Grace and peace in the name of the one who came to serve and not be served, Jesus the Christ!
In the nearly quarter century that I’ve been involved in ordained ministry, there has been a noticeable shift in how congregations view leadership. In short, the “show” has more attention than character does in how leaders are viewed. How often are we disappointed when those deemed by society as leaders or influencers, because they do not live up to the roles portrayed. Many in sports, entertainment, politics, etc. are lifted as wholesome, smart, caring, etc. and then their “behind the scenes” self is revealed and suddenly, the praise and attention is no where to be found. That culture has gone into the church as well.
So many churches, due to fear, need for control, and anxiety, think that growth and liveliness comes from the new program or charismatic praise or songs that say Jesus is my best friend or something like that. An important piece is missed or glossed over when such theology is mass produced. There is no depth to what is shown in those offerings. If Jesus is only “my best friend” then should life take a turn for the worse, logic states Jesus doesn’t like me anymore. Nothing is further from the truth. “Jesus is my best friend” leaves out the fact of Jesus being the Son of God, Savior of the world, and Lord of all. Sin still has a hold in this world and our brokenness, and the brokenness of the world still has an impact upon us. We are still loved by God in Jesus, with grace abounding, which shows us the depth of God’s love found in Christ Jesus.
The scriptural example of faith does not come from works or how people accomplish tasks, but in their character and faithfulness. In the time of the kings of Israel (Samuel, Kings, Chronicles) the kings and leaders of Israel are marked by their character, not by what they do or produce. The “evil done in the sight of the Lord” shows their character of how unfaithful they are to God. The book of Judges speaks of the “people doing what is right in their own eyes” stating the selfish nature of Israel’s character. How often is our culture in similar places?
We at Zion are blessed to have people of character among us. Especially in the council. I’m not degrading those who have served before on council at all, this current group are ones who want to serve and not be served. They deeply desire for Zion to flourish and be faithful to what God in Jesus through the Holy Spirit is calling us into. I’m thankful there are more people at Zion than who are on the council that show character does matter. The next step is having our character show faithfully to make a friend, be a friend, and then bring that friend to Jesus, faith, church, etc.
My experience has been that others see the character of a faith community quickly. What type of community are we inviting others into? A community in for the show that glosses over the challenges of life, or one who faithfully walks alongside others as authentically as possible and lives out the grace that was first shown to us in Christ Jesus? Which would you like us to be?
By His grace,
Pastor Chris