Consultation

While Shawna and I were talking on the carport tonight, she was simultaneously discussing relationship strategy through textmessaging with a friend. I said, "That's why guys don't have a chance. Women consult with each other."

I then thought about the advantage big churches have over small churches for the same reason. For the last four years, our team has talked through everything together. We have avoided many stupid decisions by running ideas by each other during a two hour weekly lunch. We have also thought through the best way to communicate ideas with the congregation. We have offered and valued each other's strength and opinions. Each one of us has unique gifts and we come to the work of the church with particular viewpoints. I will miss many things about serving at Montgomery First. The collegiality and group learning our team shares may be chief among them.

Of course, no church needs to have a lack of such collegiality, mutual respect, idea sharing, and sharpening. In small churches, the conversation must be held among clergy and lay people who truly see the leadership of the church as a team endeavor. Too often, preachers think that their ideas are the best and approach ministry as an effort to convince the congregation to do things their way. I've done it that way in years past, always to the detriment of the church and to myself.

Perhaps we would all do well to recognize that God always offers direction to God's people, but God will not give the totality of vision to any particular person. When we listen to each other with genuinely open hearts, we are, in many ways, listening for the word of God. Bonheoffer said something similar in the chapter on the ministry of listening in "Life Together." He said that the voice of Christ within me is weak, but the voice of Christ within me for my brother [sister] is strong. I need the strong voice of Christ in my brother in order to hear the weak voice of Christ in myself.

I look forward to hearing what God will say to me through brothers and sisters I've not yet met. I treasure that God has spoken to me, taught me, and helped me grow each week through the voice of Lawson Bryan, David Saliba, Jay Cooper (and Karl Stegall, Bishop Duffey, John Blount, Fred Fuller, Jack Allen, Joe Ed Hastings, Jason Borders, too, among others).