Man it has been raining for about 40 days now! Well two or three but it seems like 40...no riding for the last four days...think I am going through withdrawals. No wind...no sun...no bugs...arrrghhh! How long can this go on? Well soon it will go on for six or seven months so I might as well prepare for that. That is when I really envy warm weather places...also when I am shoveling snow. As I lead a church body I realize that so often what I am passionate about, others in our fellowship become or are already passionate about the same things. I think one of the biggest roles a leader has is the role of being one who leaks...whatever is inside of a leader should leak out onto those close by. I think too often, especially in the church, we see leading as the leader moving the herd or the group to the next place. Prodding, motivating, coercing, getting them to move in the direction he, or she, sees as the place for them to be. I have to confess, I have never been real comfortable with a role like that...but I do think I can leak out on others well. Let what God is doing in me to pour out on others...and then they can choose whether or not it is for them.
An example of a passion of mine is worship...I love to worship God...and I love to do a part of that with music. When I say a part of my worship is music I mean I do see my whole life as being worship for God...if I live to honor HIm...to obey Him...to serve Him. And I love to worship Him with songs...the hard part is I know for many this is not comfortable for them, especially guys. I have read articles on why church can seem so irrelevant for guys when the celebration time is filled with about 30 minutes of singing. Uncomfortable...seems like a waste of time...cut to the chase and talk and let us go home. I get it...but then I don’t...I understand some being uncomfortable with the singing...then I guess I don’t either. Listen I can be as macho as the next guy! I love sports...played football, loved baseball, endured basketball...ride a very large and loud motorcycle...used to be able to life heavy objects...not so much anymore. And I love to worship with songs...and the odd thing is I love songs with titles like “Beautiful”, “You’re Beautiful,” “Oh How He Loves,” “I Am Free to Run,”...well you get the point. They are not even manly kind of songs about blood or wars or demons! Oh well.
So what is the point here? Well, I have come to the conclusion that my role is to continue to model what I love for others...men and women...worship. Worshiping God...with music...and our lives. I sometimes struggle with the idea that we will lose some because we just sing too much...could our service be more manly? Then the Spirit reminds me of David...a man after God’s own heart. He killed a lion and a bear with his bare hands.(impressive) Killed a giant with a sling shot. (very impressive) Was a soldier and warrior. (hmmm) Became the king of Israel. (pretty big if you ask me) And he was a worshipper...he wrote many of the Psalms which have been sung as worship for centuries...he played a great guitar, well harp. He danced in public! Oh man, what was he thinking there? And he said it was for his Lord and no one else. I am going out on a limb here when I make this next statement but here goes...I really do not think he accomplishes most of this stuff...if any of it...if he is not a worshipper. If he does not spend hours worshipping and praying while watching sheep for his dad, I do not think he can slay a giant...because he would not have an intimate knowing of who God really is. Worship helped form him from his youth until he became king...it helped make him who he was...a man after God’s own heart. I think that is a pretty good testimony, don’t you. If at the end of my life maybe the only thing that could be said was, “Well, he was a man after God’s own heart.” I can tell you that if I am laying in a casket they would NEVER be able to wipe that smile off my face.
So I have chosen a path as a leader that says I love to worship...I may not be the manly, macho, gung ho leader you are looking for. If you choose to hang out with me I will leak all over you...a passion to worship...a passion for His presence...hopefully, Him. So that is the type of leader I will be...because in the long run He is the leader and if He is leading I want to be in a good position to follow.
Bill
Never thought about being spiritually leaky, at least not as a good thing. However ... I guess it only makes sense that our personal gusher, our personal "river of living water" [John 7:38], should put other folks in the splash zone. So ... now I have another metaphor for going to a worship service: It's a trip to the water park. Yeah, amen. And, when I'm not actually drenched in worship, I'm still going to "walk wet."
ReplyDeleteMy husband was "walking wet" the first time we visited Vineyard. He was wet with vinegar, however..there must be some meaning behind this.
ReplyDeleteOn a serious, note, however...I'm so happy to be in a church that "leaks" God's love. I see it spilling over into those here, who worship God with their every day lives. This is not just a PLACE to come on Sundays; it is an overflow of the heart of leadership, into the the PEOPLE, receiving the abundance and living it out daily. What blessings come forth! Giving them, receiving them. Soooo exciting!! Keep leaking, Pastor Bill (uhhmmm...may not want to say that in a few years..ha ha..wait, can I say that on here?)