the    sides

Between my talk at the conference last weekend (which I haven’t posted yet…I will…my bad) and the normal randomness on this blog, I’ve been asked alot about “How do you know if you are called somewhere?”

To which my favorite response is from a line in Sister Act – “The call? Oh!!! The Call…I got the call in Vegas and sister, you don’t know how hard it is to hear the Call until you’ve been to Vegas.”

I lost count how many interviews we plowed through this summer. All my joking and craziness aside – I knew exactly what I was looking for when I interviewed. Did I connect with the senior pastor?

It’s the lynch pin. If you can’t work, follow, or connect with that top level leader (whatever cool title is draped on it), then you’re not called there (IMHO).

“But what if you KNOW God called you there and you don’t connect with the Senior Pastor?” Are we serious? What if we really love each other and we are going to get married anyway? What if I don’t inhale? If you ask me that question, I’m seriously doubting your calling in the first place. God’s not called us to subterfuge which is what happens when we go places and we can’t follow the leader. If you can’t connect or click with that senior leader, you’re not called there.
“What if you’re there first then the senior pastor is hired and you don’t connect?”
Well…bummer of birthmark, Hal.

That could mean a lot of things. The winds of change are coming and you no longer belong there? The search team made a royal mistake and hired the wrong guy? Could mean a few other things but as a staff guy (use the term generically) you’ve only got two choices.

Shut up and follow.
Shut up and leave.

Either way – shut up.

Doesn’t really matter who is right or wrong or left or whatever. When pastoral teams fight – bad things happen. Churches split, people miss Jesus, families are wounded. Know your role and don’t die fighting on the hill of inevitability.

Some of you might have noticed a comment or two from the “raydog.” That would be my senior pastor – Ray Schwartz. If you’ve listened to the podcast, you hear three guys giving “Ray” a hard time. Same guy. That kinda gives you a window into the kind of relationship we have.

That’s not saying I haven’t had some…spirited discussions… with my bosses. But everyone of them I’ve been able to walk in their office, close the door, vent/argue/complain and then listen. In fact, many times the relationship got stronger because of that. They’ve been huge in helping me be a better man and leader.

So bottom line….ask pointed, hard questions in the beginning. Find a leader who loves Jesus and loves his team. Find a leader who can handle brutally honest talks and rewards loyalty.

Then go enjoy telling people about Jesus with each other.

Then again…I may be full of it.