At What Cost Focus?

Preparing to host the Quickening Preview on August 31st brings back to mind some of the lessons I have learned from Brian Klemmer and his team.

• When intention is clear, the mechanism will appear
• It may not be my fault, but I always share responsibility
• No matter how eloquent or true, excuses are no substitute for excellent results in God's reign
  
• Those who lead must serve

Every one of these has corollaries in Scripture - particularly in the teaching of Jesus.

Who among us would not want to lead or to be part of congregations that, in a Church-wide Congregational Olympics, would win a gold medal?

Who among us would turn down an opportunity to help mentor the apostolic equivalent of a Michael Phelps or the Williams sisters - Venus and Serena"

And, despite God's track record for bringing life out of unlikely places, what reasons do we frequently hear when the results of hard work and faithfulness don't produce exceptional fruit?

• If we just had better attendance and more youth . . .
  
• If only our members were more invested . . .
  
• If only this community was not so parochial . . .
  
• If only we included more . . . (name your oppressed group) in leadership . . .
  

Mea culpa! (I thought I'd admit it before you correctly pointed it out.) Been there. Still go back to that up-chuck more often than I care to think about. Just can't stay there, however, and move forward. (Or as Henry Blackaby likes to say, "You cannot go with God and stay where you are.")

If we would allow God to better clarify our focus, would we not only see more clearly God's intended future, but, looking around at the same context, suddenly notice more of the provisions given to us by a God who is passionate about loving people. And what about all those gifts given to us by those who went before us in hot pursuit of God's highest intention?

Tom Russell rightly reminds me at every turn that we need not beat up on pastors for not delivering on God's promise. Church, after all, is unlike professional sports. It's mission is carried out by volunteers - many running only on what the Spirit provides today. It is never the fault of any pastor for congregational failure, however, don't we all share responsibility? Does not the life of the congregation - its strengths and weaknesses, victories and struggles reflect to some degree our own stuff?

My own continuing education has become less focused upon technique and more on developing my character. I can have the best tools, programs, and congregational context available, yet, if my own life is unfocused and short on positive results I will probably also notice that also in the communities that I serve.

From recent reflections by Tom Bandy, a few questions may help to guide our introspection:

• For whom does my heart burst? Whose suffering or failure to fully become who they are in God keeps me awake at night?
  
• What am I driven to accomplish for/with them? What else am I willing to give (or to give up) to do more of that or to do it with greater excellence?
  
• Am I part of a "pilgrim band" from which I receive and give helathy accountability and appropriate support? If not, is my reason for not creating one really more compelling than my reasons to be in one?
• Do I really believe that the purpose of my life is God's purpose? If not, what am I doing in ministry?
  

Lately, I answer the same questions in this way:

• My heart bursts for leaders who struggle to what they love with more excellence among those they love and serve
• What I want with and for them are more and better networks of support so that they succeed more often and with greater effect in leading communities that make the Kingdom an earthly reality in their zip code
  
• I'm willing to give more time and energy to becoming a better human being so that when I am invited to bring my "tools," I don't distract from what God will do with those tools in that moment. One way I'm working at that is to say "Thank you," and mean it, more often.
• I am part of a pilgrim band. The area staff of nine paid and volunteer staff (and growing) has done more to sharpen and support than I could ever have imagined
• I do believe that God's purpose trumps every personal dream. I cannot out-create, out-redeem, out-inspire God. Left to its own devices, the planet and everything in it will run out of energy and dis-integrate. The will to live and love - as modeled by Jesus Christ - keep that from happening sooner than later. I cannot think of anything better to offer with my life than that.

How about you? How do you gain clearer focus? What are striving to achieve in Jesus' name? How may I better support you this week?

Bill