Musings at Altitude

I was smacked today at church; not literally, but figuratively!

In this morning’s service, we officially welcomed our new Senior Pastor, and part of the service was a charge to him as our new church leader and to us as his congregation. 

Our guest speaker started with the congregation and asked us to turn to Romans 12:10-13:

Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.  Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. 

Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.  Help the needy; be inventive in hospitality.  [The Message]

He used these four verses to challenge us with our obligations as the congregation under the leadership of our new Pastor:

• Be respectful
• Be responsible
• Be reinforcing
• Be reasonable
• Be responsive

For those of us being led, it’s our responsibility to be a family, to work together, to open ourselves up to teaching and then learning, and to do the things needed of us as part of the family.  It’s also our responsibility to be supportive and encouraging, and most certainly not critical and condescending.

As he turned his focus to our Pastor, he reminded him (and us) that the leader isn’t the one doing all the work; but the leader is responsible for equipping those being led so they have the passion and the tools needed for the work.

He used 2 Timothy 2:1-6 to reinforce his points:

So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ.

Pass on what you heard from me – the whole congregation saying Amen – to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others

When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did.

A solider on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace.  He concentrates on carry out orders.

An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere.

It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. [The Message]

He challenged our Pastor as the shepherd of this flock to:

• Be grace filled
• Be a discipler
• Be absorbed by the ministry
• Be self-disciplined
• Be diligent

He counseled our Pastor to carve out time for prayer and study, not because of his leadership role at the church, but in his personal quest to become like Christ.  And he ended by saying that he would be checking up on our Pastor monthly, and he’d be specifically asking him if he was indeed spending time in the Word and in prayer.

As I listened to the challenge put to us, I couldn’t help but sense that this message was not just for our new Pastor and the congregation, but also for anyone as leaders and anyone being led.

Without going into great detail, I winced as I heard each point today, because I clearly felt they were aimed at me.  As a follower, I need to be more respectful, more responsible, more reinforcing, more reasonable, and more responsive.  I also need to encourage and support more, and criticize and rebel less.  As a leader, I need to be more committed to my time in prayer and in the Word, and I need to be more disciplined in my actions and attitudes.  I also need to re-ignite the passion for the work I do, and use that passion to nurture and equip others; and I need to be absorbed and diligent in my job, and quit yearning for those “greener pastures” elsewhere.

As I think back to the words spoken today, it was a tremendous charge to our Pastor and his congregation.  But equally as important, it was a reminder to me that I need to get my own “house” in order as both a follower and a leader.  In both areas, I’ve come up short lately, and I have a strong sense that God used the message today to give me His plan to get me back on track with His will.

He knew I needed to be smacked!