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christlikeness The Fellowship of Low Expectations
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 01:33PM About this time last year I posted a reflection on the ambivalence many Christians feel about following Jesus. You can read The Impossible Mentor in full, but here is the heart of that article:
I believe that the central problem in nurturing followers of Jesus in North America is our view of Jesus as the Impossible Mentor. It’s a paradox: nearly everyone is willing to acknowledge Jesus as a worthy role model, but almost no one seriously believes it is possible to live up to his example. Our esteem for Jesus’ life of obedience to the Father and our desire to be “just like Jesus” does battle with the deep-seated notion that it is impossible to be like him. Who would choose a mentor who is impossible to imitate?
In the last twelve months I have seen first-hand how many believers feel the urge to go deeper with Jesus while struggling with the conviction that it is impossible to measure up to him. What has surprised me is how many church leaders also hold this view. How does a leader build and shape the church if he or she believes that the goal is impossible?
Across the spectrum of Christian worship, our churches are filled with individuals who do not believe Christlikeness is possible. Even more striking is the number of church leaders who have largely abandoned the task of making disciples. Local churches place any number of expectations on their pastors: preaching, visiting the sick, counseling, and supervising the ministries of the church are all standard aspects of the job description. Reproducing the character and power of Jesus in the lives of individual members is rarely on the list.
The challenge is reflected in more than job descriptions. The preparation and training for pastoral ministry in North America seldom includes courses focused upon the process of making disciples. For example, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary’s core curriculum for a Masters of Divinity degree does not include a single course on disciple-making. The rise of graduate-level “Christian Leadership degrees” in recent years is a more promising trend, but these degrees are explicitly marketed against the expectations of traditional pastoral models. The language of Fuller Theological Seminary’s website is revealing:
“Students who are pursuing the MA in Christian Leadership degree are typically looking to be well grounded but not necessarily interested in ordained ministry or those working in churches that do not require a seminary education for ordination.”
The issue is more than education. It goes to the priorities we place on “ministry.” In some church circles, there is a common saying from the pulpit: “There are only two questions God will ask when you get to heaven: ‘Do you know my Son?’ and, ‘How many other people did you bring with you?’” These questions reflect the priorities of many evangelical pastors. Evangelical churches have placed leading others to the conversion experience as the highest calling of the church.
Liturgical churches have frequently placed corporate social action as the highest calling of the church. Their witness is to the community at large through the corporate actions of the congregation. While taking the lead in ministry to the poor or in matters of social justice, the formation of disciples capable of reflecting the character and power of Jesus is left behind. The emphasis is on the prophetic voice without producing prophetic individuals.
In both evangelical and liturgical circles, the growth and maturity of believers is secondary at best. The consequences are plain: we have produced congregations of people willing to work for Jesus, but unable to relate to him.
What would happen if pastors and leaders began to operate from the conviction that it is possible to reproduce the character and power of Jesus in his followers? Jesus apparently held that idea:
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. (John 14: 11 - 13)
The Apostle Paul apparently labored under the idea that his mission was to reproduce Christ in his converts: “I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you..." (Gal. 4:19) In fact, even more telling, Paul offered himself as and example: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (I Corinthians 11:1) The fact that neither the Galatian or Corinthian people had yet measured up to the standard of Jesus didn’t stop Paul from pointing to the center of the target. The best way to hit any part of the target is to aim for the center.
What are church leaders are aiming for these days?
Reader Comments (14)
i have certainly been guilty to this in the past, but i wonder if "leaders' are just in love with "ministry" too much (i.e., what they perceive as ministry - the things you are talking about: evangelism or social action). i would say i come down as both/and...the way to make disciples is by doing the stuff together...
i probably need reminding of one of the basic leadership mantras that Wimber used to say over and over: our task as leaders is to 'do-the-stuff' and get others to 'do-the-stuff' too...how do we do this? teach, model, train, release, deploy, and monitor.
I think you're right on the money, Steve. Another Southern California guru, John Wooden, used to say, "never mistake activity for achievement." Pastors and church leaders are nearly always "active," but are we giving ourselves to the Jesus model or the North American church-as-a-business model?
Ray, thanks for your wisdom and insight on this matter. Your comment about being willing to work for, but unable to relate to is a BIG deal! I am a product of such teaching and it is something I am working on (struggling through) right now.
Thanks!
Josh, it's amazing how many people feel the same as you. There are so many who have grown up with the teaching you received. The result is that God's children do not know him. And, as I wrote, I think it's a leadership issue. Peace!
This thread -- and Stephen Hamilton's comments -- just astounds the hell out of me and causes me grief to even contemplate.
This is astounding to me mostly because it is congruent with other observations I have made. However it is has been put to me that such things are "fault-finding." Perhaps the mouth it comes out of makes it less odious (i.e. a minister vs. a lay person), or, alternatively, whose ox is being gored.
I'm curious, Charles: "astounds" can be interpreted in a lot of ways, and I'm anxious to hear what causes the grief: the thread, or the reality of the where the North American church is today? I would hate to think that I'm the source of your grief. Peace!
Our comments crossed in the internet ether-zone. Thanks for elaborating on your meaning. You raise a good point, namely, the problem with "fault-finding." I trust that whenever a deficiency is pointed out, we can also be directed toward the solution. When I referenced "The Impossible Mentor" post, I hope it was clear that I believe the solution is in adjusting our vision--namely that pursuing Christlikeness (in both character and power) is exactly what we are called to do. I only point out the difficulties with church leadership to underscore how widespread the "Impossible Mentor" thinking goes.
Oh, and believe me, just because I'm a pastor doesn't make the words any less odious to some people!
I hope I do this right. Ray: Your comments about the North American church normally failing to reproduce the character and ministry of Jesus is a bull's eye. I think the reason is so many church leaders have not themselves been discipled by anyone. They have been to classes, seminars, etc. They may even have mentors, but the idea of leadership development, mentoring, etc. is far short of the biblical mandate to reproduce Christ in the believer. We can teach on Bible study methods. We can teach on reproducing activity as you mentioned. But reproducing the character of the Master and ministering with that self-same power is rare. But it is not only possible, it is expected. That is why it is a biblical mandate. The usual reason for failure I have found is simple. Paul writes in Romans 8 that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is alive in the believer. Most believers, when we read that we are to be like Jesus in our character and ministry power, we respond with "I can't do that." And that is the glorious point. But the question then becomes, "Does God have the grace to transform me so that my character reflects the Master and does He have the grace to empower me for ministry?" And that is where we begin to find fulfillment to the mandate. Then when we begin to see that character and power in another person, it blows the doors off of our unbelief. Ted Beam, a friend
Thanks, Ted, for your observations. Well put. Jesus asks of us the impossible, but fortunately it's nothing he isn't willing to do himself. I love your phrase, "And that is the glorious point . . ." We need to learn how to live **in Christ** and who will teach us if not the church leaders?
>> I would hate to think that I'm the source of your grief. Peace!<<
No, you are not. Even if you were, I would think less of you as a pastoral figure if you were thus concerned. I'm not looking for "nice" in a pastor (nor, not-nice for that matter). I'm looking for "good" (as in the moral quality of goodness, which can encompass doing harsh things betimes) as well as competence.
I am saying that believers have some reason to hope for and expect "high expectations" from leadership; just as leadership thinks towards the man in the pew.
This thread -- and Stephen Hamilton's comments -- just astounds the hell out of me and causes me grief to even contemplate.
This is astounding to me mostly because it is congruent with other observations I have made. However it is has been put to me that such things are "fault-finding." Perhaps the mouth it comes out of makes it less odious (i.e. a minister vs. a lay person), or, alternatively, whose ox is being gored.
Thanks, Ted, for your observations. Well put. Jesus asks of us the impossible, but fortunately it's nothing he isn't willing to do himself. I love your phrase, "And that is the glorious point . . ." We need to learn how to live **in Christ** and who will teach us if not the church leaders?