Leadership

Navigating The Goo of Change

Leadership, Student Ministry, We The Church One comment

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird. It would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad. -CS Lewis

My co-worker, Ashley, is leaving us. She is following Christ into a new season. This is will bring change and my last two years have been full of change. In September 2013, I began a new job, working along side and beneath the authority of 2 friends who both then left 4 months into that new job and handed me much more responsibility than I’d anticipated so early on. And,of course, I lead differently than they did. Then we hired Ashley and a couple months following that, we brought on Ron, our new director.  A few months later, I moved from the house I’ve lived in for 4 years to an apartment in Kingwood. Now, we are saying good-bye to Ashley and in a couple months or so, someone new will join the staff (maybe…hopefully). I have experienced a lot of change in the last two years. And I have ushered in change for others in the last two years. Change is hard. Change is exciting. Change is inevitible. And change is good.

I learned awhile ago of a podcast called radiolab. They ask these philosophical questions that relate to science or folk lore and then meet with experts to try to unravel the mysteries. While it isn’t a Christian podcast and they usually scoff at the idea of God, they almost always end with no answers, only awe. One episode I listened to recently was called “Goo and you”. It was about the change of a caterpillar to a butterfly.

They were wondering what happens inside a chrysalis. So the expert sliced one open a couple of days after the caterpillar had finished building his cocoon. Inside, there was no longer a caterpillar. There was nothing but a yellow goo. The caterpillar, it turns out dissolves during this change. No more legs, no organs, just goo. And as I listened, I thought, “That is sometimes what change feels like”. We know what we are going into the change, but once we get all wrapped up in a season of change, sometimes we just feel like goo. No structure. No foundation. Life feels a mess. And somehow, like the caterpillar goo, this messy soup of change, produces something new and beautiful.

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. -Alan Watts

But this change, isn’t complete death of everything old. They discovered that there is some memory preserved. So there is something, core to the creature that survives. And for us, too. As God gives us vision, that vision will go through changes. And in those changes we find moments when it feels like everything we thought was going to be, is dissolving and there is nothing left. But in fact, if God is in the change, the core of the vision is preserved, even if the structure is completely new.

And wait, there’s one more magnificent truth we can see in the creature.  The expert also pointed out something else, just beneath the skin of a caterpillar… before it’s even begun the process of change is the structure for a butterfly. Very thin, transparent, not fully formed, but there, waiting for the moment to become what it is fully intended to be. And somehow these thin little pieces of the future survive the goo of the change.  And again, I believe this is how God creates vision in us. He gives us vision and begins to form it from the beginning, but we cannot see it. It’s there. It may be very fragile, but if it is a creation of Yahweh, then it will survive every change that comes. When the rest of it dissolves, the structure of what is meant to be, is actually becoming reality.

It’s amazing to me that one little creature can teach us so much about God and his design for our growth and the growth of His Kingdom purposes.

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them-that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. — Lao Tzu

I want to turn now to scripture. Because as much as we can learn by looking at the world God created, it is more important to look to His Word. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

And Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So, while we may not always get to choose when or how things change, we always have a choice of where to position ourselves in change.

The reason that there is no shadow due to change in God is because He is the source of light. Just like the sun lights up the earth. The sun has no shadow, only the things it shines on can have shadows. If my back is to the sun, then all I will see are shadows. My path cannot be fully lit up when I stand with my back to the sun. Shadows will darken the path. But, if I turn my face to the sun, the shadows will still be there, but now my path is not blocked by them. Now, everything is lit up and I can see what is really before me more clearly.

There is an old hymn that says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”

When we turn our faces toward Christ, it will not stop circumstances from changing. But, The Light of the glory of Christ will give us proper perspective and it will illuminate the path through the changes. But how do we practically turn our faces to the sun?

The Thessalonians were wanting to know how they were supposed to be living in the space of the already and not yet. Christ had come and brought salvation, but he also said he would return, and they wanted to know how to navigate the in between time. I think Paul’s instruction applies to us as we navigate change as well. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-23, this is what he says,

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So how do you prepare for change and how do you navigate it when it comes? 

You look to Christ by

  • respecting one another and submitting to your leadership
  • seek peace in your relationships here
  • correct each other when you get lazy
  • encourage each other when you get tired
  • help each other learn when there is a weak place
  • be patient in all of it
  • be kind
  • rejoice always
  • pray in every moment
  • look for reasons to be grateful rather than to grumble
  • if the Lord is doing something among you, don’t distract from it
  • hold up every decision to The Word of God to see if it is right
  • And believe, that if Jesus really did conquer death, and he has called you to something, He will do it. If he really rose from the dead, than nothing is impossible for him. And he has laid out visions, plans, purposes for us as individuals and as a ministry family. So even when changes come, He is faithful and He will accomplish the things He has called us to.

Remember, we can’t control when and how change comes, but we can control where we position ourselves in the midst of the change.

What changes are you facing these days? Are you practicing turning your face toward Jesus? Try intentionally doing some of the things listed above and see if you find walking through the changes a bit easier.

4 Ways to Bless Leaders

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Leadership in any realm can be challenging. A good leader doesn’t just forge the trail up the mountain, but she moves ahead to make a way while always stopping to go back to help those she is leading up the trail. A leader has to think forward while caring for the person who is falling behind.

Have you ever thought about a dance instructor or aerobics instructor? I used to be in a zumba class and, not to brag or anything (maybe a little), I was awesome. I love to dance and I pick up steps quickly. So, when our instructor knew she would be on vacation for a couple of weeks, she asked me to step in and lead. I hesitated because I’m no Jane Fonda but I decided that I knew the routines perfectly and could surely handle two weeks of leading.

Y’all, that is no easy job. The class instructor has to not only be able to do the routines perfectly, but there is the whole thing about calling out the steps before you get to them so everyone else knows what’s coming. Your mouth is saying jazz square while your feet are still cha-cha-cha-ing. It’s insanity! Also, take into account that as the class leader, you can’t half-way those dance moves. If you aren’t all in, booty shaking, salsa dancing, Sharkira-hippin it up, the other people in the room sure as heck aren’t going to give it their all. It’s the perfect analogy for leadership really. Eight counts ahead without leaving everyone in the dust. Over the top enthusiasm so others bring just an ounce of their own energy. Leadership is rewarding but let’s get real. This stuff is exhausting.

So in the church, how can we bless our leaders so they don’t burn out but rather lead with joy? I have a few thoughts to share with you and would love to hear any you have as well.

1) Don’t demand to be 1 of the 12.

Everyone wants to be in the inner circle. I get it. I do too. There are people that I observe and I think, “I want to be like them. We should be friends.” And I want so badly for them to give me all the attention they give their closest people.

This is just unrealistic. Jesus had thousands of followers. He loved all of them. He, at times, met the needs of the masses. But He also had 12 guys with whom He did life. These 12 got the inside scoop on the parables and front row seats to the miracles. Even still, within the 12, He had the 3, Peter, James, and John. These guys were His best friends. They didn’t just see the works of Jesus, but they saw the emotions of Jesus more than anyone else.

I’ve had friends in ministry who have cut themselves off from community because so many people have expressed hurt and frustration over not being invited into their inner circle. Y’all, this is not ok. If we are demanding that our leaders let all of us into their inner circle and are so angry when they dare to have a small group of trusted friends, we push them into isolation. An isolated leader is a dangerous leader. With no one to speak truth into their lives, to stand guard with them, to pray over specific struggles, there is a good chance that our leaders will take wrong turns that go unnoticed for months or years because we have told them that if we can’t have them, no one can.

So, don’t demand to be one of the twelve. Rejection is hard. I get it. No one wants to be left out. But, I promise you, if we would set our leaders free from the pressure of having to make all of us their number one, our churches would be much healthier.

2) Pick a new topic

Vocational ministry is one of the most difficult jobs to “leave at the office”. Ministry is a lifestyle more than a job. But, if every time you run into them, all you can think to discuss with your leaders is the ministry of the church, they will very quickly begin to feel less like a human being and more like a means to an end. One can only talk about the “success” of the Christmas Pageant so many times before he starts to wonder if people remember that he did more over Christmas than play Herod in the pageant and sweep up pine needles around the pulpit.

Ministry leaders can morph into little house-elf type creatures in their imaginations. Where do you work? “The church.” Where do you sleep? “The robe room at church.” Where do you eat? “There’s this closet where we keep communion crackers…” Why are you always at the church? “My sole function in life is to pull off a successful Christmas Pageant. That’s all my congregation ever talks about with me so I eat, sleep, and breathe pageant because if I give an ounce to anything else, I’ll have failed them.”

Ask them about their family. Ask them what they are reading for fun. Tell them about the new wine you tried and how much you think they would like it. Maybe offer to buy them a bottle. (If you’re Baptist, substitute tea for wine.) Talk to your leaders about something other than work. They need a break.

3) Pray for them

This seems like a fairly simple one, right? Except, we are terrible at it. I’m terrible at it. It’s so much easier to wonder why our leaders are so awesome (or perhaps even easier, why they are so terrible). We spend so much time thinking about our leaders through our own filters but we never get to the prayer that should be at the end of those thoughts (or perhaps, the beginning).

As followers of Jesus, we know that God’s Word tells us over and over about the effectiveness of prayer. Moses stood in the gap for his people and asked God to spare them and God changed His mind. We know that God hears our prayers and James tells us the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective. And yet, we don’t seem to believe this. We know, like we know the chair is built to hold us, but we never sit down in the chair, we never open our mouths to call on God.

Hopefully, our leaders are being led by the Holy Spirit. But there is most definitely an enemy who does not want them to keep in step with The Spirit. We need to be praying for our leaders. Not sure where to start? Here’s a few suggestions: protection, a healthy and safe community for them, rest and physical health, that they would hear from the Lord regularly, that He would guard them in moments of temptation, that they would trust what God has spoken over them more often than the criticism spoken over them, that they would walk in humility with teachable hearts.

4) Write it down

Speaking of criticism, there is no shortage of it for our leaders. If there is one thing I have learned this year about myself and about human nature, it is that criticism is more natural and constant than praise. Here is the problem with that. It weighs us down. It weighs our leaders down. For every ounce of victory, it seems like there is 10 tons of criticism. It probably isn’t that much of a disparity, but it feels that way.

Here’s why: We are a people that tend to focus on what is right in front of us. When we experience a victory, we acknowledge it, celebrate it even, but in a blink, that moment has passed. A few days, a few hours, maybe even 30 minutes goes by and that triumph becomes old news. But the problems, they aren’t solved in the blink of an eye. They linger as solutions are sorted out. They stick to our ribs and weigh us down. So we bring up the problem. And a few days later, it’s still staring us in the face, so we mention it again. And when it hasn’t been solved by the next month, we bring it to everyone’s attention that we still have an issue. Perhaps, we are just wanting what’s best and we are trying to help. But our leaders live under constant reminders that our churches are broken. They hear the same complaints hundreds of times each month. And usually, they are painfully aware of the truthfulness in the complaints. (There is usually some truth in them, although sometimes there isn’t any truth other than people like to get their own way.)  So even when someone else isn’t reminding them about the problem, those voices of criticism play on a loop in their minds.

Those moments of celebration get buried in a hail-storm of things gone wrong. What we if started writing down the victories? What if, instead of telling the pastor as you exit the sanctuary that his sermon really spoke to you, you write him an email and let him know specifically why it blessed you? What if instead of just reviewing how many people came to an event or how much money was raised, we took time to write down the stories of the day…places where we encountered evidence of God at work? What if we wrote out our celebrations so that our leaders (and we) could revisit them on the days that we feel we are being buried alive by criticism?

Hebrews 13:17 says, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” (NIV)

I’m both a ministry leader and a church member. Most ministry leaders also have someone leading them. (If they don’t, pray for them to find someone to be led by. It’s healthy.) I see both sides. I am in need of your prayers, of the freedom to not have to give everyone full access, of conversations about something other than mission trip or what’s on the calendar. I’ve had a parent hand me a note, telling me how grateful they are that God has brought me to invest in their students. That note came a year ago. I still have it and every time I see it, it is a reminder that there are great things happening, even if the failures are a more popular topic.

I’ve also been the one hurt over not being invited into the discipleship group that my leaders were starting. I’ve been the one wondering why it feels like I value them more than they value me. I’ve been the one having to teach myself to let them build their own small group of trusted friends, their 12, without demanding I be a part of it. I know what it is to get stuck on the problems of the church. Y’all, there are plenty of problems with the church, it is easy to get fixated on them. But I want to be a person that speaks louder and more often about the triumphs than the defeats. I’m not faithful in prayer. I think about how I would like my leaders to be different but I rarely pray that they would hear from The Lord and be brave in following.

So blessing our leaders, it just doesn’t come naturally. I totally get it. But that doesn’t excuse us from it.

What are some other ways you have discovered to bless leaders? If you are a leader, what are ways you have been blessed?

Look Back to Move Ahead

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Every summer, my family would spend a week in New Mexico. It was a long drive but oh so worth it. My favorite moment, of course, was when we arrived at the cabin, but this glorious moment was rivaled by another. I slept during the majority of those drives, but I always made sure to stay awake as we entered the magical place where the mountains peeked over the horizon. I loved looking ahead, off into the distance, dreaming about what the week would hold. We are all experts at looking ahead. We fill our calendars for months in advance and schedule frequent meetings to plan the next season. We love to dream dreams and envision possibilities. There is certainly purpose in the planning. Scripture speaks to it in Proverbs 21:5. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance.” And we know that vision for what God is doing is necessary based on Proverbs 29:18. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Our God places in us, the excitement of what is ahead. However, we mustn’t forget to look back.

Deuteronomy is one of my favorite places to park in scripture. Over the years, as I have journeyed through the pages with the Israelites, it struck me how often Moses tells the wanderers to remember.

Deuteronomy 4:9-10 “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, ‘Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.’”

Deuteronomy 5:15 “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.”

Deuteronomy 7:17-19 “You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear.”

Deuteronomy 8:1-3 “Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 9:6-8 “Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. Remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord. At Horeb you aroused theLord’s wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you.”

Deuteronomy 11:2,7-8 “Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm…But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done. Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Deuteronomy 24:17-19 “Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this. When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”

Did you notice any patterns in those verses? The remembering is never about the remembering. Rather, the intentionality of not forgetting where God has taken us is always meant to lead to a response.

  • Remember and teach your children to revere The Lord.
  • Remember and rest.
  • Remember and do not fear.
  • Remember and trust God.
  • Remember and do not claim your own righteousness.
  • Remember and let it lead to obedience.
  • Remember and give grace as it has been given to you.

Our present faith and future action is directly related to our remembering. Even the legacy we leave has to be not only about what we do today, but even more so, about what God has done already.

In Psalm 77 and Psalm 105, the writer takes time to list out what God has done. He says, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord,” and then he begins to list them. I desire to make that a habit in my own life. I challenge you to to do some remembering as well. Specifically, I encourage you to consider the season prior to the one in which you are currently walking. Think of two specific acts of the Lord and what impact those two moments have had on your present faith.

If you feel so inclined, I’d love for you to share your rememberings with us. Leave a comment and let us know how your past wanderings with God have led to greater faith in this season of your life.