June 2024
What does it mean to let God lead?
God’s ultimate leadership is a concept in our Christian worldview that is central to our faith. It is also likely the hardest one to truly practice. When we commit our lives to walking in the ways of Christ, this becomes our lifelong discipleship learning curve because our personal will and pride are always competing for that front spot, and often we don’t even realize it. When we participate in communities of faith, we often adopt the practices and viewpoints that surrounded us when we were establishing our faith. Maybe our parents, or a youth pastor, or if we came to faith as adults - those friends or ministry influences who helped us on the journey. But integral to this journey is the relational aspect of God’s presence in our lives - God is not stagnant. God’s Spirit is moving. We see in Christ’s ministry work throughout the gospels, he was pushing and pulling on the ideas, traditions, and ultimately theology of the people of God. Why would we expect it to be any different with us? When I am disrupted by ideas within as well as outside Christianity, I find myself needing more discernment - Is this about me or the pull of the Holy Spirit? Is my frustration coming from my personal cultural mindset, or is this God stirring in my gut? Who shaped this idea in me - my parents, or God?
The good news is, scripture is filled with stories of the human experience trying, often failing, sometimes succeeding, at following after God’s will. We are in good company. The beauty of it all is our God is interested in partnering with us and won’t give up on us no matter how well we listen or follow! God walks with us through the ups and downs of our choices and has the ability to heal mistakes and usher is towards a better way. This is truly grace. I think about how Abraham tries to be faithful and wait on the Lord, but he also attempts to find an expedient solution to contribute to his legacy and see God’s promises in action - a wrong interpretation, but God remains faithful. King David, who we call ‘a man after God’s own heart’, makes some grievous errors during his reign - only held accountable by God’s prophet likely due to his power and prominence. Yet God offers mercy and grace. The disciples are constantly learning about the wideness of God’s love in the community Jesus includes in his ministry, which had to be disrupting and a real challenge for them to learn how to follow suit. The New Testament is filled with letters Paul writes to churches who are doing their best to share the good news and build communities of faith but get lost in the weeds of their own power and pride.
So, first of all, we are not alone in finding it hard to listen for God’s direction and live out that call. And if we really want to lean into the resurrection power God is working in this world towards healing, joy, and hope - then we won’t give up God leading us! But what does that really look mean in our lives?
I love this cyclical image as a way of thinking through following God’s lead:
I first learned of it through InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship, which invests in discipleship in college campuses in the US and internationally. To ‘hear’ really means paying attention to the voice of God - through scripture and teaching, through spiritual mentors/friends, through prayer, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit in your own life. These pieces will work in harmony when it is truly God leading you. And God is always ushering us into participation in kingdom work - so to ‘respond’ means what you may receive as well as move into as a result of what you have heard. This likely takes us outside our comfort zones, but that is usually the only place where real growth and learning happen. The last piece is to ‘debrief’ - what did you learn? What are you grateful for? Did more questions arise from that experience than answers?
This cycle invites us to deepen our relationship with our Creator, as well as move out into the world to share the good news in the lives we lead. Discipleship isn’t a solitary experience. We find ourselves learning, growing, healing, and restoring as God works in us and through us when we participate in sacred invitation to ‘respond’. We are humbled, we learn, we (hopefully) change, we grow. We take heart that ‘the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) so that we might also be made new, no matter how old we are or how long we’ve been on this journey.
Our Session is reading the book ‘Sailboat Church’ - reflecting on what it means as a congregation to lean into the winds of the Holy Spirit for direction and energy as we dream about our congregation calling. It can be hard when you’ve been an established church for over 100 years! Thankfully the Spirit is always on the move, inviting us along for the ride - I would love your prayers to join that of our Session, for our church as we lean into the work God is up to in this world, and loosen our grip on whatever we might hold onto that keeps our ears from listening. May you know God’s deep abiding love in your own life and listen for the ways the Spirit is nudging you to respond and live into God’s love in the world today!
Blessings on the journey, Pastor Becca
