new-to-me thoughts on "leadership"

April 15, 2009

(This is a continuation of my thoughts from yesterday! If you want to see what started me down this trail, go to the April 14 blog at my penandpapermama blog)

This morning when I woke up I was thinking about a project that a pastor I know is doing - developing a dozen or so husband-and-wife leadership couples. He had been talking about the whole "being in the zone" with the Holy Spirit, and how God seems to do His work in spirals or seasons (rather than in a linear style)... and then he started talking about "leadership couples" ... and I have to admit, when he started in with the "L" word, I very nearly automatically tuned out, because over the past few years I have to admit it has become a "dirty word" to me, related to control and rigid systems and programs, with little room left for the flow of the Spirit... and to resulting power struggles, and pain and hurt and anger, and church/ family splits...

but as I lay there waking up this morning, I remembered something else ___ said... that before he could become a leader of leaders, he needed himself to surely "be in the flow," in the "zone" of God's Spirit and work -- rather than designing a plan and then begging God to come onboard and honor it. And it occurs to me that if he really means that, he is talking about a totally different kind of "leadership" ... more of a role-modeling and encouragement from one who has already learned (to some degree) to walk the way/ path, who already is really in relationship with Father, really living in the vine... and who can, by life example, encouragement, teaching (as it is integrally involved in living the Life), exhorting...

Like Paul said, follow my example as I follow Christ's example. So this is a leadership of BEing, modeling, mentoring... rather than of theory, control, etc...

"BE as I am ... as I have learned to BE as Jesus is" rather than "DO as I say [which, sadly, more often than not, ends up with "not as I do."].

I have been thinking, myself, that the only way to really "cure the ills" of "systematized" churches (and Christian schools, and other "Christian" institutions and organizations) is to first destroy all the scaffolding that surrounds them and holds them up, raze it to the ground, and then start over on the simple foundation of God alone... with the freedom that provides...

But I wonder... if people could learn to live "in the zone/ in the flow" of Your Spirit, Your life... and "lead" others into that place in a truly "shepherding" way... a "BEing" way... and then they in turn lead others... maybe if that really happened, the "scaffolding" would just naturally fall away because it is no longer necessary... and if some aspects of such scaffolding, which in their present forms have come to function as a prison - maybe they would be freed from man's "doing"/ control to allow God Himself to use them freely as He chooses.

Maybe purposeful "razing" could end up being a "DO-ing" in itself... and inevitably become precursor to just another "system"...

Father, I don't know "the answer/ method/ whatever" ... but maybe that is good... because maybe it means, finally, that we have to do just as John was saying... just as You said in Your Word: live YOUR life... in You, the Vine, in Your Spirit, in Your love... being in Your Oneness, Your unity... BEing like Jesus...

and as we walk with You, in relationship with You, we will live Your Life and Love... and others will see us, observe, listen, question, participate - a natural leadership, that is - that happens, develops, grows, spreads, passes on... rather than a programmed, trained, systematized, controlled method! In fact, the leaders are not "formally trained and set in position" or "appointed" or even "self-proclaimed"... but are simply recognized by the rest of the body/ believers (even by those in the world!) as people who are already Living Your Life, in the flow of Your Spirit (by Your plan and provision, right?)... and people see that, recognize, and want to be there too, so they follow... and in their following, those they follow are leading them!

So what I'm thinking ___ was saying (?) was that he himself is learning to walk that Walk, and is encouraging others who obviously also want to walk that Walk... who are willing to learn from him, be mentored by him, be his children in the faith... and who will progressively themselves be released to be examples/ mentors to still others (but oh! we have to STAY in the flow... and to be oh, so careful, to resist the temptation to become selfish, "me"-centered, dirty-L-word leaders!)

Rom 4:9 ... Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness... 11... So then, he is the FATHER of all who believer... 12...WHO ALSO WALK IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FAITH that our father Abraham had... 13... righteousness that comes by faith...