I believe in tomorrow. I think God will continue to raise up Godly leaders who will lead the next generations to Jesus. I am confident the next generation of leaders will do great - better than we have done. I have faith God is sovereign, still holds the world nestled in the shadow of his wings, and is working the plan set in place eons ago. I believe God’s plan for the world's redemption is complete and uninterrupted by the incessant rebellion of humankind. I believe God is bigger than the 6 o’clock news.
I also believe that we have a responsibility for the future. An essential ingredient to a healthy future is to raise up healthy leaders. We are to find, coax, mentor, disciple, and train the precious human cargo God has placed behind us. Our task is to create for them an environment that oozes the grace of God & the truth of God’s love for them. And we should ensure they have what they need when the baton passes them. Here are some things we can do to create these conditions.
Believe in Tomorrow. Just like you, I have been tempted to believe the world is constantly deteriorating. Our “if it bleeds, it leads” conditioning of the media has jaundiced me occasionally. It has occasionally convinced me that humanity has beaten the goodness of God’s plan and that sin is winning. However, the evidence does not bear the truth of a deteriorating world. For example,
According to the FBI, the violent crime rate in America has been on a downward trend since 1990. It has dropped from 14.5 million crimes to 9.5 million.
According to the International Disaster Database, in the 1930s, there were 971,000 deaths caused by the disaster; so far in this decade, there have been 72,000 deaths.
In 1893, there was one country that allowed women to vote. In 2017, 193 out of 194 countries allowed women to vote.
In 1850, 1% of the human population lived in a democracy, today it is 54%
According to UNESCO, in 1850, 10% of the human population could read, today 86% of the human population can read and write.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1980, only 58% of people had clean water, in 2015 88% have clean water.
Is it possible that God is slowly keeping the promise to move the world toward goodness and mercy, and we are missing it? If so, perhaps the church must shake off its doubts and continue with God’s forward progress. Here is how we can do it.
Lead with Vision. Steve Jobs once asked John Sculley, the CEO of Pepsi, who he was trying to woo to Apple, “Do you want to sell sugar water the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?” How about you? Is Martin's Lutheran simply about marking the checkbox of “sacred duty.” Or are we going to change the world?
Jesus called us to take his vision of the world and make it a reality. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” Big visions capture, motivate, and allow us to dig deep within and call upon reserves of strength and passion we did not even know we had.
Is it possible that God is leading us to a grander vision of his work?
Develop People. The church needs fewer butchers and more potters. Too often, we see the church as a set of dogma, beliefs & codes that we are called on to defend at all costs. When someone violates the law, whack, the cleaver descends, and the limb (person) is severed. Yikes, that is hard to reconcile with how Christ handled his disciples (ex. Peter).
How about instead, we act like potters? When something bulges and deforms, we gently move it back into symmetry. This seems more Christ-like, giving grace a chance and helping people become God’s unique creation.
Build Relationships. In Mark 3:14, Jesus didn’t appoint the twelve disciples to go out and do his work. He appointed them "that they might be with him." And Jesus didn’t bring the disciples for cameo appearances when there was a miracle to perform. He shared meals, traveled with them, and met their families (Matthew 8:14).
The most significant ministry of the church does not come from the pulpit or the altar. The mighty work of the church comes from the kitchen table, the coffee shop, the high-school basketball game, and the sympathy card that was hastily written but heartfelt. People do NOT care about what you know until they know you care. Is God possibly leading us to develop an even more intentional Christian community?
Be OK with Messy. Holy cats, people are messy. Really messy! Holy Cats, being the church, is messy. Really messy! People might put on their Sunday best to attend church, but they are not always at their best. Not all of God’s wonderful people are always wonderful. This goes for ALL of us, even pastors.
We come to Christ in our mess. Therefore, the Church is always going to be messy. But, most of those messes are merely opportunities to learn, opportunities for God’s grace to be applied, and for us to grow. Is it possible that God is calling us to get our hands dirty?
This is the legacy I want to pass on to those who follow. It is one of hope and the calm assurance that God is still in charge.