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Not long ago, my daughter asked me to look up information on
the internet to help her with her health science homework. Specifically, she was
doing research on a particular birth defect. As I went to the website that my
daughter had suggested, I was fascinated by the breadth of research topics that
were at my fingertips at that one web site alone. There were numerous things
that I was interested in learning about and since that time have returned to
learn more. At that time however, the pressing need was to focus on a
specific topic that my daughter was “calling” for my help with.
In like manner, there are many important and meaningful
things that high priests might concern themselves with, based on their personal
gifts, interests and sense of calling. As ministers of vision however, high
priests are called to apply their personal gifts and interests to the cutting
edge of where the church is being prophetically called. In our current context,
we have been commissioned to share the peace of Jesus Christ, which calls
congregations to be places wherein the spirit of invitation and generosity is
fostered. Consequently, if high priests are to be learners and teachers, then it
is important that they be learners and teachers of how to create congregational
environments wherein this spirit of generosity and invitation can grow and
develop. There are many ways to do this of course, but I would like to mention
three characteristics that high priests can incorporate into their lives if they
are to be learners and teachers in this way.
Humility. High Priests are veteran ministers. They are
disciples who bring a breadth of experience to the table and often have a
maturity of insight. No matter how mature one may be however, effective high
priests understand that there is much to be learned about how to nurture
disciple-making congregations in contemporary culture. The root meaning of
humility is to be “teachable”, and effective high priests are eager to learn as
much as they can about what is working in today’s environment. It is easy to
find opinions within our congregations regarding what the church must do to make
new disciples or to generate more income. Some of these opinions are
well-founded, while some are based on methodologies that no longer speak
effectively to current realities. High priests, however, should inspire others
through their humble eagerness to be learners of principles that have been found
to be effective in their current cultural context. There are many ways to
learn this information, including conversations with congregational leaders
where growth is happening, as well as tapping the insights of authors who have
done good research on the matter. While there are many good texts to read, one
should not hesitate to contact the World Church Missionary Office for
suggestions. As learners and teachers, high priests can create wonderful
dynamics by finding ways to talk with others (including congregational leaders)
about what they’re discovering, drawing them into the loop of learning, and
providing mature ministerial support as persons attempt to integrate new
thoughts into their lives.
Engagement. I remember teaching my kids how to fish at a
lake that I had never been fishing at before. We stood on the shore as I
explained some basic concepts—most of them having to do with safety (which did
not prevent my daughter from burying a hook in my thumb on her first cast).
After a while though, the only way to learn the new lake and the only way to
teach was to actually start fishing. In like manner, high priests cannot limit
our learning and teaching to discussions and studies alone. To the contrary,
ministers who wish to be on the cutting edge of church life will be fully
engaged in actual congregational ministries that result in invitation and
generous giving. This does not mean that high priests will do all of the work,
but it does mean that high priests should be fully engaged in helping to
establish and support ministries that c worship seeker-friendly, that create the
environment of hospitality, that establish Christian education and fellowship
ministries that speak to real life, and that transform congregational life into
ministries that are relevant and compelling to young adults. In other words,
high priests will be personally engaged in congregational work that helps the
congregation become the kind of place that persons readily invite their friends
to and that inspire people to give generously.
Vision. The above can be challenging work. Many of our
congregations have become accustomed to “doing church” in a manner that may not
nurture invitation or generosity, but is nevertheless comforting in its
familiarity and cherished friendships. Consequently, in many places there may
not be a great deal of “drive” to learn new ways of being that might lead to
increased generosity and invitation. At the same time, the church is clearly
being called to reach out with greater vigor—both in our witness and in the
sharing of our resources. What is needed in many places is the opportunity to
capture the vision of what God is calling us to be. People will not change their
behaviors just because the church chooses a particular emphasis, but they often
do change when they find their lives being intercepted by a compelling vision of
what God is calling them to do and to be. We cannot simply convince or
persuade people to embrace a vision, but we can help create environments wherein
the vision of God’s desired future can be caught. As ministers of vision,
it is a high priestly stewardship to give attention to this. While there is no
one way to do this, the principles involved have to do with a) helping
congregations give attention to prayerfulness and discerning how God has been
and is with them; b) helping people discover what gives them joy and how that
can be used for the kingdom; c) keeping the mission of the church before the
people, including stories of the exciting, life-changing things are currently
happening in the church because of people’s generosity and witness.
In sum, it’s a powerful thing when a vision of God’s call
intersects with a humble eagerness to learn and a commitment to be engaged in
implementing what is being learned. High priests are called to live at that
intersection. It’s a busy intersection, with lots of traffic noises to distract
us and pedestrians walking every way imaginable—many of them calling for
followers. This is why ministers of vision are needed. Someone needs to stand at
the intersection without being distracted by the frantic noise and help realign
the congregation’s streets in a manner that leads people to places wherein they
can more readily discern God’s call.
The intersection may be noisy, but it is where the action is.
It’s where high priests stand.
(2006) |
