I Want My 50 Cubits!

By Lance Bledsoe

I recently engaged in an email discussion that began with a question about what exactly it means for a pastor to have authority. And where did this authority come from anyway?

Authority appears to have more than one form, and we began discussing a form called “spiritual authority.” This is important because – for example – one doesn’t generally have a lot of say in whether one will submit to “civil authority.” If you are convicted of breaking a law that a government has enacted, you’re probably going to suffer the consequences whether you like it or not, since governments generally have courts and jails and police to make sure of it. You do, however, have a say in whether you will submit to the spiritual authority of a particular person (e.g., pastor) or group (e.g., church or denomination). My contention is that ultimately I decide what people (or groups, or documents, etc.) will have spiritual authority over me, and how much authority they will have. Regarding pastors in particular, in any given local church the pastor may have some degree of authority over the congregation, but that pastor has authority because the people give it to him/her.

(Brief parenthetical diversion: It was at this point in the discussion that it was suggested that there might not in fact be some “biblical allotment of authority” conferred on certain people. I was so enamored of the idea of an authority allotment that I began joking that we should measure it in drachmas; it was later agreed that cubits would be a better unit of measurement.)

Spiritual authority is related to but distinct from “leadership.” In my mind, leadership is a gift (in this context, a spiritual gift) that some people have been given. Whether or how someone uses their gift is up to that person. It's also true that whether a person chooses to follow a particular leader is up to the follower, but the leader has the gift regardless. Authority, on the other hand, is primarily determined by the follower. If you decide you’re going to follow someone (e.g., listen to their advice, follow their instruction, etc.) then you have given that person some degree of authority over you. And if you decide you’re not going to follow, then that person has no authority over you.

Even Jesus was forced to suffer the sometimes annoying ability of others to deny his authority over their lives. In Mark 6, after performing some pretty impressive miracles (including raising a little girl from the dead) Jesus went to his hometown to teach in the synagogue but, “They took offense at him… He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.” It seems to me that in this case “lack of faith” is closely related to an unwillingness to recognize Jesus’ authority. While some of us might consider the healing of a few sick people to be pretty miraculous, it kind of makes you wonder what Jesus could have done in these people’s lives if they had actually recognized and acknowledged his authority.

Should women lead in church?

Recently I had another person ask by what authority a woman could lead a church. You would think I'd have my answer down pat after 15 years of doing this. But I still don't, and as a result I started a conversation about it with friends. Here's what came out of it.

No agreement necessary
Churches don't agree on this issue any more than they agree on divorce, the virgin birth, homosexuality, the Pope, or drums and projectors in church. And honestly, most of the issues we argue and fuss about in the church are field mice, not tigers, and the forces that oppose God get a lot of mileage out of our being embroiled in them. The question of whether women should lead churches is a field mouse. You can feel one way or the other (and go to a church that agrees with you) but it is not a question which will lead to your salvation. In fact, you can get so tangled up with it that you never get on the road with Jesus.

Scripture
You know, I had the classes in seminary on the "texts of terror" so often used to keep women from leadership in the church. Paul takes both sides of the issue, depending on where you look. Jesus doesn't say anything about it, but women fund his ministry, travel and minister with him, and are consistently accepted (healed, touched, fed, loved) by him. There are powerful women of scripture who prophesy, lead, judge, and serve God's people in a multitude of ways.

Experience
I didn't grow up in a church with a model of women in leadership. My experience of being called into ministry started the first time I ever saw a woman lead a worship service; I was about 25 years old, and utterly astonished by the power of that service. A year or so later Jesus came to me in a dream (very Biblical), and invited me to enter the life he led; guiding, being in relationship with, and teaching his people. My pastor and community affirmed this call, and here I am. Were all of us wrong? Could be. And I'm okay with that. I feel ready to face God and tell how I spent my life.

Err on the side of grace
My girlfriend Alicia had this wonderful thing to say: "If I’m going to err, I’d rather err on the side of freedom to serve Christ. I think the radical freedom God offers us in Christ — some have called it scandalous — has to be more than just freedom from… Yes, we have freedom from sin, freedom from rules, freedom from fear. But, we also have freedom to… We are free to serve, free to worship without fear of God’s rejection, free to love God and other people in wild and extravagant ways. For me, that’s the heart of pastoral ministry." You can read the rest of her thoughts here.

You shall know them by their fruits
The best response I heard to my inquiry came from my friend Mary Jo, who posed (and answered) the question this way: Does God have the power to call women into ministry if God chooses? If God has the power, how do we know if God has used that power to call women into ministry? As John Wesley said (and he got it from Jesus): by their fruits.

I'm good with that.

Meet a modern-day Paul

by Marty Linn

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Acts 20:35 (New International Version)

My perspective on the life of the apostle Paul is that he was so totally convicted by his experience of Jesus that he gave up everything to embrace a life of serving the world and encouraging everyone he encountered to follow the Way of Jesus. He became completely reliant on God for all provisions for his life and God provided it to Paul through God's people.

Recently I have gotten to know a modern-day Paul. Some of you met him when he was at Connections in February: his name is Wadsene.

Wadsene lives with his father, who was a preacher and never had much money with which to support his family. When Wadsene was a child, they sometimes had only mangos to eat for an entire week at a time. Wadsene said that growing up he understood that in order of prominence, God was first, the Haitian President was second, and missionaries were third. The reason missionaries were so prominent? They could bring their families something to eat other than mangos.

Wadsene is a US citizen but he chooses to stay in Haiti and serve his people. He is the administrator for the ministry called Horizontal Love Ministries, which offers food, medical care, and other services to elderly persons in the city of Les Cayes and south Haiti. From time to time, HLM brings the individuals they serve together. They play dominoes and other games and enjoy each other's company. When it’s time to go home, none of them want to leave.

All of the workers at HLM are volunteers; Wadsene says that he is somewhat embarrassed at times because he cannot pay them. Wadsene is actively involved in the care giving as well, and rides his bike to visit the various individuals who receive HLM's services.

He tries to have a few dollars to give when he visits someone. One time when he was visiting a 70 year old man he didn’t have any money, and Wadsene apologized for not having anything to give him. The old gentleman told him he shouldn’t apologize because just the fact that Wadsene was visiting him had changed his life. Seeing Wadsene visit, the people in his community had changed their perceptions of the older man and had begun to watch out for him and give him food. Wadsene says that even the smallest gesture or deed in Haiti is significant. Wadsene put it well: "I have a lot more than the boy with two fishes, and look what the Lord did with that!"

Wadsene was recently able to buy a small piece of land, and his dream is to build a 3 to 4 room house in which the people he serves can live.

I am grateful that Connections is already supporting this ministry but I also think we can do more. Haiti is a hidden corner of the world where this ministry may well be the only hope some people have to see Jesus. As we enthusiastically pursue growing the kingdom here, I propose we also consider doing the same there.

Good to Remember

"God has given us our ministries. We don't have to prove our worth through our ministry, and we don't have to wallow in our mistakes. You don't have to earn your place as a pastor or leader in the church." - Rick Warren