Yesterday I had lunch at a Mall with my Board of Directors – - Food Court Quisine. Directly behind us was a Carousel. I thought of the many Pastors who speak with me about their deep seated frustration with ministry. Round and Round they go. The same weary tunes playing over and over. The Carousel was empty as we dined. Not a single occupant. Empty!

Are you tired of the Carousel Pastor?

Get off. Contact us. There is a better way.

You can Lead with confidence. You can see God bring effectiveness to ministy!

Theme 4: Effective and periodic measurement of spirituality – conducted personally or through a church – is not common at this time and it is not likely to become common in the near future.

“There are two levels on which evaluation of where we stand spiritually can take place,” noted the California-based author. “There can be external measurement, such as that conducted by pastors, teachers, coaches or peers, and there can be self-evaluation. At the moment, we’re seeing very little of either form of review related to a person’s spiritual condition.

“Not surprisingly,” he continued, “our research found that a majority of churchgoing adults are uncertain as to what their church would define as a ‘healthy, spiritually mature follower of Christ’ and they were no more likely to have personally developed a clear notion of such a life.

“It may well be that spiritual evaluation is so uncommon because people fear that the results might suggest the need for different growth strategies or for more aggressive engagement in the growth process. No matter what the underlying reason is, the bottom line among both the clergy and laity was indifference toward their acknowledged lack of evaluation. That suggests there is not likely to be much change in this dimension in the immediate future.

Tragically it is often other professed believers who would also wish to be considered capable Christian Scholars. How sad. I address this topic with the motive and purpose of launching a MOVEMENT.

What will this require? Nothing more or less than ‘Life in Community’.

Accountability is – - each one helping the other keep the commitments they have made to GOD on the basis of loving relationships.

Believers have a commitment to the NEW COVENANT. That covenant contains a very explicit communication protocol. When I write something that violates this covenant, you, ALL of you, bring that to my attention with precision and a call to repentance. You cite the error (sin) that I am guilty of and call me to confess and repent. It is a violation of our union with Christ to merely shrug and say – - “Oh, that is just Tom”. Not acceptable. People who engage in ad-hominem attacks, shoddy scholarship and just plain ineptitude do so because the ‘body’ remains silent. This kind of abusive communication is the “Funny Uncle” in our living room. No more! Expose him and shine the light of Truth on his abominable abusive behavior.

Here are some characteristics I propose. These are the bare minimum that must shape acceptable communication that honors Christ and promotes open and honest consideration of the text of Scripture and the application of that text to life – Applied Theology.

1. Logical non-contradiction. (God is not schizophrenic and neither is His revelation of Himself).

2. Empirical Adequacy (exegetical substance/accuracy that supports the thesis I am promoting).

3. Existential Viability (what we are deliberating really matters in the real world).

4. Humility (if it is demonstrated that I am in error, I submit graciously to the Truth and modify my position to harmonize with Truth).

5. Civility (if we cannot agree on a position that is clearly preferable to others, we accept the impass and do not engage in immature and unkind exchanges).

6. Contact with the Principal (I address the issue with the primary participants, not through a circuitous collection of others to whom I disparage the other Principal in that exchange).

7. Collaborative Consultation (Both parties are receptive to the larger Christian Community and are willing to consider their contribution to the issue being deliberated).

8. Historic Orthodoxy (I acknowledge the historic perspective embraced through the centuries of church and draw effectively on the fruit of that history).

9. Exegesis not Polemics (Most exchanges are heavy on polemics and light on exegetical substance. The issue is ‘what does the text say?’).

I am praying earnestly that this profile becomes an operative and beneficial addition to understanding and applying Truth to life – - A MOVEMENT. Join this effort. Hold one another accountable. Remember Joshua & Caleb (Num. 14:36-38). They were true Leaders. The other ten were impostors. Together we can do this. God is honored by this endeavor and He will bring it to pass!

I close this post with the exhortation of Paul to Timothy. These words capture the heart of this process. If applied, Truth will reign supreme, God will be honored and we as His servants will benefit.

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Tim. 2:23-26; ESV).

Resources:

Exegetical Fallacies, D. A. Carson

Integrative Theology, Gordon R. Lewis & Bruce A. Demarest

Pastors have 30 – 45 minutes at best to shape the thinking of their people, assuming they attend each Sunday. Some percentage of their listeners will also participate in a Small Group or an Adult Bible Fellowship. At best, pastors have 3 hours per week to equip and shape the thinking of people in today’s mobile and autonomous minded culture. (The matter of structure for ministry and making people ACTIVE participants in the Drama of Redemption is a topic for another post).

The simple fact is this. Unless Pastors adopt and apply a very intentional and effective process to equip their people with listening skills, they will ultimately have a congregation full of theological smorgasbord. I often call this the ‘cafeteria’ approach to theology. When my earthly father retired in the Rio Valley of TX, he liked to dine at Luby’s Cafeteria because of the almost infinite variety of choices. When visiting, we were required to join him and at least act like we enjoyed the cuisine!! There is a one to one correlation between Luby’s Cuisine and the ‘variety’ one encounters in listening to cable TV. Both are subject to serious question as to the ‘nourishment’ acquired in “dining” there.

An additional factor in this dilemma, there is no systematic and effective process to know what people are assimilating. Their Worldview is shaped by all the mish-mash they gather from the hermeneutical disasters claiming to ‘preach the word’; (Numerology, Proof-texting, Prosperity ‘Gospel’, Eschatological Weirdos, etc. etc.)

Perhaps the most abused ‘victim’ in this tragedy is context. Any credible Bible School teaches in Hermeneutics 101 the importance of context. Context is King! Listen for 15 minutes and try to apply this vital principle to what you hear.

I have merely introduced the problem or challenge in this post. It is my desire to present some basic guidelines for the persons in the pew to apply while listening. Pray with me that our efforts equip the people of God with the skills and passion to hear, understand, obey and live!

In April of 2005 George Barna wrote what he called a ‘transition letter’. After 25 years of diligent research and writing to bring assistance to the local church pastors of America, he concluded that his effort were almost totally futile. Why? LEADERSHIP. There simply is a devastating lack of competence in this realm among evangelical pastors. His comments taken from that letter confirm the accuracy of that professors challenge to his class.Here is a quote from Barna’s letter.

My concern has always been whether or not our assistance really made any difference in people’s lives. The most discouraging study we ever conducted was one in which we attempted to identify churches in the U.S. that consistently and intelligently evaluate life transformation among the people to whom they minister. We found that very few churches – emphasis on very – measure anything beyond attendance, donations, square footage, number of programs and size of staff. None of that necessarily reflects life transformation. Further, our on-going research continued to show that churches do not act strategically because of a paucity of leadership. My objective had always been to get good information into the hands of leaders so they would convert those insights into great strategic decisions about how to minister more obediently and effectively. Not having the leaders in place to utilize such information was an obstacle I had not foreseen.

In the opportunities that God has given me working with churches this issue is validated over and over again. The “Good News”  is this. Leadership skills may be learned, acquired, mastered. Maxwell uses a scale of 1-10 in rating leaders. If you are a “4″you can with diligence, perseverance and the abundant grace of God and enabling power of the Holy Spirit, become a more effective leader. You may never become a 10 but a 7 or an 8 is much more effective than a 4. You will find much greater satisfaction in serving and the people you lead will benefit from the skills God adds to your leadership ability. Everyone benefits.

So Pastor, as you read this and are immersed in the reality that your “L” is weak, take courage. Draw near to God. Give yourself to Him and seek His favor in this area. He delights to pour His favor and Grace upon those leaders whose single desire is to honor Him. Call us. We will take this journey with you. Eternity will be so much more blessed if you simply find the courage to begin.

John Bingham was a 35 year old out of shape, non-athletic couch potato. He decided to try running. His ‘style’ earned him the nick-name “The Penguin” because of his awkward shuffle/running style. In conjunction with his ‘running’ he began to write humorous articles about his efforts. He is now a multi-millionaire because of his writing. He serves as the MC at pre-race banquets for such Marathons as Boston, New York, Chicago, Marine Corp, etc.

His statement when he finished his first marathon – - “The miracle is not that I finished, but, that I had the courage to begin”. When will you begin pastor?

I am not going to identify people. I do so because I am asking my reader to consider the issue, not personalities. I will be more than happy to identify the players in this drama if you choose to contact me. I also want to add that the particular issue under consideration is NOT my primary focus. The issue of which I speak is the offering of Imprecatory Prayer directed at the current occupant of the White House by a Denominational personage. In response, the current President of that Denomination posted a BLOG article saying the individual offering such prayers is simply wrong.

That is the essence of the history shaping my appeal in this article. Neither individual to my knowledge offered any evidence or data to support their case. The media latches on to the “heat” and fans the flames. This kind of tripe sells. Controversy sizzles! People love a good fight. I have been called by the Editors of our newspaper to comment on issues they are writing about (Video Poker, Public Education, etc.). I have adopted the posture of not providing comment. The reason – - they are not interested in the Truth. They are only interested in controversy. They refuse to grant an editorial review prior to publication. They simply want to take a sentence or two from here or there and the result is often far from the true substance of my response to them in discussing the issue. It demeans Christ and the Gospel.

I am well aware that not every venue lends itself to the editorial space required to provide a full-orbed perspective. In that case, we would do well to opt for silence. Jesus found it quite acceptable to remain silent in the face of scurrilous and vicious attacks on His person and positions on a variety of topics.

Turning to the specific case at hand. There are Imprecatory Psalms. There are in fact ‘enemies of God’ today just as there were at the time the Psalmist recorded those Psalms. Consider the introduction to the Dissertation written by John Day at Dallas Theological Seminary (2001).

In this dissertation, I attempt plausibly to demonstrate that the utterance of imprecations (including the appeal for divine vengeance) against the recalcitrant enemies of God and his people—as is found in the Imprecatory Psalms—is consistent with the ethics of the Old Testament and finds corresponding (albeit somewhat lessened) echo in the New. This thesis is rooted (1) in the establishment of the psalms’ theology of imprecation in the very essence of the Torah—especially seen in the promise of divine vengeance expressed in the Song of Moses, the principle of divine justice outlined in the lex talionis, and the assurance of divine cursing as well as blessing articulated in the inaugural covenant of God with his people; and (2) in the presence of this theology carried, in essence, unchanged through to the end of the Christian Canon, and likewise utilized as the foundation for the infrequent imprecations in the New Testament. There is indeed a degree of difference in the progress of the testaments, but it is a difference in degree not a difference in kind. Thus, it is argued that whereas “love and blessing” is the dominant tone and characteristic ethic of the believer of both testaments, “cursing and calling for divine vengeance” is the believer’s extreme ethic—legitimately utilized in extreme circumstances, against sustained injustice, hardened enmity, and gross oppression.

I offer this simply to demonstrate that a credible author writing in a recognized Doctoral program at an Evangelical Seminary of significant historical impact in Evangelical circles states that there is legitimacy in praying Imprecatory Psalms. Therefore, what justifies the response by individual #2 that individual #1 is simply “wrong” in offering such prayers?  It is this kind of bravado and less than credible exegesis and apologetic that gives the serious representation of Truth in the marketplace a bad name.

I appeal to my fellow Pastor/Leaders to improve on this profile. We are called to proclaim and defend the Truth (Acts 20:28-30). If the case you make lacks substance, be silent. If the case you make has substance but the venue for presentation denies adequate expression of all the facts, be silent.

One of the greatest needs of the hour is the restoration in the Marketplace of the Authority of Scripture. Presenting a compelling and exegetically sound profile on any given issue aids in that restoration. Polemics without exegesis is often entertaining but grossly inadequate. Heat without light is counter-productive, sophmoric and detrimental to the promotion of Truth in the Marketplace.

So my conclusion is this – - “Because I Say SO” is a travesty that does harm and not good for the cause of Christ. Speak with compelling exegetical substance, grace and dignity or remain silent. The ultimate resolution of each and every cause or case must be – “What does the text say?”

However, they also want this to be at no cost to them in  terms of sacrifice, risk or just plain hard work. They have the delusional idea that somewhere there is a ‘little blue pill‘ that when taken produces instant and painless transformation. Suddenly all is well. People are transformed. The lost are saved. The saints are transformed. The community is reached with the good news of the gospel. Wow, this is what we all desire. But, this does not fall out of the sky and hit you in the head. It takes Leadership, someone needs to step up and act, and diligent persistent effort, everyone needs to do their part!

Here is a portion of what I received in that email.

I met with XXX last night.  The question they had was ‘Why we went with IUS?’ I answered this question by using my journal entries from 2007 to our half way evaluation. This took about 20 minutes or so. It was an interesting response to say the least. I have a great appreciation for what you and your team go through in helping churches who really need the help but just can’t come to terms with one another and or have no energy to apply in the process that might get them out of the mess they are in. My assessment of the situation is they are overwhelmed with the responsibilities they have, fearful of making a mistake, so they are not making any decisions, haven’t spent time wrestling the big issues down and are either too busy or don’t want to take the time necessary to do it. . . .You could tell he was waiting for the messiah to come in and do the work of the ministry for them. Looking around the room I could tell this was the direction and with the lack of a key team leader in the group who would be able to carry this kind of an initiative, this will probably be the path they follow.

I remembered your motto – “Do no harm”, so I tried to be encouraging and hopeful. Their last survey/ assessment came to light. It has been one full year since its completion. XXXXX and the other person were the only ones who had a copy of it and not one of them could remember last time they had looked at it! The room got really quiet when I asked who was responsible for implementing the recommendations. Coming back to the revitalization question earlier I asked what the deacons were doing ? Ouch! To me this was the key moment of the hour! Sorry to say it was the chair of the (XXXXX) committee who dove into the deep end of the pool to rescue the deacon’s, they were silent! I left them with the article Beauty Contest and encouraged them to contact IUS. I assured them you would be willing to talk with them. I don’t think this will happen real soon BUT it may happen sooner than we think!

So I return to the question that is the title of this post – - If not Now – When? The church in America needs Transformation. The church in America needs Leadership. The church in America needs courage to trust God and engage in becoming what He calls us to be. The church in America needs to act!! If you are a Pastor reading this BLOG I pray that you will be moved by the Spirit of God to do just that. Pray – Meditate – and take steps to see God bring Transformation to the people you Shepherd by using you as a courageous and humble servant-leader. God’s best as you lead! NOW really is the time for you to act!

To Jeremiah the religious establishment said: So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says; Jer. 18:18b (NIV).

Come, let us strike him with our tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his words; Jer. 18:18b (ESV).

King Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out you seer! Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom; Amos 7:12-13 (NIV). Turf wars have been part and parcel of the leadership challenge from the beginning of time.

I was recently attacked on Face Book for suggesting that the church in America needs Reformation & Renewal and that we desired to play a role in that effort. My attacker was not suggesting that the church was ok as is. He was appealing for the total abandonment of the institutional church. He was throwing the baby out with the bath.

As we read the record of the OT Prophets, God always had His remnant. They were interspersed with those who were arrogant rebels. There were from the very beginning, from the deliverance from Egypt, only two (2) leaders who trusted and obeyed God completely – - Joshua and Caleb. The other ten were impostors. They had the title of leader. They had the challenge and task of leadership. But, they were phonies. When the chips were down, they folded like a cheap accordion. Sad!

There are undeniable parallels between Israel of old and the church in America in terms of the adjectival descriptors used by the OT Prophets. They certainly fit the church to a “T”. OT Israel was Deaf & Defiant. The church in America is Deaf & Defiant. However, there are also those people, saints to the core, who love God and live to honor Him. We will continue to seek that remnant. They have a readiness to embrace Truth and lead others to do the same. When God leads us to them, we will pour ourselves and the resources He has graciously given us into equipping them and seek to bring genuine and lasting transformation to all those who walk in His light!

Do you need a good portrait  in the words of Peterson “A Long Obedience in The Same Direction?” Read Jeremiah 35. This is the record of the Recabites. They honored the covenant their forefathers made with Jehovah God for hundreds of years. They are a true portrait of a Faithful Remnant.

If you are in this category, stay by the stuff. Let the critics wail. Let them attack you with their tongues. Let them ignore every word you say. Being true to God and His Word in both conviction and conduct always brings His blessing.Let me share a quote from the life of Abraham Kuyper:

When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith.

There is no greater joy than to know you are giving your all to honor and glorify the King of Kings. What a great way to live, and perhaps die!

There are at least two categories of leadership. One is very prevalent in the evangelical church of America. The other is rare, seldom seen in robust and perpetual operation. Do you remember Thom Rainer’s research (Simple Church)? He identified 13 churches out of thousands studied that practiced this rare form of leadership – genuine measurable transformation of God’s people. What are these two categories?  Consider the following:

• Transactional Leadership – This type is based on transactions or exchanges between leaders and their followers. The followers express a variety of basic self-interests like physical and emotional security. Leaders shape situations in which the followers accomplish the actions desired by the leaders in exchange for rewards that meet the followers’ needs. The transactions might include money, flattery for loyalty, or votes for favors once in office. Transactional leaders tend to set up rules and standards to check for noncompliance and to maintain the status quo. These leaders rely on reactive tactics as they focus on power and politics.

• Transformational Leadership – The transformational leader helps followers embrace a vision of a preferred future. Leaders inspire and empower followers to achieve new levels of personal and corporate performance. They encourage individuals and support innovative ventures. Followers gladly commit to a future they help create. Because transformational leaders are trusted and respected, followers tend to internalize the spirit and goals of the organization. (Leading Congregational Change, Herrington, Bonem, and Furr, p. 96).

Transactional Leadership is all about one dimensional issues; how many, how much, how often etc. The focus is on taking out the pews and putting in chairs. It is about singing off of a Power Point screen rather than out of the hymnal. There is no valid Metric by which ministry is evaluated. There is no attempt to validate the transformation of God’s people into the fullness of the Image of Christ. In fact, there is a hardy resistance to introduce such a process. Why? Because the introduction of such a Metric Process will expose the bankruptcy of this system. It is all about numbers not about mature disciples. Jesus will ask ‘what kind’ not ‘how many’!

Transformational Leadership addresses the question of “what kind?”. The purpose of Leadership as Jesus defined ministry in the Great Commission is to make disciples. He did not call us to merely make converts. Conversion is the initiation of becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ, not the terminal point. Transactional Leadership has settled for Activity and ignored Transformation. Making disciples is a difficult, messy and often disappointing task. It does however remain the clear challenge for Leaders in the church of Jesus Christ.

Pastors shape the others who lead with them. What they model is a key factor in the leadership Philosophy of each church. If the supreme value is numbers, that very quickly becomes the focus and goal of ministry. These guys will wear you out with activity. They will have you out 5 nights a week. When you inquire about the effectiveness of ministry they will provide a litany of activities that they engage every week. They will tell you how ‘busy’ they are. They will probably tell you they need additional staffing to cope with the tasks at hand. Pharaoh repeatedly told Moses ‘No’ to his demands that God’s people be released from the bondage of Egypt. When we get to Exodus 9:34 we read that “He and his officials hardened their hearts”. The example of Pharaoh imprinted the other officials in his cabinet. So too Pastors and those who serve with them.

What are you modeling Pastor? Does the ministry you shepherd focus on How Many or What Kind? There is a day coming, perhaps very soon, when Jesus will inquire of all Shepherds concerning this matter (Heb. 13:17). My prayer for us is that we are preparing now by embracing a Philosophy of Ministry that has Transformation as the heart of the matter. ‘Who’ you are and ‘How’ you lead shapes the entire dynamics of ministry in the church in which you serve Pastor. God’s best to you as you find the courage and resources to practice and develop Transformational Leadership.