Submission

I’m only three days into my new ministry role and I’m starting to wonder why church leadership looks a lot more like a wrestling match (where the goal is forcing others into submission) rather than the stuff Jesus talked about (for example, loving God and loving our neighbours)?

I don’t think we should stop using the discipline of submission. Maybe we need to start practicing it on ourselves instead of forcing it on others.
This evening I read the chapter on submission out of Richard Foster’s classic book, Celebration of Discipline. Here’s what Foster says about leadership and authority, “The most radical social teaching of Jesus was his total reversal of the contemporary notion of greatness. Leadership is found in becoming the servant of all. Power is discovered in submission.”
I wish I could lead more like Jesus and less like the guy on the mat.

Related Posts

  • Telling it Slant

    I’m finished the second book. A while ago I committed myself to reading Eugene Peterson’s colossal five volume spiritual theology series. Tonight I finished Tell it Slant: a conversation on the language of Jesus in his stories and prayers. Two pages from the end my mind flipped back to my weekend experience. Here’s what happened….

  • It Bugs Me

    Many of you know that I try to keep my Thursday afternoons reserved for non-church activities. So here’s a play-by-play of this afternoon. After playing a round of scream and run with my kids we rounded up insects for a science project. We started with some basic ones like a house fly and wood louse…

  • Found Days

    Last night our family went on a one night camping extravaganza with some families from our former church in Owen Sound. We arrived yesterday after supper and planned to stay until this evening. That was before it rained. The drops started falling around midnight and it was still pouring when we awoke this morning. By…