One of the fads many in the institutionized church pursue today is Leadership Development. And, as is typical of these fads, nothing good is happening and spiritual and numerical decline continues.
As is the case with many fads, this one copies the world and has no root at all in the way Jesus lived or in the things Jesus taught. More to the point with Leadership Development, this fad spits in the face of Jesus.
When Paul wrote to the disciples in Rome, whom he'd not yet met, he didn't introduce himself as a leader of the church.
These are his opening words to the Romans:
"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus..."
If, according to the way people in the institutionized church think, anyone in the early days of the Christian movement could have thought of himself as a leader of the church, Paul could have claimed that status.
What's crucial for people in the institutionized church today to understand is this: While Paul could have thought of himself in terms of his relationship to the church, that's not at all how he thought of himself.
Paul thought of himself in terms of his relationship with Jesus and with God.
Long before Paul thought about his relationship with the church, he thought of himself in terms of his relationship with Jesus as his first words to the Romans make clear.
So, he wanted the disciples in Rome to know him not as Paul who was leader of the church but as Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus.
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This Leadership Development fad must hold a power attraction to people who hold positions of authority in the institutionized church. They count themselves as leaders of the church. How wonderful would it be to develop more leaders so they could be leaders of leaders.
But, the Jesus-truth is that when, in Mark 10, James and John approached Jesus and asked Him, essentially, to allow them to be the highest ranking leaders among other leaders, Jesus came down on that suggestion like a ton of bricks.
He told James and John and the other ten, that, among Gentiles, rulers exercise authority over people they rule but He said:
"Not so with you...whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant." He added that whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
Then He added that even He, the Son of Man, did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.
Based on the way of Jesus, the community of disciples doesn't need to develop leaders these days. In fact, more leaders is the very last thing it needs. What the people of the Way need today is more servants: Not leadership development but servant development.
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Recently, I noted that I know of people who want to pursue the Kingdom but that they, very simply, don't know how to do it.
The emphasis on Leadership Development is one point of proof of that reality.
One reason they don't know how to pursue the Kingdom is that they think of themselves in terms of their relationship with the church. And, they think of others in terms of their relationship with the church.
Not in terms of their relationship with Jesus, who came into the world preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God, not the coming of the church.
Until they understand themselves and others first of all in connection to Jesus, they will never know how to pursue Kingdom.
We need fewer who fashion themselves as leaders of the church. We need many, many more who regard themselves, first and only...
...as Paul did...
As servants of Christ Jesus.
We must repent.
"What's crucial for people in the institutionized church today to understand is this: While Paul could have thought of himself in terms of his relationship to the church, that's not at all how he thought of himself.
ReplyDeletePaul thought of himself in terms of his relationship with Jesus and with God."
YES!!! A million times, yes! Good word. Thanks.