Reflections on Piper's decision

I have admired John Piper's ministry from a distance for some time. Anyone who can plant his life in a church for 30 years has some things to teach us all as pastors. Last Sunday John Piper made an announcement to his church that he is taking an 8 month leave. You can read about it here.

I have a desire to stay where I am pastor for at least a couple of decades. So, I have reflected on this decision by John Piper more than once over the past few days. Here are a few random thoughts as I have done so.

1. My family (especially my marriage to Leigh Ann) is front and center. If I lose my marriage, I lose my ministry. More than that, if I lose my marriage I lose my most prized earthly possession. I must be intentional about cultivating my relationship with my best friend.

2. Guard my heart (soul). John doesn't share details but he does point to pride in his soul. What a wake-up call. There is a great nugget in Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life . I am still working through what this means.

3. The church is more than one man. Trust me, no one is more keenly aware of this than I. However, I sometimes catch myself, in weaker moments, thinking "it all depends on me". If someone of the stature and visibility of John Piper can step away, it is obvious he has done a good job of leading a group of people to not be dependent on him, but on the Lord. That is my heart's cry for ClearView.

4. Accountability is vital to long term health of a leader. I would add, especially a pastor. The elders of Bethlehem have obviously been a major part of helping John make his decision. A man who stands alone will not stand for long.

5. Transparency. John has been transparent with his church about the fact that he is working through some things. There is a delicate balance a pastor must walk. Share enough that people understand you are human (which should keep you humble). Yet, not so much that people think your life is falling apart. A humble strength. I think this is what is termed "meekness" in Scripture. I am still wrestling with what to do with this one, but transparency for John is a part of who he is as a pastor / leader. John mentions a culture of transparency at Bethlehem. How do you create that? Is length of time as a pastor a factor in doing so? Trust is obviously a key factor. You can't be transparent with someone if you think they are going to hit you over the head with it.

The primary lesson for me is not to fall asleep at the wheel of my own life. I admire John for sharing this with his church. And I appreciate his church for being an example of what it looks like to want the best for her shepherd.

God bless you John. And God bless you Bethelehem Church.

A word about mentors

I know. It's been too long since I have posted. May was a month that got away.

Anyway, I traveled to Chicago with a good friend of mine (David Landrith)Sunday and Monday. The purpose of the meeting was to meet with another good friend (James MacDonald). If you know me personally or read this blog very much, you know that James has had a profound impact on my life. It was through a series of conversations with James that I felt the Lord leading me back to local church pastoring after being in a parachurch ministry for a decade.

Funny thing is, we talked very little about the specific subject of me making that change. But God used conversations with a man so passionate about the church and so passionate about doing it right by building it on the Word that I could feel something begin to burn inside me that had not burned in quite some time. I never want that flame to burn low again. So, I made the journey to spend a few hours with the instrument God had used to re-ignite my passion for preaching and people.

I know we all have people we learn from and some we might even put on the level of "mentor" as I do James in my own life. Let me suggest a few things to think about before you assign someone the role of mentor in your life.

1. Do they point you to Christ? At the end of the day, it's all about becoming more like Christ. If that person makes you want to become more like them than they do about Christ, something is missing in you (the one being mentored) or in them (the mentor).

2. Do they stretch you? If you come away from time with that person, or if it is a distant mentor (author, etc.), is your thinking challenged? Do they force you to look at yourself and ask some really tough questions? I don't want to stay as I am. I want to grow and change as needed for God to use me in ways that will bring Him maximum glory.

I thank God for bringing the right mentor at the right time in my life.

Change

I sent a tweet earlier today with a brief comment that Facebook and iTunes have made dramatic changes in their look recently. The Tennessean had an article today about the changes facebook recently made to their site. The title of the article is: Backlash Begins on Facebook's New Look. I almost had to laugh out loud. I have a facebook page. I have been one to click to change back to the old look every time I've had an option. But I think it is funny that the generations that use this site are the very ones that are supposedly the generations that have lived with change all their lives and therefore the generations that embrace change. What are we doing?

iTunes released iTunes 8.0. I downloaded it yesterday. It's very different from the previous versions. My first thought was, "Why did they change it? I like the old one just fine." Then I caught myself. What was I doing griping about change?

I've spent my entire adult life leading groups to make changes. I can't remember a single change I have asked people to make that I did not believe was going to beneficial to them or to the mission to which we had been called. Yet, my first thought when change was "imposed" on me was to ask, "What am I losing?" Why didn't I embrace these changes with gratitude that the leaders of these two tools were obviously making changes that they believed would enhance my experience with their offerings? But that's just not human nature.

I will get accustomed to the new changes made by facebook and iTunes. I will even like them better, no doubt, once I get used to them. I will even soon forget what the older looks were like.

The statement I made in the twitter was that change is not optional. It is a matter of survival these days. This is one of the reasons I most love God. He is unchangeable (I love that line in the worship song). When everything else around me is spinning seemingly out of control, I know God is always there and He never changes.

The world is changing. Expect it. Accept it. Deal with it.

God will never change. Know it. Count on it. Rejoice over it. Live at peace because of it.

Reluctant leadership ... just wondering

Many of the leaders we see in Scripture were reluctant leaders. Moses is a case in point. When God gave Moses his assignment as leader of the Exodus, Moses began a fast backpeddle. To say he did not want the job as leader is an understatement. David was not looking for a leadership role when God brought Samuel into his life to anoint him the next king of Israel. Abraham was minding his own business when God told him to move out of Ur and head west. Peter was a fisherman when he was called to be one of the 12. A move that would later thrust him into the spotlight as a leader in the early church. The list goes on.

In thinking about this I have wondered why this is. There are many who long for a leadership role. In fact, they are almost obsessed with it. Do those that see leadership as something to be desired or a goal to obtain make better leaders? Are those that are reluctant weaker leaders? Are those that are reluctant more aware of their own blindspots and therefore make more effective leaders? How do reluctant leaders find themselves in leadership? Shouldn't anyone in leadership deeply wish to be in leadership? What % of people in leadership sought out that leadership position? What drives some to seek leadership?

The reluctant leaders mentioned in paragraph 1 above seem to have done quite well though reluctant when initially given their assignments.

Just a reminder

Are you giving it your best today or are you settling for less?

Spiritual leaders give it their best every day. The mission is too critical not to.

Most Important Leadership Skill

Leadership development has been a passion of mine for years. I never gave it much thought until early into my first pastorate. It was then I learned if I could not figure this part out, I would not survive long as a pastor. How do you organize people? How do you motivate them? What is a strategy ... really? Vision? Mission? How do you get everyone (or at least most) going in the same direction?

Well, I became obsessed with the subject. One book led to another. One conference seemed to more conferences. Not long ago, I tried to count how many books and conferences and seminars and leadership groups and mentors and ... I had gone through over the past 20 years. I gave up. Ad nauseum is an accurate count.

After all of the training ... more than that, after 20 plus years of leading various organizations, I have come to one conclusion. The most important leadership skill is (drum roll please): Relationship skills.

I know, I am a slow learner. We spend so much time on mechanics ... strategy ... vision ... budgeting ... planning (short term and long term) ... execution ... organization. But if you can't do healthy relationships, none of the above will matter. And yes, this is especially true in churches. It is all about the people. It is imperative you learn to work with and through people if you are going to see disciples made (the mission given by none other than Jesus Christ Himself).

So, we learn to forgive. To let go of any prejudices and stereotypes that would hold us back. To communcate. To speak truth in love. To listen more than we speak. Never gossip. Be patient. Kind. Honest. Trusting. Keep no record of wrongs. See the best in others, not just the worst. Not be petty. Encourage one another. Pray for one another. Carry one another's burdens. Support. Treat others the way we would want to be treated.