A Message to My Friends and Colleagues
Herman Kauffman
Winter 2003 Council of District Executives
It often feels difficult for those of us holding district leadership roles to be a leader or even a good member in our local congregation. This marks the fourth winter that I have been asked to lead a Bible Study during the winter months in my home congregation. This year we are studying "Paul and the Early Church, on Wednesday evenings from January through March.
I find it to be a refreshing and spiritually energizing task to do the deeper digging into scripture that this requires. During this past month, I have already gained new insight and appreciation for Paul as a leader in the early church. While our focus has been on the Acts of the Apostles [Acts of Paul within the larger story], I have found myself re-examining other Pauline writings with new insights.
A couple of weeks ago, I was drawn to 1 Timothy and selections of the text which I was reading from The Message seemed to jump out at me as the basis for this worship service this evening. I was at first tempted to simply paraphrase the entire letter as Paul's Letter to the District Executives in Daytona Beach; but I have chosen instead to highlight several key passages that have spoken to this District Executive Minister in hope that they will speak to you as well.
Read 1 Timothy 1:12-14 [The Message]
How many times have I heard persons say, "I wouldn't have your job for anything." Well, there are days, moments, occasions, when I don't want my job either! It is demanding work. Can I hear an amen?
I keep on my filing cabinet this quotation from Pam Leinhauer, 5 years ago: " ... the demands of District Executive ministry are like trying to juggle six balls standing up, and adding a new one every four hours, while someone is hitting you in the back of the knees."
The ministry we do within the church is demanding ministry, but it is also essential ministry; and I echo the words of Paul: "I'm so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work." I make no claim at having achieved great success at what I do, and without God working in me through the Holy Spirit, I could not do this work. But I am grateful to Jesus for making me adequate.
When I think back upon the church in my lifetime - and for now I'll even limit myself to the Church of the Brethren - I have known some pretty amazing church leaders, some of whom were even district executives. These were persons who I thought had it all together spiritually and relationally, and I am immensely humbled to realize that in this time in the history of our church I have been entrusted with this ministry and this leadership role in the church.
But I will confess to you today, that like the Apostle Paul, I am often amazed at a God who would go out on a limb in trusting me with this ministry. But that's the kind of God we worship and serve, a God who called Abram and Sarah to venture forth into the unknown, a God who called Moses the murderer to lead his people out of captivity and on toward the Promised Land, and a God who placed Esther in the right place at the right time to save her people.
God goes out on a limb time and again for us and expects us to carry on this ministry entrusted to us, even if it requires our being out on the limb from time to time trying to just hang on.
I need God's Grace in my life to mix with my faith. I need that cup that runneth over with love filling my empty cup until the love of God known to me through Jesus is able to flow both in and out of my life. All because of Jesus who came because God so loved the world; all because of Jesus who has revealed God's love to us; and all because of Jesus who has shown us what is love.
Read 1 Timothy 2:1-3 [The Message]
Introduction to Church Leadership 101 begins with prayer. "The first thing I want you to do is pray." Don [Booz] I want to thank your district for bringing the query to Annual Conference last year calling our denomination to be constant in prayer. Harriet [Finney] your letter, as Moderator, to the church earlier this year has caused many of us to take seriously the Annual Conference Call to Prayer and sent the tone for our own theme this week.
"Pray every way you know how," writes Paul. We know there are different ways to pray - and some forms of prayer we utilize more than others. Some of us find one form of prayer more meaningful personally, while other may prefer another form of prayer. Some prefer to kneel for prayer, others feel it is reverent to stand, and others are more comfortable in a seated position. Some prefer to pray alone and in silence while others prefer corporate prayers that may be spoken or sung.
During our prayer and devotional time the next three mornings, I have asked those leading us to be free in leading us in varied methods of prayer. In our corporate time this week, as well as in our personal time alone, may we pray every way you know how.... and
This week we are separated from family and friends back home. But we will pray for them and they will seem closer to us for our efforts. Each one of us are aware of persons whose lives are not whole and we know of congregations that are not at shalom within. Our prayers this week continue for everyone you know.
While you are praying for everyone you know, our corporate prayer time each day will have a focus:
Tomorrow begins with a focus on ourselves, for until we are able to align ourselves with God and God's will, we will not be effective in the ministry or the prayers and relationships we offer to others in Jesus' name.
Tuesday morning our prayer focus will be for our Districts and staff.
Wednesday morning our prayer focus will be for the Larger Church and the leadership that serves the church through our denominational agencies.
Thursday morning as we prepare to return to our homes, we will be led in a prayer of commissioning for the ministry to which we return.
As I was reading this passage, I was shaken anew by the timeliness of Paul's writing. I've felt very critical toward rulers and governments in recent weeks. I was reading this passage on the day after President Bush's lingering words, "I'm sick and tired...." And I was contemplating writing my own "I'm sick and tired" speech which would have had the words and actions of the President at the top of my list.
And then it hit me: "I've not been praying for the rulers and their governments to rule well." How do I pray for rulers I've never met? How do I reconcile Paul's words in Romans 13:1 "that there is no governing authority except from God" with a ruler like Saddam Hussein; and how do I pray for a ruler who, from everything I hear, is evil? Dare I pray that whatever godliness is within him may grow and be shown in his words and actions? Dare I pray for our own President that he will listen more to his spiritual advisors than to his military advisors? Dare I pray that like in the Exodus story, God will return to the "burning bush?"
And finally, how does our prayer lead us to speak to the powers and principalities of this world in the name of God. The same Paul who urges us to pray for rulers was also not afraid to confront the rulers of his day. And in the early days of the Christian movement, it was Peter and John who would not be silenced when ordered not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, saying: "Whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking what we have seen and heard." And later in the 4th chapter of Acts we read that "when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness." Will our gathering and prayers this week lead us to speak God's word with boldness?
Ah yes, Paul says, "Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well... "
Why? "... so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation."
Read 1 Timothy 3:1-7 [The Message]
I have occasionally quoted or paraphrased from a sermon by Lloyd Averill in which he begins with these words: By all ordinary measures, Christian ministry is simply an undoable calling. In fact, he adds, I want to make my assertion even more blunt: Anyone who enters upon the calling of ministry, and anybody issuing a call to ministry, should not expect that calling to succeed. ["The Doing and Undoing of Ministry, Lloyd J. Averill, Best Sermons 6, edited by James W. Cox, 1993]
But in that same sermon, I go on to remind pastors and congregations that no matter how impossible or frustrating ministry may be, there is nothing in the world today that is more important. So, why, I ask would anyone in their right mind choose this impossible calling of providing leadership to the church? And the answer, which all of you know, is that we do not choose ministry; rather, some are chosen for this ministry.
As Paul writes to Timothy about leadership in the church, we are reminded of some preconditions and Paul's list begins with these:
We may add our own guidelines but these were Paul's preconditions. Having said this, Paul goes on in the 6th chapter (beginning with verse 11) to encourage Timothy in a lifetime of service to the church.
Sometimes, when we are most frustrated with the church, we may tend to forget why we are here; and we need to be reminded and encouraged again.
Read 1 Timothy 6:11-12 [The Message]
Read Final Benediction
1 Timothy 6:13-16 [The Message]
[Brothers and Sisters] I'm charging you before the life-giving God and before Christ, who took his stand before Pontius Pilate and didn't give an inch:
Keep this command to the letter, and don't slack off. Our Master, Jesus Christ, is on his way. He'll show up right on time, his arrival guaranteed by the Blessed and Undisputed Ruler, High King, High God.
He's the only one death can't touch,
His light so bright no one can get close.
He's never been seen by human eyes -
Human eyes can't take him in!
Honor to him, and eternal rule!
Oh, yes! Amen.