God Is In Charge

Exodus 18:13-27

1 Peter 5:1-14

Two sections from our readings caught my eye today, one from Exodus and the other from 1 Peter. “You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Let them sit as judges for the people at all times…” (Exodus 18:21-22a). “…I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it - not for sordid gain but eagerly. Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1c-3). Though these passages are separated by centuries, and though one comes from before the arrival of Jesus Christ and the other from after his resurrection, the similarities are striking. They each stress that the wellbeing of God’s people depends on a proper understanding of leadership. Those who lead are to be honest and devoted to God. They should be willing to serve and yet humble and restrained in that service. They should be able to offer sound judgment and oversight so that the community may function to its fullest potential. And it is clear in each case that God remains sovereign at all times.

Years ago my wife (with whom I was co-pastoring at the time) and I struck up a friendly conversation with a minister from a different denomination, one that does not normally ordain women as ministers. He was not put off by my wife’s occupation nearly as much as he was puzzled by our shared ministry. After a number of thoughtful questions he finally pointed to the two of us and asked, “but who’s in charge?” To which my wife answered, “Jesus is in charge.” The other minister laughed good-naturedly. But my wife was right. Within the community of faith God remains the foundation for all leadership. Those who would serve the church in whatever capacity must be willing to in turn to be led by God’s will. Only then can they exercise the authority given to them.

Humility, dedication, wisdom, godliness; these are the hallmarks of sound leadership. But God is always in charge.

Prayer: Lord, help us to serve you even as we lead others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It’s Not All Up To Me

Luke 18:9-14

One of my earliest sermons–written for my intro to preaching and worship class in seminary–was based on today’s passage from Luke. It was one of the more wretched sermons I’ve ever preached. At the time, of course, I was actually proud of the effort but I had a great deal to learn and fortunately my preaching has improved over the years.

Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 18:14). Jesus was condemning the self-righteousness of the Pharisee and offering assurance to those who, like the tax collector, come to God with humility. This is a powerful reminder of God’s concern for the least and the lost, but it points as well to the fact that we don’t always know what we are capable of. As a preacher I am often amazed at the response I get from folks following worship. It seems that when I’ve preached what I thought to be a solid–if not profound–sermon there is little comment. But when I’ve preached a sermon that I did not feel particularly good about, one that could have been so much better in my opinion, I’ve gotten sincere thanks from people who found meaning and hope in my words. Go figure.

The truth is that it’s not all up to me. I have a role to play in the life of the church but it is only by the grace of God that my words or actions make a difference. Like all of us I should do my best to God’s glory but beyond that I can only trust God to accomplish the divine purpose. It may be that my “wretched sermons” are the ones that touch lives while the ones that I feel proudest of are far less meaningful for community of faith. If that is true, so be it. The last thing any of us need to do is to exalt ourselves before the Creator. We need to leave our egos out of the equation and pray that the Holy Spirit will work through us. Humility really is far more pleasing to the Lord.

Prayer: O Lord, help us to serve you with humility and to put our faith in you alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

NOTE: Beginning on February 25, I will be including blog posts each Saturday written by "guest bloggers" who will offer their insights on the readings for that particular day. I deeply appreciate the willingness of these folks to share their time and talents with us. Be sure to stop by on upcoming Saturdays to see what they have to say.

No Way to Run a Campaign

John 6:1-15

Maybe it's because the lengthy process for electing a president is in full swing here in the US, but I found one verse from our gospel reading today to be poignant. "When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself" (John 6:15). While we in America are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to determine the next president, Jesus, who could have been king by acclamation, ran away and hid from the crowds.

I think if I had 60 seconds in which to speak to each of the major candidates for our highest office I would point to this verse and say, "this is what leadership is about. If you really want to make a difference in lives, then follow this example of love and self-sacrifice." But I know that if I really did have the chance to say these things to the major candidates every one of them would thank me for my time and interest and shake my hand. As they did so the honest ones might actually say what they were thinking. "How utterly naive! Don't you know just how complex and challenging the world really is? How can you come to me, point to one verse of scripture, and tell me that's what it's all about?" And they would be right. It is a very naive thing to say in terms of modern politics. But what could possibly be more important than the righteousness of God and the truth of the coming kingdom? And why shouldn't love, self-sacrifice, and a healthy dose of humility before God be requirements for elected office?

And then it hits me! What have I done today to foster love and self-sacrifice and humility? What have I done today to follow in the steps of Jesus Christ? So while I long for someone to follow Christ’s example as a public leader I know that I, too, have a role to play in my own life; we all do. So lead on, Lord, but don't get too far ahead. Your people are awfully slow to follow.

Prayer: Lord, may those who seek to lead do so with true humility and with justice and with love. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Holding and Waiting

Hosea 12:2-14
Acts 26:24-27:8
The words found in Hosea 12:6 are quite similar to more familiar words from the prophet Micah. Hosea charges the people to “…hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God” (Hosea 12:6). Micah, of course, calls on God’s people “to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). It is waiting "continually for God" (what I would consider an act of humility as it puts one totally at God’s behest) that Paul demonstrates so clearly in the account from Acts 26 and 27. Paul might have been freed from imprisonment, according to king Festus, had he not already appealed to the emperor (Acts 26:32). But Paul’s mission is not to go free, it is to go where God’s intends him to go, waiting continually for God, and walking in humility. This is how Paul finds himself en route to Rome as a prisoner, prepared to address the highest authorities in the known world concerning Jesus Christ as Messiah.

Waiting is not something I do well, nor is humility for that matter. Learning to accept where God has sent me as an opportunity instead of a burden requires my will and my aspirations to be subsumed into God’s purpose. It requires me to trust God instead of my own instincts. It forces me to live in open reliance upon God’s presence in my life. How did Paul, of all people, manage this? How did he allow himself to go from active persecutor of the church, to global apostle, to one in shackles? He did it by holding fast to what God expected of him and by “waiting continually for God” in faithfulness.

At some point today you or I may find ourselves in a difficult situation. We may feel that the best way to handle things is to figure it out for ourselves, to use our own wisdom and skill to deal with things. What Hosea reminds us, and what Paul knew, is that God is calling us to trust in the divine will and to live accordingly, with love, justice, and patient humility. It isn’t easy. But it is God’s will. And really, that should be enough for you and me.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live with justice and love and patience, even in the most trying of times. In Jesus’ name. Amen.