When 5 Smooth Stones of Strategies Aren't The Point

In the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) little, untrained David reject Saul's armor and goes out to meet the giant with his slingshot and 5 smooth stones he finds along the way.  I've heard (and used) applications of this story 100 times.  Most of them involve identifying 5 actions to take in overcoming the giant of (fill in blank here...addictions, sins, relationships, etc).  I've heard (and taught) about putting off Saul's armor because God wants to use you and me just as we are, not wearing someone else's strengths and gifts.  I've even taught about how God used past experiences in David's life to prepare him for this moment.


These applications are not wrong, per ce, but what if we looked a little deeper to see how the narrative fits into the larger story of salvation?  How would that affect my reading of the narrative?

The larger narrative of Scripture and for that matter, Redemption History, is our representative in Christ defeating death and sin through His death and resurrection.  This would mean that in the David and Goliath story, the person I should identify with is not David.  It's not Goliath either.  If David represents a Christological figure and Goliath represents sin and death, then where do I fit in the story?

When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.  [1Sa 17:11 ESV]

I'm one of the scared Israelites hiding in the camp.  I'm not looking for strategic stones to overcome this evil.  I'm not getting out my sling to slay a giant of addiction.  I'm hiding in my tent hoping someone will come deal with this!

This is where it gets good!

Look what happens when David defeats the giant.

And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. [1Sa 17:52 ESV]

Once the battle was won, the scared Israelites came charging out of the camp full of confidence and strength!

This narrative took on new meaning for me as I reflected on my role as a pastor.  I'm constantly looking for 5 strategic stones to grow the church, have more effective ministry, and build a lasting impression on our community.  Maybe I need to quit looking for stones, and instead look up and see that Jesus already conquered the giant that mattered.  Maybe I need to find my confidence in the One who defeated death rather than a smoother stone.  Maybe I need to leave the camp and start doing what God called me to do - share the good news of freedom from sin and death!

What does this mean for you?  If you aren't David trying to conquer a "giant" in your life, but instead you were one of the scared men hiding in the camp, then how does it change your perspective on life if Jesus already won the battle that mattered?  How does this affect your confidence? How does this impact your willingness to talk about the battle Jesus won on our behalf as opposed to how you applied a 5 step process to overcome an addiction?

Confidence comes in the victory won by Jesus, not in better stones.

(note: thanks to Jared Wilson's book "The Pastor's Justification" for this idea and reading of the text)

Thoughts on Galatians 1:1-2

"Paul, an apostle - sent not with a human commission nor by human authority, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead - and all the brothers and sisters with me: To the churches in Galatia."

As I reflected on this verse the other day with a group of guys, we asked the question: What is the source and authority of our calling as Christians?

It really starts out as a question of "What is my calling?" Then, as we determine that, we have to ask if we are truly fulfilling that calling with authority and confidence.

I struggle every day with confidence in my leadership. If leaders were honest, I think many of us deal with this. But as I read this letter from Paul, I realized that as I understand I don't need to question the source of my calling (God) my real struggle is with my perceived competence. And competence is developed and refined - in other words I can work on that.

My mind really goes in two directions here:
1) I need to continue to "do my best to present myself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Tim. 3:15) I need to "fan into flame the gift of God." (2 Tim 1:6).

AND

2) I can stand firmly and confidently on my calling as a follower of Christ and a steward of His Gospel. I don't need to be tentative in following Christ. I can have confidence - even when I question my competence.

My leadership - and anyone who has responsibilities within the community of faith - is both a gift to be confident in and a talent to be refined and honed. What are you doing to develop your gift and how would a good dose of confidence change the way you view your ministry?

Under the Mercy,
Jason

"Endow the King..."

My Scripture reading this morning came from Psalm 72 (I use The Book of Common Prayer - Daily Office Readings). In this Psalm I was impressed with the prayer David offers on behalf of his son, Solomon who is about to take over as king. It is a list of blessings David prays for the new king. He prays that the king is endowed with (God's) justice, the mountains bring prosperity to the people, his rule extends from sea to sea, tribes bow before him and other kings offer him gifts. He prays that the king rescues the oppressed and the needy. He prays that the king would be like falling rain on a mown field. He prays that the land would flourish during his rule and that nations will be blessed through him.

I have a few observations...

1. I was convicted over the fact that I don't pray for our leaders enough. I watched "Frost/Nixon" last night and it reminded me of the great pressure our President and our government officials face every day. Shame on me for not lifting them up in prayer more often!

2. I was reminded that God's people need to remember that their role is to be a blessing to the world around us. Too often we have an escapist mentality where we are only thinking about the future and heaven and "escaping these earthly chains," but the more I read Scripture, the more I realize that God isn't nearly as interested in harps and clouds as He is His people doing His will on earth as it is in Heaven. Maybe I need to focus a little more on bringing Heaven to earth now.

3. I was impressed by the measure of success used to determine how good the king was. The king was blessed if...

• the righteous flourish
• the community is strong
• others recognize his wisdom and justice
• the afflicted have an advocate
• the weak and needy are helped and rescued
• other leaders and communities are blessed by him

What would happen if we started using these measurements to determine if our churches are "successful"? Rather than attendance and budgets and buildings, what if we measured our success based on the health of our community and the way we are a blessing to others and the status of the needy and oppressed in the communities around us?

The end of this Psalm ties the glory and praise of God to the way His chosen leader leads. That is a sobering connection. The way I lead in God's Church is a form of worship.

I hope I never forget that.

Under the Mercy,
Jason

The Leadership Edge

The people who live across the street from me got a new roof this week. I watched out the window and couldn’t help but get a little nauseous as I watched the guys move around on the edge of the roof. I don’t do heights all that well.

As I watched and winced every time one of them got close to the edge, it reminded me of an article I read recently about leadership. One of the key thoughts centered around the fact that leaders must do things that are different and beyond the known status quo, therefore, leaders will evoke reaction (good or bad). If a leader is not evoking reactions, he or she is not leading.

As I tried to hold this thought while watching the guys on the roof, it made me think about how I would act if I was roofing. I would be the guy in the middle of the lowest part of the house near the soft bushes. Then I started to wonder if I lead that way? Do I stay in the middle or am I willing to get near the edge and cause reaction?

I don’t think we, as a community of people loving God and loving others, can exist in Delaware without causing reactions. If we are, we are not leading the way in living out God’s Kingdom today.

I want Terra Nova to be a leader in this community. Not a civic leader, but a spiritual leader…a prophetic voice in our culture. We might not always be the most popular and we might not always be the biggest or most polished, but we will LOVE OUT LOUD and hopefully, cause a reaction. Are you with me?

Under the Mercy,
Jason

Blogs...

I haven't blogged recently (or twittered for that matter). I think some of these tools are simply a chance for us to think we are more important than we are. In the grand scheme of things there is really only one or two blogs or twitters that I pay attention to (don't have time for much more right now) and I could easily ignore or delete those with no problem.

One of the biggest traps we can fall into today is distraction. I can get so distracted with breaking news and urgent stuff that I can't slow down and enjoy life. As a pastor, if I can't (or won't) take time to simply be in the presence of God, I can't lead. My congregation needs me to be centered and focused on ultimate things. This is one area that the Catholics are doing it well - the spiritual leaders of the communities are not allowed to get entangled with the urgency of certain things so that they can focus on being the true spiritual leaders of the community.

Henri Nouwen called this moving from relevance to prayer. It is more important to be a man or woman of prayer than to be relevant. And actually, relevance will come as a by-product of time with God - who is ultimate reality and therefore always relevant!

Over the last few weeks I've noticed that I can't slow down and simply listen to God like I need to. That will change this week...

Under the Mercy,
Jason