Leading a Flock...a Flock of what?

As I first strum my guitar on Sunday morning, I pray that God will move in the people I see in front of my eyes. I pray that their hearts will be touched and set ablaze with God's Holy Spirit. I pray that love would continue to move after the service and spread throughout our small city and beyond. Sometimes, though...I just pray people will sing with me!

I don't understand why some people look to the leaders of our church as separated from the congregation. I don't understand how the worship leader became the sole soul performer. I don't understand why the preacher is the only one shouting praises!

God gives us examples of leaders in his illustrations of shepherds and their flocks. The Good Shepherd leads the flock. He tends to its needs and cares for it. He defends it from the wolves. He alone is the "Good Shepherd".

I would like to see us as a flock of another sort. I would like to see us as a flock of geese. (Hang with me, okay?) Geese fly in a V-shaped formation. They never fly alone, and they always fly with purpose.

(http://missionaljourney.blogspot.com/2009/06/missionallike-flock-of-geese.html)

Taking a look at a different flock, sparrows, we see a flock with no purpose. They fly this way and that way. Zig-zagging throughout the skies with no intent and are often hard to follow. They have no leader but instead fly in a swarm of sorts.

(http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hawar-islands.com/blog/media/blogs/obs/2009/eid_nov/sparrows.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hawar-islands.com/blog/index.php/2009/&usg=__GX9Rr2l3vZH-lElEUZxztrbVtSE=&h=531&w=800&sz=36&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=sMK2Ain5SglkMM:&tbnh=118&tbnw=178&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dflock%2Bof%2Bsparrows%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D618%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=629&ei=rQYuTeGJOML38AaBr4y5Cg&oei=rQYuTeGJOML38AaBr4y5Cg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&tx=103&ty=26)

Now back to the geese... The geese have purpose, direction, and a leader, all of which, sparrows do not have. This leader is no different from the rest. He/She may be stronger than most, but they all know where to go; they all look the same (to me); they all know why they are going where they are going, and they are all ready to lead. Here's what geese do in flight. The V-shape is for aerodynamics. As winds hit against the leader, the currents are dispersed across the rest of the flock. After a while of flying and battling the currents, the leader will drop back into the V, allowing the next one to come take the lead for a while. This continues throughout their flights. 

So, as a leader, I expect to have to be strong at times. I expect to work hard, get tired, and experience a little turbulence. What I also pray for is that when our leaders get a little worn out, others will take the lead in their place. I believe that happens all the time. I am confident in our body of believers and their willingness to serve. 

I pray for their confidence to lead. I pray that the body sees the leaders as one of the flock. I pray that worshippers no longer watch their leaders as an audience but that we worshippers would join in the praises of our God, that we would all have purpose, that we would all have direction, knowing to whom we are flying, knowing that at the end of our long, tiring journey, we are ready to embrace the warmth of paradise. 

Where to Start

It’s a brand new year. We’ve got resolutions for the new year. We’ve got plans, hopes, dreams, and desires. There’s so much that we want to do, not to mention everything that others would like us to do. We just don’t know where to start…

We have 12 months ahead of us. Which means that the clock is already ticking. Everything we had to get done last year is done with, or maybe it’s not because it’s carried over into this year because we didn’t have time last year. So not only do we have plans, but we’re already running behind. Even more overloaded, we just don’t know where to start…

Here’s some good news, something that should help give us a starting point. The prophet Jeremiah tells us this in his 29th chapter, verses 11 through 14.
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

So where to start? Start with God’s plans. Start by calling on Him and praying to Him. Seek Him with all your heart. That’s where we start! Our God who has plans for us, plans far greater than our own will show us what to do next. So toss your own plans out the door and look to God’s plans for direction. If we could all do this, I believe this could be the greatest year we’ve ever lived!

May you seek God wholeheartedly this year,

Brent