This past Sunday we had the delight of baptizing new followers of Jesus and members, celebrating the Lord’s Supper, and setting aside some excellent servant leaders for the deacon ministry. Just before going through the official ordination process, I offered some observations on deacon ministry and servant leadership more generally to the congregation. Here’s what I had to say.
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For all of the nuts and bolts of getting being the church right we’ve talked about so far, many of them are dependent on what we are talking about this time. We can have all the big dreams and plans for the church in the world, but if there is not solid leadership in place, we aren’t going to be able to move smoothly or easily toward any of them. This week we are talking about church leadership. Let’s see what the Scriptures have to say and what one important implication of this is for our lives.
Well Led
Have you ever had the pleasure of strolling through a really well-tended garden? When I think about that, something like the Biltmore Estate immediately comes to mind for me. Those gardens are absolutely exquisite. There’s beauty everywhere you look. It is a place of peace and tranquility—even in the winter—and a nice escape from the world. The whole estate is like that, but the gardens up near the mansion are a particularly good place for it. Imagine, though, that you were walking through a forest and came upon a garden like that. Your first thought would not be anywhere in the universe of, “Wow! What a beautiful garden that grew up here like this out in the middle of nowhere all by itself.” No, you’re thinking something along the lines of, “Someone did beautiful work making this garden look like it does.” You might also be thinking, “Uh-oh! Whose land have I accidentally trespassed on? I hope they don’t have a big, vicious dog guarding it.”
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“Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
This is one of those verses that seems in most English translations to limit the role that women can play in the body of Christ. I don’t think it actually does that and here’s why. Read the rest…
This past Sunday we had the pleasure of ordaining two new deacons, installing them along with two others, and ordaining a veteran minister out of a sister tradition into our own. In other words, it was a great Sunday. At the end of the morning, I took a few minutes to tell the story of where this all came from and to point the way forward to where we’re headed as a church. Keep reading to see what I said.
Empowered Servants
Hasn’t this been a good morning? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love being a part of the church being the church. Seeing a group of Jesus followers come together to do the basic things we were called, equipped, and empowered by our Lord to do is really exciting to me and I hope it is to you. Frankly, it’s hard for it not to be at least a bit exciting. Whether you are part of a group or not, there’s something exciting about seeing one fulfill its purpose. We are naturally drawn to purpose ourselves and so when we see one being fulfilled we root for it. Read the rest…
The Nexus 