"Follower"

I like leadership. I like the thought of hopefully being a leader one day, and I have had opportunities to learn from and follow great leaders. There are a lot of books, conferences, podcasts, and other outlets of media that speak on leadership and look to empower leaders. I am not at all opposed to any of these. Mark Miller in his book, "Leaders Go First" He talks about the fact that leaders need to always thirst for wisdom. A quote from his book says, "The more I learn, the more I know how little I know."

However, to my knowledge not a lot of books, podcasts, or conferences talk a lot about being a follower worth leading. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places or I haven't exposed myself to enough books, and if these exist please let me know because I would love to read them.

So today I want to blog about being a great follower. Maybe I could make this a "5,10,15 things that make a great follower" blog ... but I think I will pass this time.

1. As a follower you are valuable! Like old reliable appliances, in both design and purpose. Develop a desire to learn a multitude of different tasks. Whether that is cleaning, moving, packing, writing, organizing, clicking a mouse, etc etc ... The biggest problem with a lot followers is itchy feet. When things don't go well we tend to think that we know better than the leader and as a result we don't want to do as much. "If you are truly willing to serve, then you will do so in any capacity." - Mark Miller.

2. Have respect for your leaders. Take into account that most areas of leadership are not one-dimensional, actually none of them are. There are a lot of logistical matters that go into making the physical tasks possible. Don't speak poorly of them and be ready to encourage and push through your tasks with excellence and determination, even the mundane tasks.

3. Take initiative. This one is easier to explain, never assume that anyone is going to do fill a need that is open. If you see something that needs to be done then take care of it, become your own champion of the mundane tasks, which leads quite well into my next thought ...

4. Do the mundane tasks. Easier said than done, I loathe stuffing letters, moving heavy objects, setting up tables and chairs, cleaning grease traps and washing dishes by hand but they need to be done. Find ways to push through the mundane, listen to music and dance as you work, think about a new series you want to watch on Netflix, just make sure you finish. Go a step further and volunteer to do the mundane tasks, you're valuable like an old appliance remember? So, be that trusty appliance that people can go to when they need to finish a task.

5. Know your limitations. Pay attention that your skill set, as well as your body. If you're not good at working with computers then don't take a task that involves computers. If you're tired and not feeling well don't try to lift or move something that takes a lot of focus, precision, and care to lift or move. A servants heart is invaluable, but know when you may not be able to do something to completion. If you start a task, seek to finish the task. With that being said ...

6. Glean your terrain. Leave no stone unturned. Seek to know your area and your leaders so well that you know where they are weakest and be willing to provide stability. Fill a space, change the time on a clock when the power goes out, rearrange a storage closet. Look for ways to improve the looks and efficiency of your surroundings.

7. Stretch yourself. Ask for harder tasks, enter uncharted waters and volunteer to work at or on a task in which your knowledge is limited. In this, if you push through, you will have become that much more valuable to the champions around you who are working on the logistical tasks that make the physical tasks possible.

8. Learn, soak it in. Like an old sponge in both use and design seek to learn more about tech tasks, set-up and tear down, cleaning, and many other things that I don't have nailed down yet. Look for ways to improve. Make it possible for leaders to do what only they can do and this will help the entire machine run smoothly.

Remember followers, It is not about you. As hard as it is followers need to develop the ability to be okay with not being noticed for holding doors, cleaning buildings, pressure washing walls and decks, but to do them anyway because it helps others do their job well. Make your leaders look good, and in turn you will look good as well.

I don't know everything there is about the art of being a follower but hey I'm still learning, and learning is my favorite part.

Spirit of The Book

Today I went to watch the movie, "Son of God." I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but my reasons for enjoying the movie were not based on anything to do with "biblical purity" If I may steal that phrase. 
    
Now please, hear me out before you destroy me. The statement that the bible series always put up on screen before showing their next chapter says this, 
   "This series attempts to stay true to the spirit of the book."

What does that statement even mean? What is the "spirit of the bible"? So, on the car ride back I began to think about the biblical authors, and while I know none of them personally, I do know that each one had an agenda as to why they wrote what they wrote. 

For example ...

In the first four verses of Luke we see the author, a historian or sorts, looking to affirm a certain Theophilus in, "The things he had been taught", seeing as many others have attempted to get the story of Jesus of Nazareth correct and have all failed.

Opposed to John 20:30-31 which says, "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

Both authors have different agendas which caused them to write, in this instance it is historical vs. evangelical, but the "spirit" of their stories remains the same. I believe the entire bible looks to share this same spirit, to persuade its readers this: There is only one God and he offered his son as a living sacrifice so that you may live free of oppression, shame, and death.

I believe that "Son of God" upholds this spirit, and viewers will differ on this based on their 'portrait of God'

I heard a sermon by pastor Ron Lewis at Spring Road Christian Church at our college ministry that has stuck with me, and his main point was, "The way you live your life is heavily influenced by your portrait of God."

This has lead me to have a bit of a better understanding of others, not perfect, just better.

Those who believe that every story in the bible is physical and true to the lengths of time that they understand will have more of a tendency to have unrest about differences in the Bible Series and its movie Son of God.

Those who don't view the Bible as 100% literal but believe that some stories are allegorical and serve different purposes will tend to not get as upset over differences. What matters is that the spirit of the book remains intact, am I saying that the purity of the bible can take a back seat to getting the story across? No, each story has a pre-determined purpose. The job of biblical teachers and believers is to unpack the purpose behind these authors and having done that, apply it to our culture.

Many people in this generation pen themselves as "visual learners". So I say, what better way to see Jesus than to put him up on the screen! It is the job of the church to be so in tune with culture and to also understand that all people are different, even in the way they learn. And to place the Bible and its characters on the silver screen is a great attempt to peak the interest of those that learn visually, and in my opinion, is a John 20:30-31 outlook. 

We as a church need to stay up with culture to understand how people learn and apply things today instead of trying to make them hang our portrait of Jesus in their homes.

If you watch the bible series, its movies, or any of the other movies that are related to Christianity at all this calendar year (there are a lot of them: Noah, Exodus, God is Not Dead, Heaven Is for Real, and Mary, The Mother of Jesus) Please be sensitive to other individuals portraits of God before you try to label anything as blasphemy, heresy, or "From the Anti-Christ"

Then, maybe, we as the body can begin to function as one.

Just Some Idea ... Right?

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the presence of Joy." - Ron Lewis

Joy is something that seems so distant to me. Now don't hear me incorrectly here I'm not saying that I don't have joy -- or that I don't have a good definition of joy. It's just that joy seems distant, it isn't something tangible; or at least not to me. This has been tough for me as of late because although I have found great comfort in my own ability to do things, that simply isn't joy to me.

Where is my joy?

A friend of mine who blogs often has a saying on their page that reads,

"Joy > Stuff." Now if that statement is true then joy really isn't tangible, but if that is the case than could joy simply be an idea? Can we find it? Does it even want to be found? Is it even real?

Similarly God is compared to joy, and is sometimes even called the source of all things joy. However just like the questions I asked myself earlier, God can fall into that category and seem just as distant, almost to the point of being non-existent.

For me this has been the hardest thing to grasp. God's presence. Apparently God is close, so there is joy to be had. Right?

Well I was treated to a great sermon about joy and courage today through the story of David and Goliath, and it ended referring to each and every one of us as "Jesus' Joy." 

Joy is relentless, joy is likened to the touch, joy seeks those who grow weary, joy is you and me.

I've never considered people as joy ... ever. Until now.

Maybe joy is closer to home than I thought after all. Joy came down and died for me so that the joy of Joy could live joyfully for all eternity.

As a gift I am able to live around the joy of Joy and experience reasons daily of why he died for us. My eyes were opened to my blatant selfishness and narcissistic mindset. Never again.

I could learn many things from Jesus, but this one took the pig.

To see joy, there must be less me. That is my challenge. Less me. More joy.

"Joy came down and rescued me, Joy came down and set me free. For I am yours, and I will be forever yours."

It's time for me to return.

Just Another Moment of Failure

I've had a rough two weeks. Everything has been completely self-imposed, and I am really struggling with the fact that I am imperfect. I have never handled letting others down well at all, and if I am honest, I probably never will. I feel like I owe something to those who have invested heavily in my life over the past 10 years, a life that has been full of stupid move, after stupid move, after stupid move.

Worse than that is in the middle of all my stupidity, God decided that it was a good idea to tell me, "Hey, you're going into ministry." 

Fan-freaking-tastic ...

I'm not cut out for this if I am honest, I never have been and I probably never will be. It seems that every "good thing" that I get I screw up. Every time. The past few weeks have been another chapter to file away into my book of stupid mistakes, I've been questioning my call to ministry more than ever, and to make matters worse, the people that have come around me, ya know the ones that I have disappointed? Have given me nothing but grace...

Yeah, that word. Grace.

It blows my mind that other people can look me in the eye, knowing that I've done something that could have ruined me, showed me incredible patience, and are now looking to move forward.

HOW?!?!?!?!?! 

Grace pisses me off sometimes. Not in a bad way, but in how it exposes your imperfection, places it in your face, and makes you befriend it. I. HATE. THAT.

I am thankful for it though, because grace lets me start new. Look folks, here's the deal:

I'm an African-American male in his early to mid-twenties, so statistically speaking, I SHOULDN'T EVEN BE ALIVE! THAT OR AT LEAST IN JAIL. The fact that I am not either of those things is a blessing, and it proves to me that I matter to God. I grew up with others just like me who had the same opportunities I had, and some of them are in jail or dead, and my heart breaks for them. So I am darn thankful that God has put a hedge of protection around me, and is continuing to work through me even to today. Reality check for Bryant: You're not as good as you think you are, so continue to listen to God and lean on/into him.

So, I'm not cut out for ministry, and I probably never will be, but I'm going to do it anyway. Not because I'm stubborn, confused, or have no other alternative. But because more than likely the people who will be reading this believe that I can do it, and God knows that I can do it.

I'm sorry for leaving gaps, I'm sorry for being forgetful, I'm sorry for being late, I'm sorry for speaking out of turn, I'm sorry for lapses in judgement, I'm sorry for lack of patience, and I'm sorry for relapses of stupidity. But, just keep showing my grace.

Even if it gets on my nerves ...

Just Camp Reflections

I was given the amazing opportunity to go with our middle school camp for the second year in a row with my church, along with a fantastic group of leaders. Now that camp has been done for a week I can look back and share somethings I took away from it. 

1. It is just a ton of fun to give middle school kids tons of high-fives.

2. I absolutely LOVE playing bass on a worship team.

3. Seeing the lives of kids changed through baptism gives me much excitement for the next generation.

4. 12 baptisms ain't bad at all!

5. Having ability to care for others with the unique love of Christ is why I'm going to school for ministry, and why I do ministry. Period.

6. Every age group matters and the sooner you can steer people toward leaning into Christ, the better.

7. Christ determines your character, not your circumstance.

8. God is greater than. Point blank.

I just love people. I especially love middle and high school students. Camp was a ton of fun. Now CIY is next week. CIY changed my life and steered me toward ministry, and I am earnestly praying that God will unlock the hearts and desires of the students going next week.