Servanthood Should Be At Our Core

I formerly belonged to a church that transitioned from a denominational expression to a non-denominational one. In this transition, the church embraced the tenets of the neo-pentecostal, charismatic, and apostolic movements. One of the hallmarks of the neo-pentecostal movements is an embracing of a new type of episcopal structure. This church, along with about six others, founded an episcopal organization and elected one of the pastors the bishop. While, hierarchical in nature, as are most episcopal structures, it was supposed to be a “relational” episcopacy. This episcopal structure was to be driven by the relationships among the leaders, and not by the positions or ranks that they held.

While the movement has many of the flaws that are inherent in a charisma-driven, hierarchically-structured, blind loyalty-demanding system, there was one very visual aspect that espouses what it means to be a servant at the core. This post is not meant to be a statement regarding my support or disdain for neo-pentecostalism or the proliferation of “reformations” and “apostolic networks, but simply a testimony of the symbolic nature inherent in some of the trappings and their underlying meaning for servant leadership.

At the inception of the group, I was able to witness and participate in the consecration of a bishop. The service was filled with pageantry and symbolism. The spirit of God filled the sanctuary, and emotions were overflowing. But underneath all of the outward pageantry, liturgy, and anthems was a prominent yet inconspicuous fact–the new Bishop, even in his dress, proclaimed his role as servant.

While studying the episcopacy in preparation for this auspicious event, I studied the various garments that bishops adorn themselves with. During the consecration service the new bishop was vested in these garments, layer after layer. I can only imagine that the many layers of garments were both heavy and hot. This fact alone can be seen as a metaphor for the weight and pressure inherent in the office to which a bishop, as chief servant, is called.

The bishop is first dressed in a cassock. The cassock is a simple, straight, unadorned garment that symbolizes the servanthood of the one wearing it. The next garment worn is the cincture. The cincture is a cummerbund type belt that girds the waist of the wearer, and symbolizes the humility of the wearer. It is fashioned after the towel that Jesus girded himself with as he washed the disciples’ feet. The rochet symbolizes the wearer’s role as priest, and is fashioned after the ephod worn by Aaron and his sons. The chimere is worn over the rochet, and symbolizes the prophetic role of the wearer, proclaiming his/her role as Chief Preacher and Defender of the Faith. The zucchetto is placed upon the bishop’s head. This skull cap is symbolic of prayer and submission.

The celebration garments that adorn the bishop are worn at various times, and include the cope (a cloak-like garment), the chasuble (worn during the celebration of the Lord’s Supper), the mitre (a head covering that embodies symbols of the cloven tongues of fire and the Holy Spirit), the crosier (Shepherd’s staff), and the bishop’s ring (symbolizing episcopal collegiality).

It is clear that there are many garments that are worn simultaneously (although not all listed above are worn at the same time), but it is the order of the garments that bears a closer look. The garments themselves symbolize many things; priesthood, prophet, defender of the faith, chief preacher, prayer, episcopal collegiality, worship, etc. But the first garment adorned, the cassock, is the most important. This foundational garment speaks volumes to the role that the bishop, and by extension all Christians, are called to fulfill.

Undergirding every other role that the bishop is called to play, is a servant. The cassock represents this well; a simple garment without gold or silver buttons or adornment. A close fitting garment that, along with its cincture, reminds the wearer that he/she is not to be exalted. It reminds them of the life of Jesus Christ, who though he was God, did not perceive this fact as something to be grasped. Christ took upon himself willingly the form of a servant. That is the call for all who would seek higher service in the Lord–it is a call to servanthood in greater degrees. While the other garments sport ruffled or adorned cuffs, gold clasps, or are made from ornate fabrics, under all of these are the garments of a simple servant.

The message is simple. It doesn’t matter what position in ministry you hold. Whether bishop, priest, pastor, brother, deacon, usher, choir member, janitor, or cook, we are all called to be servants at the core. God doesn’t care how we dress ourselves outwardly, he merely cares what exists underneath of it all. Are you a servant at your core? Do you exist for the outward trappings that others will see? Is your motivation to climb the ladder of church hierarchy? If so, then look at the top and take your cue from there. Christ, at his core was a servant. Christ said “whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.”

Servant-Leadership Defined

In the inaugural post for this blog I discussed the fact that our current notion of leadership is in need of transformation. The leadership paradigm that I believe is best able to position leaders in both the sacred and secular arenas for long-term efficiency and mission success is servant-leadership. There are many varied definitions of servant-leadership being espoused in the world today, with all of them have similar characteristics and origins. Allow me to define what I mean when using the term, servant-leadership. This definition has been refined (and may be refined even more) through reading other definitions, and personal experience.

I define a servant-leader as one who, by intentionally serving and sacrificing for the needs of others, is able to influence them toward common goals.

The Flow of Service

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

I recently had a conversation with a denominational leader who spoke words that articulated his heart as a servant leader. He said, “service doesn’t flow to me, service flows from me.” He, as a leader of over 70 churches and nearly 10,000 Christians, viewed himself as the servant of the local church. He believed that if military terminology were used, and he were a general (a district leader within a denomination), then his responsibility would be to ensure that the men and women at the front lines (the local church) were more than adequately equipped to fulfill their mission. “My role exists”, he said, “so that men like you can acheive the goal of Christ.”

The words of Christ, quoted at the beginning of this post are profound. So too, are the words of the quoted denominational leader. Unfortunatley, these words seem to have fallen upon deaf ears among the current crop of church leaders. Glancing at the charismatic leaders of this generations model churches give one the distinct impression that service is to be rendered to the leaders, rather than by the leaders. Many of today’s leaders believe that a sign of their success is the number of persons who are “called” to serve as their personal adjutants or armorbearers; many of these well meaning men and women being taught a perverted meaning of these ministries of service.

Let me cut to the point. It is not designed by God that service flow to church leaders, but that it flow from them to those they lead. This is the essence of servant leadership. I know that some reading this will immediately desire to quote every known verse in Scripture that you believe justifies the extravagance, and over the top lifestyles of many leaders today. Let me say, without being harsh, save it! For every verse that you quote, I will give one that demonstrates the leader’s call to give their life for others. I don’t begrudge anyone the opportunity to provide food, clothing, and shelter for their family. However, being sober adults, we must realize that much of what is being done in Christendom today is at best selfish.

Excuse the rant, but I have grow weary of men who have not resisted to the point of shedding blood in their striving against sin continually lifting up their “inheritance and kingly anointing.” We, the Church, have allowed the name of Christ to be hijacked by those who are in it to make a name for themselves and find fortune. These twenty-first century soothsayers promise much and deliver little, while making sure that their ‘cover charge’ is paid in advance. Enough ranting, back to the point. Christ makes a clear case for what the life of a servant leaders is to be.

A leader is not called in order to be served

Our call and station as leaders, while a high calling, is not one that gives us an exalted position over others. In Matthew 20:25, Jesus makes this point clear. The secular leaders in His day practiced this type of leadership, a leadership where they lorded their position over others. Christ plainly told the disciples that it was not to be that way among us.

A Christian leader is called to serve others

We are called to be servants. This means that our primary duty as leaders is to do what other persons need done to aid, benefit, or assist them. Seeing ourselves, while fulfilling these duties, as living a life like our Savior should bring us great joy.

Too many leaders see this model of leadership as being weak, soft, or allowing oneself to be taken advantage of. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you have ever been in a restaurant, a good waitperson can be an excellent illustration of a servant. This person looks forward to, takes pride in, and strives to do whatever is asked of them by the person being served. They will take your order, make sure the order is filled, exchange the order if incorrect, and generally see to it that your dining experience is an enjoyable one. In their eyes they cannot be taken advantage of because they have chosen to serve. This means that whatever they are asked to do, is what they are there for in the first place. So it is with the leader serving in the mold of Christ. If God has called me to lead as a servant, then whatever I am called to do is what I will do. This remains true because I remember that service flows from me, and not to me.

A Christian leader’s life is meant to be given

The servant leader finds joy in giving of themself, because that is their purpose. The servant leader who doesn’t give their life in service to others feels like a dinner plate that is used like a chair; out of place. As a servant leader you are fulfilled in giving yourself to other people. Christ knew that even above the miracles, teachings, and fulfilling of the Law there was the purpose for which He came; to give His life. If He had only healed the sick, raised the dead, taught the ignorant, and fed the hungry, then He would have been incomplete. A servant must give themeselves.

In sowing their life a Christian leader blessed many

Jesus said, in John 12:24, “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” When we willing sow our lives unselfishly into the lives of the people we are called to lead, then we bear much fruit. Believe me when I say that this is much more than the fruit that is borne when we reverse the flow of service.

Bottom line

My beginning rant aside, we need to drastically revise our view of leadership in the Western church. We need to stop following the “flavor of the month” prophet/apostle/bishop who has a “fresh word” that is guaranteed to bless our lives, and go back to following Jesus. We need to remember the admonitions of Christ in Matthew 23. In this text He rebukes the double-standard laden living of the Pharisees and scribes. He says that these men lay heavy burdens upon men, burdens that they are unwilling to lift themselves. They say things (for others to do), but do not do them themselves. They love the best seats and the exalted titles, but ultimatley the one who will be exalted will be the servant. Stay blessed.

Servant Leadership Is All About Relationships

It really doesn’t matter what area of life we are discussing; be it secular employment, child rearing, or church leadership, it all comes down to relationships. We are only as effective as the depth of the relationships that we establish with other people. As go our various relationships, so goes the surrounding structure. If this is the case, and I believe that it is, then we would be well served to do whatever is necessary to improve our relationship skills. If we are going to fulfill our mission as Christian leaders, and live out the legcy of our calling, then there are a couple of relationship points that bear remembering.

First, we do not, nor can we, exist in isolation. As much as we may earnestly desire the opposite to be true from time to time, it is impossible for any person to reach their full potential by themselves. Naturally flowing from this thought also is the point that the Church cannot fulfill her mission if we isolate ourselves as Christians. We need one another in order to fulfill our potential. If we are talking about marriage or certain sports the principle seems obvious, but in leadership we tend to believe that we can make it alone. The maverick, lone ranger, my way or the highway styles of leadership seem to be the ones that grab our attention the most. As much as we may admire the leaders who appear able to function all by themselves and make things happen, we need to understand that these styles of leadership run contratry to what is modeled for us in Scripture.

Paul, would lead us to understand that we are all connected, members of one another. And as such, if one person falters we all are harmed. This means that even the leader, is only as effective as those men and women being led. In order for me to achieve, I must ensure that each individual member is achieving. My individual success depends upon our collective success as individuals. What does this mean for me as a leader? What kind of leader does this turn me into? What, given these facts, must I become in order to succeed? A servant!

Wow! What a novel idea. But, I recognize that many of you may be perplexed by the notion that one person can be both a servant and a leader simultaneously. You may ask, how can I remain secure in my position as leader, if I become the servant of those that I am called to lead? Well, it is actually not that difficult a prospect, particular if we recount the life of Jesus Christ himself. Jesus said, in Matthew 20:25-28,

…You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave, just as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

In the words of Jesus, a true leader is a servant first. We must make every effort to see ourselves first as ones called to serve the needs of the persons we lead; caretakers of a sort. This is a far cry from the Western notion of leadership, and particularly leadership in the neo-pentecostal, apostolic, and charismatic movements, where those we lead are seen as caretakers of our needs. But if we seriously consider the role of a caretaker, he or she would typically be the one in leadership, mainly due to their access and proximity to the knowledge and resources needed for the good of the group. This caretaker is not the owner of the resources, nor the keeper of the knowledge, but simply the one entrusted to ensure that everyone prospers (given the current culture I was slow to use that word) and has access to all that is available. The caretaker is the owner’s steward. It is not our special knowledge or private stash of goods. We serve the needs of the owner, by ensuring that everyone is served. In so doing, the caretaker ensures that the owner is pleased. The caretaker is a servant leader. The question is, do we see ourselves as caretakers?

So what does this have to with relationships? Well, everything. If we are called to lead, then we are called to be in relationship with and serve other people. We must see ourselves as persons seeking the ascent of other people. We exist to see other achieve. This kind of view is demanded by our interconnectedness as Christians, and our calling as leaders. Until we can see the values, mission, vision, purpose, and goals of another person as vitally important to the fulfillment of our own, then we shall continue to fall short of fulfilling our legacy as Christian leaders.

Servant Leadership vs. Positional Leadership

I ran across this blog post at Brant Hansen’s Letters from Kamp Krusty (yes, that is the name of the blog). I have to say, these comparisons hit the nail (or out of touch positional leader) on the head. Check out Brant’s original post here.

Servant Leader:  Has something to say

LeaderMan:  Wants a platform on which to say something

———–

LeaderMan:  You almost feel you know his family, because he’s your Leader

Servant Leader:  You allow him to influence you, because you know his family

———–

LeaderMan: Wants you to know he’s a Leader

Servant Leader:  You’re not sure he knows he’s a leader

———–

LeaderMan:  Loves the idea of the Gospel, and the idea of The Church

Servant Leader: Loves God and the actual individual people God brings across his path

———–

LeaderMan:  A great speaker, but self-described as, “Not really a people person.”

Servant Leader:  Makes himself a people person

———–

LeaderMan:  Helps you find where God is leading you in his organization

Servant Leader:  Helps you find where God is leading you

———–

LeaderMan:  Gets together with you to talk about his vision

Servant Leader:  Just gets together with you

———–

LeaderMan:  Resents “sheep stealing”

Servant Leader:  Doesn’t get the “stealing” part, since he doesn’t own anyone to begin with

———–

LeaderMan:  Wants the right people on the bus

Servant Leader:  Wants to find the right bus for you, and sit next to you on it

———–

Servant Leader:  Shows you his whole heart

LeaderMan:  Shows you a flow chart

———–

LeaderMan:  A visionary who knows what the future looks like

Servant Leader:  Knows what your kitchen looks like

———–

LeaderMan:  If it’s worth doing, it worth doing with excellence

Servant Leader:  Not exactly sure how to even calculate “worth doing”

———–

LeaderMan:  Talks about confronting one another in love

Servant Leader:  Actually confronts you in love

———–

LeaderMan:  Impressed by success and successful people

Servant Leader:  Impressed by faithfulness

———–

LeaderMan:  Invests time in you, if you are “key people”

Servant Leader:  Wastes time with you

———–

LeaderMan:  Reveals sins of his past

Servant Leader:  Reveals sins of his present

———-

LeaderMan:  Gives you things to do

Servant Leader:  Gives you freedom

———–

LeaderMan:  Leads because of official position

Servant Leader:  Leads in spite of position

———–

LeaderMan:  Deep down, threatened by other Leaders

Servant Leader:  Has nothing to lose

Unfortunately, I have to admit that there are too many leaders of the ‘LeaderMan’ type in our contemporary churches. What the church needs is a leadership repentance, purging, and revival. We need to repent of our need to have our itching ears tickled and heaping up the kinds of teachers and leaders who were only too eager to oblige us. We need to purge the ranks of church leadership of all of the ‘LeaderMan’ types of leaders; those leaders who saw (or see) church leadership as an easy hustle, or a way toward financial independence on the backs of God’s people. Finally, we need to experience a revival of Bible-based, Christ-centered, servant leadership. This type of leadership is modeled after the ministry of Jesus Christ, and is always other-focused. Remember, Christ deferred all glory to His Father in heaven.

…You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:25-28

Something Else Good to Read

Like most bloggers, I am also an avid reader of blogs, books, newspapers, websites, and anything that I can get. I recently came across Cerulean Sanctum, a blog written by Dan Edelen. Dan offers some keen, insightful, and well articulated posts on his blog. Of particular interest to me, and possibly you, were a series of posts on the state of the charismatic movement in the Western church. I’m linking to them below. Keep up the great writing Dan!

Cleansing the Charismatic Crackup, Part 1

Cleansing the Charismatic Crackup, Part 2

Cleansing the Charismatic Crackup, Final Thoughts

Stop the Tug-of-War with Jesus

Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.  He must increase, but I must decrease.” – John 3:25-30 English Standard Version

John the Baptist was a servant first. He was sold out for the mission, and selfless in his desire to see it fulfilled. A mark of the ministry of John the Baptist was his repeated deference to the ministry of Jesus Christ. In response to the questions posed by the Levites and priests, he responds that he is not the Christ, Elijah, nor the prophet. He goes on to state that the one who comes after him, whose way he is sent to make straight, is one whose sandals he is not worthy to unstrap.

In the section of Scripture quoted above, we see John in discussion with his disciples. He is sharing with them his joy in the arrival of Jesus Christ. There is not a tinge of competition or jealousy evident in his comments. What is evident is the genuine joy of a servant who has faithfully completed the task set before him. John saw his mission as simply pointing others to the one who was greater than himself. He was called to make such a case for Jesus, that all who followed him would gladly leave and follow Christ when He arrived. And this would be perfectly alright with John. In fact, it would make his joy complete.

Unfortunatley, this is not the picture that can be seen across a wide section of contemporary Western Christianity. It is almost as though we find ourselves in competition with Jesus Christ for disciples. We are in a tug of war to determine whose name will have the greatest impact. Gone in many sectors of the Church is the notion that motivated John the Baptist; the notion that leads a leader to believe that in order for Christ to increase, I must decrease. Instead we make our names the prominent one on the marquee and in the marketing materials we use. Men and women are told that “we” have a word that will change their lives. Our pictures and likenesses are trademark protected, and our sermons have become “intellectual property”. We seek to gather unto ourselves disciples, those who will submit to our counsel, authority, or covering.

What is glaringly missing from all of this is our deference to Jesus Christ. It is as though we have forgotten that “our” words cannot save or truly bless anyone. It isn’t us that men and women have come to see. We are simply the friends of the bridegroom, and many of us are trying to seduce His bride away from Him. In order to do this, we tell them a little about the bridegroom but spend most of the time ensuring that our image is seen as equal to His. In so doing, we intimate that we are an acceptable substitute for the real thing. With a wink and a nod we say, in essence, “I know the bridegroom so well that you can’t really tell us apart”, hoping that people will eventually forget that they initially were betrothed to another.

What is the remedy for all of this? Repentance! Stop exalting ourselves. Stop assuming that the ministries that we have been charged to carry out belong to us. Stop believing that we can in any way, great or small, bless the people. They have come to see Christ! Knowing Him as well as we should, we should be the greatest cheerleaders for Jesus as the answer. Knowing ourselves as we should, we should be the first one willing to deflect all accolades away from our own actions.

There are too many cultic ministries, built on the personalities of their leaders in existense today. There are too many leaders willing to take the praise upon themselves under the guise of being “anointed”. We can all take a lesson from John the Baptist. Its time to repent!

A Formula for Leadership Success

We clearly live in a day and time where leadership is both cherished and scorned. It is cherished because we understand its value to the fulfilment of our corporate values, missions, visions, goals, and objectives. It is scorned because far too many claim the mantle of leader or leadership guru without the attendant understanding or calling. We literally elevate anyone who desires to be a leader to leadership positions, often with less than stellar consequences.

I believe that, in the arena of contemporary Christendom (as least as it is expressed in the Western church), these leadership failings are in part due to our fascination with media and the cult of personality. This fact is even more glaring as we observe the neo-Pentecostal, Apostolic, and charismatic movements in the West. We need only tune in to the plethora of “Christian” television networks to see that our “ideal” for contemporay Christian ministry is dominated by glitz, gloss, and glamour. It would appear that the bigger the stage, and the gaudier the set design, the more populated and popular the ministry.

The size of the stage is, in some cases, surpassed only by the flaws in theology and biblical interpretation that are espoused with regularity. The “felt needs” of the hurting, broken, and in need of salvation masses are pandered to with a rash of proof texts and “have it your way” platitudes. In many of these sad scenarios Jesus is cast as some sort of cosmic Santa Claus or genie in a bottle, ready to fulfill the desires and wishes of whoever believes and asks.

What is missing is the Christ that bids all who are weary and heavy laden to take His yoke upon themeselves. Missing is the Christ that calls men and women who would follow Him to consider the cost of discipleship. Where is the call to forsake all or to take up one’s own cross and deny self daily?

The current cult of personality has, in my opinion, exalted one element of successful leadership above the other. In fact, I would submit that they have made this one element the only one necessary for successful ministry leadership. The element that seems to matter most to the cadre of pulpiteers that litter our contemporary Christian landscape is inspiration.

Let me say that I believe that inspiration is indeed an important element to leadership success. A leader must be called and inspired by the Lord in order to successful accomplish the mission set before him or her. But we must know that inspiration is only one part of the formula for successful ministry leadership. The formula for successful ministry leadership should be written in this manner:

Inspiration + Formation + Operation = Leadership Success

In the next several posts, I will discuss the several elements of this formula for ministry leadership success. There has to be a change in the way we are selecting and preparing men and women for ministry leadership, if the current tide is going to be stemmed.

Some reading this may see no need to stem the current tide. You may say that churches are filling, networks are burgeoning, and the gospel is going forth. I would rebut that a crowd and a church are not the same thing. Everyone in the crowd that followed Christ was not a disciple. As I understand the Great Commission, we are called to make disciples of all nations. Our call isn’t to draw crowds. Additionally, I believe that Jesus was disappointed with the crowds that simply followed Him in order to receive more of the fishes and loaves. These failings do not rest upon the people in the pews ultimatley, but upon the people in the pulpit.

The Hard Side of Leadership

There are many who aspire to be leaders, and the reasons for such aspirations are many and varied. I subscribe to the notion that leadership is about service first, and being a servant isn’t always easy. So if you want to be a leader because you believe it to be the path to glitz, glamour, and glory, keep this story in mind.

Our church sadly said goodbye to one of its founding families this weekend. While the departure was sudden, we cannot say that it was unexpected. There had been signs of discomfort for some time. As a leader this sadness was compounded by the amount of personal time spent with this family, and the personal relationship we perceived that we had. In the end, our relationship afforded us the privilege of being notified of their departure five minutes before service began on their last Sunday as members.

Know, that as we announced the departure of this family from our ministry, we celebrated their work among, connection to, and time with us as members. We assured them, and the congregation, that while they would no longer be members of our local fellowship they were absolutely still a part of our family and our relationships were secure. These things, for us and all Christians, should be non-negotiable.

As a leader, if you were to allow your mind to wander, you may ask what you did wrong? You may wonder if you should ever give as much of yourself to another individual, couple, or family again? You may question your abilities or calling as a leader? I would encourage you not to give in to the temptation. This is the hard side of leadership.

We are called, as servant leaders, to give ourselves freely and willingly without expecting that we will receive anything in return. Service is our reward. We sow into the lives of others, recognizing that we may never see the harvest. We get our delight in knowing that we have done all that we could to make sure that the fallow ground had been broken, the rows were hoed straightly, the soil was properly nourished, and the correct seeds were planted. We are stewards. We don’t own people. We are given an opportunity, for a time, to speak into their lives the life that God intends for them to live for his glory. Sometimes we may get to see the fruit. Sometimes we only get dirty. To God be the glory!