The Self Centered Blog
When we talk sooner or later I will tell you something about me. It will usually connect with something you just said. Example: (You) We’ve been shopping for a used car. (Me) Really? We just bought a used car. The deals are great right now aren’t they? Have any luck?
I don’t just want to chat with you. I want to connect with you because I believe God will use that connection for your blessing, mine or both.
When I teach you I will usually do something similar, telling you about the cat that ran away from home or the mess Joshua made in the kitchen. I do this because to a far lesser extent I want to connect with you. (I am well aware that the degree to which we connect with our teachers influences greatly the weight we give to what they say.) But the far greater reason for mentioning my life in sermons, etc is because I believe that if we can make the leap together from abstract spiritual principle to concrete reality and that concrete reality is very similar to what happens in your life, then the door has opened for God to truly change people through eternal spiritual truths.
Others use jokes and stories they have picked up in one place or another to great effect, but I like my way. I suppose if I’m going to be honest there is another thing even more important to me in all this.
I can’t stand pride in leadership. I adore humble leadership.
Even more important, I believe that people are desperate for leaders that are not perfect. In other words that are just like them. People come almost to tears upon the realization that they aren’t not doing so much worse in following Jesus than their pastor.
So, the stories are not merely of success or example, but far more often of embarrassment, mistake, misunderstanding even abject failure.
The world is sick and tired of perfect pastors in crisp new suits telling them they are sinners, but to have someone say “I am fallen. I need Christ and whether you want to admit it or not you do too.
That to me is preaching that God can use and if that means nobody will ever put me on a pedestal then so be it. I’ll be honest. Some would say my self references ultimately flow out of a self centeredness. More often than not what I find is that I have traded some influence, some leadership mojo for these moments of openness. Then again there is a chance they are correct. Does arrogance hide behind all self reference?
There is no place in my world for arrogance in the pulpit and yet we so often find it there. Why is that? How do we crush it?
I don’t just want to chat with you. I want to connect with you because I believe God will use that connection for your blessing, mine or both.
When I teach you I will usually do something similar, telling you about the cat that ran away from home or the mess Joshua made in the kitchen. I do this because to a far lesser extent I want to connect with you. (I am well aware that the degree to which we connect with our teachers influences greatly the weight we give to what they say.) But the far greater reason for mentioning my life in sermons, etc is because I believe that if we can make the leap together from abstract spiritual principle to concrete reality and that concrete reality is very similar to what happens in your life, then the door has opened for God to truly change people through eternal spiritual truths.
Others use jokes and stories they have picked up in one place or another to great effect, but I like my way. I suppose if I’m going to be honest there is another thing even more important to me in all this.
I can’t stand pride in leadership. I adore humble leadership.
Even more important, I believe that people are desperate for leaders that are not perfect. In other words that are just like them. People come almost to tears upon the realization that they aren’t not doing so much worse in following Jesus than their pastor.
So, the stories are not merely of success or example, but far more often of embarrassment, mistake, misunderstanding even abject failure.
The world is sick and tired of perfect pastors in crisp new suits telling them they are sinners, but to have someone say “I am fallen. I need Christ and whether you want to admit it or not you do too.
That to me is preaching that God can use and if that means nobody will ever put me on a pedestal then so be it. I’ll be honest. Some would say my self references ultimately flow out of a self centeredness. More often than not what I find is that I have traded some influence, some leadership mojo for these moments of openness. Then again there is a chance they are correct. Does arrogance hide behind all self reference?
There is no place in my world for arrogance in the pulpit and yet we so often find it there. Why is that? How do we crush it?
posted by Aaron McMillan at 10:42 AM
1 comments
