we’ve not only been distracted. We’ve been duped; deluded by the business models of our culture and the corruption of our own hearts.

Jesus did not call His disciples to be leaders. He called them to be followers and to be servants. He never used the term “ruler” or “leader” to motivate or define any of the apostles. He viewed them as learners (disciples) not leaders.

Some folk may shake their heads and suggest that good leaders are servants, as though they have tidily reconciled the two concepts. The phrase “servant-leader” seems to do that nicely. But would we be willing to drop the term “leader” altogether? Would we rush to attend a conference on “Serving Selflessly”? Would we read a book titled, “Aim Lower: You’re Nothing But a Servant”?

In the first century, the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “We do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5) “… and ourselves as your bondservants.” What a bold statement. We may fear saying the same thing lest people think less of us or, worse, take advantage of us.

But that’s how it works in the Kingdom at its best. Everything is backwards and upside down. Then one day we realize that it’s our lives that have been backwards and upside down and in a moment of shining clarity we discover that down is up and low is high; not that it matters any longer to us.

On this Easter Thursday, may we pursue the path of servanthood to honor the One who washes our feet and calls us to do the same.

In HOPE –

David