Celebrating the Incarnation

The sentiment and nostalgia of Christmas sometimes overshadows the earth-shattering truth that it was God who came to our world in flesh, who took on the nature of broken humanity, and who willingly entered into our darkness.

The humanity of Jesus Christ makes relationship possible between mankind and a divine God.  The entrance of the eternal into time and space, into the language and shape of humanity, orchestrated our adoption as children of God.

Reconcile: bring together, unite, harmonize, conform, mediate, make compatible, synch, integrate, retrofit, adapt, format, correlate, attune, orchestrate, renew, redeem, restore, revive, resolve, consolidate, incorporate, embody

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.  (Eph.1:5)

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.  (Gal.4:4-5)

For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way.  (Heb.2:17)

“Redemption was accomplished by an intimate, personal movement of the Son of God himself into the heart of our creaturely being in order to save us from within.”  (Torrance, The Trinitarian Faith, p.187)

“The personalising Person of the Son of God became incarnate, but, instead of becoming insincere and hypocritical himself, he healed the ontological split in human being through the hypostatic and atoning union which he embodied within it, thereby reintegrating image and reality in and through a human life of perfect sincerity, honesty and integrity in the undivided oneness of his Person as Mediator.”  (Torrance, The Mediation of Christ, p.69)

“He who is the eternal Son of God, of one being with the Father, is he who is now also man and the fact that the same person who is fully and truly God is now fully and truly man, means that his person is and constitutes in itself the union of God and humanity.  In his one person, therefore, God and man, God and all humanity, are now irrevocably and eternally united.”  (Torrance,  Atonement, the Person and Work of Christ, p.37)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(John 1:1-5, 14)

Merry Celebration of the Incarnation and Happy New Creation!

Backwards Thoughts on Biblical Leadership

Let’s see if I can remember how to blog…I have been following the recent posts about whether leadership is “biblical.”

It is difficult to have this conversation without first defining the underlying assumptions and values regarding relationships and organizational structures.

To the degree that growth, efficiency, effectiveness, success, and influence are the aspired values, business principles of leadership are applicable and helpful.

It may be completely appropriate to apply business principles to the administrative functions of church. The complexity of the structure determines the complexity of organizational leadership that is necessary.

However, if your personal theology or ecclesiology assumes that the church should reflect an alternative way of relating that is different than a successful business organization, business principles may be antithetical to your aspired values.

Also, if your personal theology or ecclesiology values leadership roles, authority, and headship, it is likely you can “prove” your position with the appropriate scriptures.

However, if another person values mutual submission under the leadership of Christ, they will come to different conclusions about “biblical” leadership.

One of the reasons discussions about church leadership are confusing is because there is a strong tendency to transpose organizational structures and roles into the relational life of the church.

It is typically assumed that positional roles of organizational leadership translate into authority over other believers. By attaching the verbage of servant leadership, gifts, and callings, the role of leadership is given a benevolent, spiritual spin.

The most visible leaders today do not necessarily exemplify the best leadership that occurs in the church. Leadership is evident in the service of others, not in the assertion of position and titles. Organizational leadership does not equal spiritual authority.

In our society, it is difficult to use the term leader without assuming an elevated status. It is nearly impossible for people to understand leadership without attaching some form of hierarchy and creating a role of control or dependency. I do not believe that there are people selected by God to be in a position of spiritual rulership over other believers. Relationships in the body of Christ are mutual and always mindful of Jesus as the Head and Leader.

There is a form of kingdom leadership that will not lead to organizational success. It will take you down a path that few want to follow and it will put you in positions of service that go completely unnoticed. It is counter-intuitive not to expand your influence, not to capitalize on your efforts, not to sell your vision, not to create a following. It is counter-cultural to serve in obscurity, without recognition, with little to show for yourself in comparison to those who hold up the fruit of influence. There is a point where you choose to let go of the opportunity to be important or to command attention. You actually reject situations that would contribute to your personal influence and instead pour yourself into situations that hold no potential for personal advancement. You leave the leadership track in pursuit of a value more subversive than greatness.

We won’t hear much about these radical examples of kingdom leadership.

If you aspire to the “success” model of leadership, I wouldn’t recommend this route.