Keeping our focus on the promised land

One of my favorite leadership stories in scripture is in Exodus when God through Moses leads the Israelites out of captivity from the ruthless clutches of Pharaoh and begin a journey towards the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Now we know their journey wasn't easy and it was fraught with difficulty, frustration, the unknown, & unfamiliar challenges. It was a big change from what they had been used to back in Egypt. At least back in Egypt it was familiar to them; the lack of food, slavery, beatings, and mistreatment. Even though it was a horrible life many of the Israelites began complaining to Moses and his leadership that they would rather go back than take another step into an unknown and uncertain future. In other words the only reason they wanted to go back was because it was familiar, they had been there before. No matter how bad it was and how good the promised land might be... the fear of the unknown, the uncomfortable feelings of change & struggle made them feel they wanted to go back.

The most difficult time as a leader is when you are leading people to an unfamiliar future. A future you know God has promised and a future that will leave people better off than the past we have lived in. Here's the problem...as soon as things start changing, don't feel familiar any more, or start to become a struggle the immediate feeling of the group is to go back to the way things used to be. Because, at least we knew where we stood, at least we felt connected, at least we knew exactly what to expect, at least it was familiar.

Church leaders are challenged by God to lead congregations into the new things that God is calling them. This means always leading people into a place that is different and unfamiliar. It means new worship styles, trying additional services, playing different updated new songs, it means trying new ministries, leading differently, & reorganizing leadership structures. However, during this process when struggles come people's natural reactions are to go back to the way things used to be because it was good back then...even though it could be better in a new future. The familiar takes over and we want to go back. Go back to the familiar songs, go back to the way Sunday School used to be, go back to the way we used to do worship services. Going back means that any chance to embrace a new future dies. Once you go back it becomes all the harder to ever get people to take a step of faith again into the future.

At OFC it is no different. God has done so many good things in our past through so many good people. This doesn't mean however that we are left to believe then that our best is found in our past? Is our future only about preserving the good feelings of the past? Or can we believe that God has a promised land in our future that in every way looks very different then what our church looked like yesterday. This means we have to move forward in faith, grace, and patience with God & our leaders. We have to shift from our personal wants, needs, and desires and look towards the needs of others. This means when we start feeling frustrated and disappointed by the new thing and find ourselves desiring the past we have to focus on the good thing God wants to do in all of us and trust that He will meet our needs and lead us to the promised land. This means embracing new songs, new styles of worship, new ways of handling prayer time on Sunday, and so many other things. Just because we have done it that way before doesn't mean thats the way we should keep doing it. Anytime you start something new it won't go smoothly, it won't go exactly according to plan, it won't always produce the results you hoped for right away. Then again it didn't for the Israelites either. They went through death, famine, dissension but in the end God brought them to a better place he brought them to a promised land. In times of frustration they just had to keep their eyes fixed forward.

OFC's best is not in its past it is in it's future. This means embracing change, the unfamiliar, and trusting that God will lead us to our promised land through the leaders He has brought us. Lets all ask ourselves where we are in this. Are we focused on what we like or don't like? Are we often wishing we could bring back the past because that was where we were most comfortable? Do we find ourselves frustrated with the new thing that is being tried? Let's figure out how to have healthy dialog about our frustrations. Let's find ways to seek out the leaders that oversee the areas we have concern with. Let's brake the old habits of going to others and commiserating, and seeking partnership in our frustrations. Let's not triangulate with others so that we can say we aren't the only ones feeling this way. Do you believe there is a promised land out there for us? I do. I am going to help our leadership do everything in our ability through God to lead us to it. Even if that means people being frustrated along the way. Lets all keep our eyes on the promised land. The Israelites eventually did and look where they wound up. There is no telling of what our potential is at OFC. But I will promise you this. I aim to help us discover it. Blessings, Your Dreaming Pastor