An opinion piece from the New York Times: Why Is Jesus Still Wounded After His Resurrection?

 

Why Is Jesus Still Wounded After His Resurrection?

“The risen but scarred body of Christ is the ultimate signifier of divine empathy.”

By Peter Wehner

Mr. Wehner, who served in various roles in the three Republican administrations before the Trump administration, is a contributing Opinion writer. He attends McLean Presbyterian Church in McLean, Va.

April 3, 2021

Cruelty is Apostacy: Reflections on Beth Moore's departure from the Southern Baptist Convention by David French

 Cruelty Is Apostasy

Reflections on Beth Moore’s departure from the Southern Baptist Convention.

By David French - A must read

The decision by Beth Moore to leave the SBC is a day of reckoning for the SBC and other denominations

 

Beth's announcement that she is leaving the Southern Baptist Convention hit like a bombshell today. As a gifted teacher, writer, leader and a critic of the behavior of the former president, her popular Bible Studies, books and teaching have made her a lightening rod within the SBC both by those who don't like her politics and by those who believe a woman should not teach men - even though Beth has played by the SBC rules on this issue. Her ministry, Living Proof Ministries has significant reach around the world. As part of her announcement today, Moore also said that Lifeway would no longer be her publisher.

A reading of the twitter feed in the wake of her announcement indicates that the SBC can be a very tough place for a gifted woman teacher and writer. She was called "a false teacher," someone who places her "feelings above Scripture," "brainwashed by Satan,"  "outside the pale of orthodoxy," "an entertainer enamored by herself," and the list goes on. 

Moore has spoken to the issue of Christian Nationalism within the SBC, the lack of concern about sexual victims in the church, sexism, and large racial divides that are resulting in the departure of many black pastors and congregations from the SBC. 

What is particularly interesting in the comments regarding Moore's departure on Twitter is that a large percentage of the comments are about President Trump and the need for the church to support him. This is an indication of how closely aligned the SBC has become (for many of their churches and leaders) to a political figure and a political party. When politics becomes the deciding factor of debate over the Gospel and Jesus, a rival God has raised its head. 

One thing can be said with certainty. The SBC is not a friendly place for a gifted woman teacher. This is not a debate about whether the church should be complementarian or egalitarian as the boundaries in many parts of the SBC are stringent and unyielding. 

This is a day of reckoning for the denomination that is already immersed in political battles. When a high profile woman (a New York Times Best Seller) can no longer minister freely within the SBC I suspect that many are going to take note and over the coming years follow her out. This is not because she wants to hurt the movement but because her efforts to raise awareness of important issues in the church have been met with derision and personal attacks. 

The truth is that Moore is deeply loved by many within and outside of the SBC. Those who love her will pay attention to what happened to her. Further, it is deeply disappointing to many that there was no longer a place for a gifted woman in the SBC.

All of this raises important issues within denominations as to whether a woman is able to use her gifts. In fact, it is ironic that the vast majority of the mission money in the SBC is raised in the name of Lottie Moon, a Southern Baptist missionary to China, but there seems to be nor enough room for Beth Moore. 

Regardless of one's theology regarding complementarianism or egalitarianism, if women are treated as second class citizens in the church, disrespected and cannot use their God given gifts, there is rot in the church. The treatment of Aimee Byrd, another popular author in the conservative ranks has been despicable and sad. 

For more on this story, see the Christianity Today Article on Beth Moore's decision to leave the SBC.

The key to humility is personal security

The more secure I am in who God made me to be

 and who my Father in heaven is,

 the better I can lead with humility

 rather than pride. 

Proud people are often insecure people. Because of their personal insecurities, they need to be right, control others, get their way, have the approval of others, and have a need to prove something to the world and those around them. Those who have personal security, on the other hand, know who they are and have nothing to prove, nothing to lose, and nothing to hide. They can be humble!

Jesus illustrates this in John 13 when on the eve of His death He washes the feet of His disciples. "The evening meal was in progress and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him" (John 13:2-5).

What Jesus did here was astonishing to His disciples. In fact, when Jesus got to Peter, he balked and told Jesus there was no way He could wash His feet. This job was for servants, not men of stature and dignity. Further, Jesus was the master, and masters didn't serve their disciples; it was the other way around. Jesus did what many leaders today will not or cannot do. He served His disciples and demonstrated that service with this humble act.

What struck me recently, however, are these words that precede his foot washing. "Jesus knew that the father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist."

These are not insignificant words! Jesus knew who He was in relation to His father. He was personally secure, even on the eve of His death. He knew who He was, and He knew who His father was and therefore was not at all embarrassed to wash His disciple's feet, although they were embarrassed that He would do so. 

Here is the truth. The more secure we are in ourselves, the less we must prove ourselves to others. The more secure we are in our Heavenly Father, the more we can serve others humbly rather than live with pride. At its root, pride comes from personal insecurities and our need to prove something. Humility comes from personal security and the lack of a need to prove anything to anyone. Security removes our need to position ourselves, prove ourselves or lift ourselves up. Security frees us to serve as Jesus served us and serves us still.

In leadership, humility is a key trait for lasting influence. To lead humbly, we need to understand that our leadership is a stewardship and not a right. The more secure I am in who God made me to be and who my Father in heaven is, the better I can lead with humility rather than pride. 

Clarity is Job One in any governance system

 

Ask any board or staff member in a church or non-profit and you will get the same answer to this question: What is the number one frustration you face in your leadership role. The answers will often be these:

• We don't have clarity on who is responsible for what
• We experience frustration or conflict regarding roles and responsibilities
• We often feel disempowered by those who think they have the responsibility to make decisions we think we should be able to make
• We don't feel empowered in our role
• If only the board (or staff) would stay out of our way
• Because no one is clearly responsible we don't know who to hold responsible
• Lack of clarity is causing confusion at best and conflict at worst

All of these have one thing in common. That commonality is clarity. Clarity in roles, responsibilities, intended results and the freedom to act within boundaries without the permission of others.

I am currently working with a congregation that is in a process to clarity their governance structure. They interviewed a number of other congregations about their process of governance and the one thing that consistently came back to them was this. Have maximum clarity around roles, responsibilities and outcomes. Without clarity there is no accountability. Without clarity people are not empowered to act. Without clarity there is at best confusion and at worst, conflict.

Every governance system must define the roles and responsibilities of four parties: The congregation, the senior board, the staff and ministry teams. The clearer you are, the more empowerment there is and the more accountability there will be. The foggier you are the less empowerment you will have and there will be little to no accountability.

My observation is that many governance systems are designed deliberately to create fog rather than clarity because with clarity people can act in their sphere of influence. In such churches, you will notice that they hit a ceiling and never exceed that ceiling because clarity of roles and responsibilities is critical to growth. In their lack of clarity they unwittingly limit their growth and effectiveness.  Lack of clarity has a built in ceiling to growth and effectiveness. 

Without clarity you cannot have alignment. Without alignment you cannot move in the same direction. And, without clarity and alignment, you cannot achieve results that are consistent with your clarity. Something to think about.

If you want more help in getting to clarity, my books High Impact Church Boards and Leading From the Sandbox can point you in the right direction. Remember, clarity is always Job One.

Five staff behaviors that will hurt your organization

 

There are certain behaviors that I don't want on my team or in the organization I help lead. In fact, I don't think these behaviors belong in any organization that has a commitment to health. However, many leaders think that they simply have to put up with these behaviors. You don't! And, in my view you shouldn't. 

These behaviors have nothing to do with professional competence. They do have to do with Emotional Intelligence and the culture of the organization. The health of the organizational culture, however, is not only key to the success of the organization but to the happiness of one's staff. This is why I am so sensitive to these behaviors and will do everything I can to root them out.

People who forge unhealthy alliances with other staff

When I hear negative comments around common themes from different staff I usually pay attention because they often emanate from a single source who has forged alliances with others and shared their negativity. I call these the "voice behind the voices" and their influence through these alliances can turn otherwise happy staff into staff who develop a chip on their shoulders around some issue. This is a cancer to the organizational health.

Those who don't buy into the mission of the organization

Mission and vision is everything. If staff don't buy into them, they are actually working at cross purposes with everything you are trying to accomplish. Those who are not going with you are an anchor creating a drag on your progress. Even if they are competent, they are not contributing to your forward progress.

Those who love to throw water on ideas or conversation

These are the folks who have the ability to shut down discussion. They may be cynics, they may not like the ideas of others. Why they do what they do is not the issue. That they do is the issue. These can be supervisors or staff but they keep others from engaging. Anyone who has the ability to shut down discussion with words or attitudes squashes creativity, engagement and motivation.

Professional critics

There are individuals who see their contribution to the human condition as that of pointing out what is wrong and what should change. What they don't often do is to offer solutions. And often, their criticism is subtly directed at certain individuals - often leaders. While there are many issues that need to be tackled, the end result of the contribution of professional critics is to create a negative culture, rather than a positive culture that seeks to solve problems. While these individuals often think they are doing an organization a service, they are actually doing a disservice.

Personal agendas

Individuals with personal agendas are toxic because the motivations behind their behaviors are hidden rather than public. Personal agendas may be around organizational direction, is often around power and influence or it may be something else. The salient point is that their intentions are hidden and therefore one is not able to address it as an issue. This creates confusion at best and conflict at worst. There is an agenda behind the curtain that is hidden.

None of these behaviors will motivate your staff or contribute to forward momentum to your mission. On the contrary, they will be a drag on the organization and will rob you of cultural health.

How does one deal with unhealthy individuals who fit these or other unhealthy categories?

 

First, it is critical to have a defined culture as your preferred or stated culture should rule out unhealthy behaviors and give you an objective standard to call people to live up to. A good description of your preferred culture should rule out behaviors that are problematic.

Second, it is important to be clear with your staff both on your preferred culture and those behaviors that are not OK within your organization and why. Culture is something that must be created. We ignore it at our own peril and it should be a constant discussion.

Third, training in EQ (Emotional Intelligence) can be very helpful. Each of the dysfunctional behaviors here are also EQ issues. The better the combined EQ of the staff the fewer problematic behaviors will be present.

Fourth, when you have staff members who are repeat offenders of one or more of the behaviors above, you have to have direct, candid and clear discussions to help them understand that their behaviors are not acceptable. 

Fifth, where coaching is not working, it is often time to move an individual off your team or your organization. 

Remember. When it comes to your culture, you get what you create or allow.

Pray for the country of Myanmar and the Christian church in the aftermath of the Military coup - Christianity Today

 

After Military Coup, It’s ‘Time to Shout’ for Myanmar Evangelicals -Christianity Today