Failiing forward

Ephesians 4:1-16
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men."

9 ( In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Some of the big questions that the church and the leaders at Central needs to ask and seek answers for include the following:

1. What is all this for? Is Central to be a comfortable social place for me to gather with safe people, a great place to salve my social conscience or to be a family-style collection of followers of God in Christ?

2. What is to be my personal relationship with my fellow Christians? To gain from them what I want and need in the way that is most comfortable to me or to serve one another selflessly with the desire to do what builds others us in Christ?

3. What is the purpose of leadership at Central? To manage resources after taking a popular vote or to lead people into maturity and faithfulness in Christ?

It doesn’t take a long look at the writings of Paul (or any other New Testament author) to see that any answer reflecting a market-place, consumer driven way of seeing the church misses the mark in substantial and meaningful ways.

In short, according to this short selection from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, the answers to the questions should be along these lines:

1. We are to be the body of Christ that shows the oneness of God through our one another living.

2. We are to use the blessings of God to build up Christ’s body, the church, so that it is mature.

3. Those who have the gift of leadership among Central are to equip the church for works of service.

This is what each of us need to lead toward in our respective areas of leadership and influence. From what we do in a committee meeting to what we talk about in the hallway on the way to worship.

And it must be more that words. What we say 'at church' on Sunday or any other day is no where near as important as what we are doing.

Lead toward actions which move people toward maturity.

Will you mess up and fail? Yes. Just make sure that you keep 'failing forward'.