In response to Danielle

Danielle sent me a nice email....

"Could you update your blog? I am tired of reading this one. "

isn't that sweet? Someone actually reads this, AND they read it over and over again. Sweet and Scary...

I of course corrected here, and said all she really wanted was another opinion, and we all know what those are like...

to which she responded:

"What I should have said was, "Sean, I need an opinion. Can you give me one?" :)"

isn't that even more wonderful???

My not so humble opinion today is the very frightening reality of narcissistic ministry, and how concerned I have gotten about how easy it is for me to slip into it.

It has been a long time since I have ever been around or involved in anything outward/public focused. And as God is drawing me out of a season of intentionally staying away from it I am trying to navigate the chasm.

I watched some friends during their concert Saturday night. They minister a prophetic, musical kind of thing and have traveled a lot to do this. As they do their "thing" I saw some fascinating processes happen. Most people were watching and passive. Despite the admonitions and encouragement to the people to grab a hold of things and receive them for themselves as their hearts got stirred. They quickly settled into a passive role.

When this happens, intuitively people look for someone to do the work. And this is where I saw things get goofy.

As our own gifts start moving, and Holy Spirit is present and seeking to encourage the Body, we start "clicking". I was starting to flow with a lot, and could see a lot happening. And then I realized how easy it would be to just start running. I can only describe it as if I was looking over the edge of a cliff, and it would be sooooooo easy to just go with it and find myself jumping right off.

For many people I know, that is their ideal situation. The common message is to admire intensity, and live on the edge. See how much anointing can be released, and how much we can see.

I got to tell you this scares me. Because at that very point, all sorts of weakness and brokenness are ready to take advantage. Not only is it easy to just start moving iny our gifts, but it is extremely easy to get carried along with them, and then go past them into things that may not even be God. And for the most part, when a group of people are in a passive mode, they wont stop you. They actually like to be passive, and let someone do it for them. Discernment goes out the window.

ON BOTH ENDS.

I realized how easy it is for me to get stirred up, and move forward. As I do, endorphins and adrenalin and all sorts of things are flowing. I am spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally charged. And it seems like everything is working. The passive people are giving me lots of feedback in all sorts of ways that they are enjoying this. God is doing His thing, and I am somehow caught in the middle. I am feeling good, in fact I am rushing.

And then my weakness and my brokenness start playing with the flow. Feeling alienated? Amazing how the prophetic flows towards people that are going to give you good feedback. Feeling lonely? That pretty girl with the father issues starts popping up in the prophetic crosshairs more and more. Feeling angry or resentful about that leader that just couldn't see eye to eye? All of a sudden all sorts of language and attention shift.

Wow. In all this, God works through, around, and over our issues. And yet we have an obligation to address our stuff, and not take for granted the patience of God, or think that we can leave these thing up to Grace. Grace covers it, and we will always need it, but I have to learn where it is my job to be transparent and vulnerable and interdependent with those that are safe.

And that might be the fear and trembling part.

Leadership and Authority, do they co-exist?

Im thinking about this subject rather seriously. I think there is a tremendous difference between Leadership, and Authority. Most people assume a connection, and I think that is underlying some of the more serious problems we have in being together and manifesting God as the Bride of Christ.

A leader is typically portrayed as the guy who directs the show (whatever the show is). He says things, and then people either do them or not. He gets ideas, and then attempts to execute. If people agree all the better. Really cool examples of this are when a leader works with a group, and relies on other input. But ultimately, he calls the shots. Even when there is a "board". Unless of course the board decides they are the leader.

But is that leadership? The world attempts to define leadership, writes books, and has seminars. So does the church. I heard the phrase "Everyone here is a leader". LOL.

I thought about a sports team. The roles of leadership and authority are very different more often than not. But the objective is clear, to work as a unit, and to win. A team captain is a leader, and fulfills a role as an example. The coach has authority. The team owner has ultimate authority, but may not lead at all.

In the military, authority is couple with leadership at every opportunity, but it is not always connected. People make decisions, and they are followed regardless. Their authority defines their leadership, not vice versa.

In business, we see a purer form of the 2 blended, because most of the time the visionary and hard worker gets rewarded with more authority. However this typically has a ceiling, because the more visionary a person is, the less capable they tend to be exercising authority so in reality these people have limited forms.

In Christ, we see both authority and leadership. But look at how they are exercised. God has ultimate authority, and yet it was all diverted to serve and save in Christ.

The other real simple idea is leading implies being followed. Are you really leading if no one is following? You might have lots of ideas, ones that are even legitimate, but if no one is following, you aren't leading. And that's not a big deal.

I guess what I am really struggling with is the disparity between the 2, and the reality that they are necessarily supposed to go together. Im not so sure they do. And the real issue for me is the distinction between:

1. Leading from Vision and Example (and then subsequently being followed)
2. Leading form Authority and Position
3. Exercising Authority regardless.

I have seen mixtures of all these. I think God has shown me that leading is really "exampling". It is heading out and doing something, and then people see that and can emulate it if they want. Telling them to do something, or worse yet demanding or forcing them is RULING not LEADING. Tending a flock looks a lot more like caring, defending, protecting (i.e. serving), and it has a lot less to do with directing and commanding. Sheep are natural followers. They will follow something bad as much as something good. They will follow each other over a cliff.

And this is really important. If you think you are a leader, I would ask you; Are you being followed, or are you exercising positional authority? If you are being followed, is it from your example, or your authority/influence?

Jesus NEVER demanded, He invited. And He NEVER said a directive unless He was asked, or He was confronting religiosity. And when He was followed because of influence (signs and wonders, filling peoples stomachs etc...) He derailed it proactive. And when He exercised authority, it was for one purpose, to fulfill His main work of setting people free, not to gather people, entice them to do something, or develop or perpetuate anything.

And why do those of us who chose freely, want to follow Him and be like Him? Sure we are commanded to (it is a requirement IF you chose to be saved by Him to indentify with Him), but in reality once we experience Him, once we hear Him, we want to be with Him, and to be like Him. We are carried along by Love, not demand. We are lovers, not servants.

This is all choppy and hard to communicate. But I think it is time to confront this in ourselves, and in each other.