Let's wrap this up, shall we?
For me, throughout the entire process of getting this plant off the ground, I kept trying my best not to claim ownership of anything. This church was not mine. The people were not mine. The "how's" and the "why's" were not mine. The vision was not mine. Satan certainly tried to convince me otherwise. I was just the point man. The steward. The Shepherd. God was and is the owner of The Church.
Christians who think they are "owners" are some of the most dangerous church members. They have attitudes that can literally tear a church apart at the seams. They are self-centered, not Christ-centered. They are consumers, not contributors. They are needy, not giving. They have an agenda, not a team-attitude. They seek glory for themselves, not for Christ. I did not want to be like them. But at times, it was (and is) quite a fight!
There came a time when a Campus Pastor was hired to lead our budding church. As the Steward, it was my role to step aside and let him take the lead. It was painful, I won't lie. There was a lot of blood, sweat, tears and prayers invested on my part. And yet, it was also a relief. All of the stresses and pressures of leadership were now off my shoulders (after all, I had a day job too). I wanted to "own" the leadership role, but I knew that wasn't the role God had for me. I was not the rightful Owner to begin with.
Have you considered that you are trying to "own" something in your church that isn't yours to begin with? What is it?
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3 comments:
This strikes a chord with me. I resigned from the diaconate in our church a few years ago. Maybe not in the same circumstance that you stepped aside, but it was the right thing to do. I honestly feel like I've still got a bit of 'letting go to do'. But it has freed me up to concentrate on other activities - writing Bible study material for the youth group, leading a housegroup and reading and thinking more widely.
Funny how possessive we can become, and with that attitude we lose our sense of purpose - which fits with another blog that I was reading - over at Camel Crossing (it's worth a wee look).
ER - I think you nailed it on the head! When we become possessive we lose our sense of purpose. It all becomes about "me" rather than "them." As for me, it definitely was the right move - our Campus Pastor did more for our church than I could. It was a win-win all around.
Great post, Kyle. "It is not about me" has become a mantra for me in all kinds of areas of life!
Hope the recovery is still going well.
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