Leading from the middle sometimes leads to frustration about what's happening within the church as a whole. I recently had a conversation with an intern at my who attends a Bible college. He was venting about a conversation that had happened in one of his ministry classes, where particular students were making some fairly strong statements about finances and wealthy people. You can't be rich and be a part of the kingdom of God! We need to give up all our material possessions and live with the poor, like Jesus!
I had similar conversations years ago with a friend, who was lambasting our suburban church for its apparent greed and idolatry because members of the congregation owned nice cars. The irony of the situation was that he was living with his wealthy parents at the time in one of the nicer neighborhoods in the city. Wealth is evil, and this church doesn't care about eternal things! So he said from the comfort of suburban living.
A leader can use all the newest Christian buzzwords, have flawless theological arguments, and preach passionately about the vision of where we should be going. But if they aren't practicing what they preach--if they aren't willing to get into the trenches of everyday life and try to live this way for awhile--then their vision is just a clanging cymbal or a resounding gong.
I know this because I do it all the time. In the final conversation I had with the senior pastor of my last church, he gave me this exhortation: "Joel, you're a great communicator and a gifted leader. Now, go be a practitioner of the ideas you preach." The words have stuck with me. I've gotta practice what I preach.
What does it take to be a practitioner? Here are four ways to get the ball rolling:
-Practice the discipline of verbal self-control. Essentially, don't speak until you have something worth saying. A leader can criticize and argue and rant and whine, but have some life experience--even if it's limited and personal--to back up the words. Hold your tongue until your vision matches your practices.
-Be willing to make a sacrificial change. It's far easier to preach about missional living or authentic community or sacrificial giving when it didn't require missions, authenticity, or sacrifice. I have to change my calendar, my environment, and my priorities to match what I'm trying to say. If I'm telling students to share the Gospel more with their neighbors and friends...well...I need to take time during my week to invite my neighbors over for coffee and dessert. If I'm proclaiming that our church needs to get out and serve the homeless community, then I've got to consider canceling that dodgeball event and choose to take students downtown to serve in a rescue mission instead.
-Critique out of love. The reason that Old Testament prophets used fiery language and called for repentance wasn't out of anger or angst. It was motivated by love, a deep affection for God and His people. Any criticism or desire for change needs to stem from a down-in-my-soul love for the person, the ministry, and the church.
-Pray fervently. Is this unsettled feeling about the church from my own dissatisfaction, or is it a holy discontent from the Lord? Am I simply spouting my own opinions, or a Spirit-led vision about where our community needs to be headed? There is a big difference between being a protestor and a prophet. Protestors tend to lead from their own agenda and try to make their own voice heard; prophets are speaking the difficult-but-gracious truth of the Lord, making sure the Spirit's voice is heard.
Evaluate your own preaching--both sermons and conversations--and your own weekly practices. Do you practice what you preach?
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