Leading the People of God in a Changing World
Change is one of the few constants in the world in which we live. Personalities change. Relationships where we work sometimes shift from day to day. Moods swing – ours and others'! Insurance and tax rates move, usually upward. Our enthusiasm for the "newest" and "latest" assures all that God's people will continue changing something in our lives quite frequently.
Our task as clergy includes the privilege and honor of leading the community of faith into the future. How may we accomplish this? Let us put the question another way: How can we assist the Almighty in leading all of us? God's people are just that – God's people!
First of all, I think it imperative that we recognize the dynamic, creative nature of the Lord. Consider the familiar phrases in Psalm 23, "He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name's sake." Did we notice those "action" verbs? A static, unchanging existence is not found with the Judeo-Christian understanding of God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – always will faithfully love us; however, like the "cloud by day" and the "pillar of fi re" by night, God moves ahead of us through our changing lifestyles into His "green pastures" and "still waters." To stay in only "one pasture" and to drink from the same "still waters" in an unchangeable style of living will exhaust these vital resources! Leading God's people in the midst of a changing world means that we must keep our contacts very close to that dynamic God, who is moving ahead of our changing world. Will we fall behind the Lord's pace? Will we allow ourselves to become diverted by other gods? Hopefully not! Prayer and refl ections, scholarship and pastoral sensitivity will help keep us clergy on the "right paths." Secondly, we clergy need and appreciate all the help from the laity that is possible.
"We are His people and the sheep of His pastures." Regular times of prayer and devotional, led by the laity before all church meetings, will set a positive tone for the intercession of God's Spirit upon the deliberations. When discussions become too animated, infused with emotion and enthusiasm or frustratingly tedious, we clergy can invite the entire group to pause for a few minutes of silent prayer and meditation. God may wish to inform our spirits through our silence! Finally, we clergy can encourage the leadership of the congregation to conduct the business of the church through consensus, where possible, instead of by Roberts' Rules of Order. Additional time spent in having everyone express thoughts and opinions on agenda items will help keep the group together instead of dividing it and risking hurt feelings of those on the "losing side" because of the voting process.
Leading God's people in a changing world is much more fruitful and rewarding when we practice the theologically sound art of letting God's will, discerned through prayer and contemplation, lead His church. May the Lord bless all of our efforts in leadership positions.
Bill Fowler is pastor of Church Street UMC, Knoxville, Tenn.
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The Clergy Connection is a communication produced and written by the Clergy of Holston Conference for the purposes of deepening relationships, encouraging spiritual growth, increasing awareness of challenging opportunities, imparting useful information, stimulating theological exploration, providing a forum for honest expression and sharing the joys of creative ministries.
The Clergy Connection exists to call clergy into deeper covenant with God through Christ and to call clergy to live in covenant with each other.
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