Over the years I have run into several advanced martial arts masters. One of the men I met and spent one day a week for over 4 years, was a 5th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do - from Korea.
As we talked he told of attending annual marital arts extraveganzas. Men who were working their way through the belt system of Korea would gather to express/demonstrate their advanced skills. He told of men who lived in remote areas coming to the event and holding the crowds spell-bound by profound acts of martial arts.
The older men were the masters. These would quietly show a specific skill and the youngsters would be captivated by what appeared to be supernatural ability.
In the faith, we need men who understand the depths of wisdom and who can walk us neo-phytes through the steps of learning to gather understanding, then as time and experience shape our lives, we move into wisdom. It is here in this walk of great wisdom where we see the work of the Spirit in queit but profound ways. Psalm 90/10-12
The trajedy in many churches is that we have men in leadership who are moving into levels of understanding after gathering great knowledge of the ministry and spiritual walk, but are still men who are not master craftsmen in spiritual truth. And as such rather than seeing works of the spirit in True Change, the changes take place in the quiet recesses of the lives of individual believers. Transformation by the spirit from this earthly body into conformity with the glory of Jesus Christ.
And so it for most of us in the spiritual realm. Men and women who are not masters but 'wise for their age and walk - or advanced for their years' are given positions of leadership in spiritual over whole flocks of sheep when in reality they should be working for a foreman on the ranch or under the boss of the flock.
What do you see as the implications of this short article - jump in!
Have fun but be nice. Passionate and intense is okay. Don't develope a crusty heart if you are
an old dude. Don't allow a root of bitterness to spring up.
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I read the whole thing twice and I think that I have failed to understand most of the problem that you are describing. The fifth paragraph is the most difficult for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the part about how older people are sometimes given leadership because of a sometimes false assumption that wisdom necessarily comes with age. As Ecclesiastes 4 indicates, there are old fools. E.g.: I had to visit a nursing home in Pullman as part of what I think was a diversity class. One of the old guys there was glad that I was in Jesus, but another wanted to break commandments with me.
Thanks - my observation here is that we appoint men to leadership in the local assembly who are godly men and spiritually minded. Yet they are not master craftsmen in the faith. The are not old enough to be in elder leadership positions.
ReplyDeleteThe church is the only place we allow men to be the senior leader without years of time and years of practice.
In the securlar area they have learned what we in the church have not come to understand. For the top position in a corporation - it takes years of time and years of experience before a man can take the leadership
Ask around and see how owners of large busiiness view this direction in churches
Have fun with it.
Dale
I have read your comments and in fact we have had conversation about this. I do believe we have godly, spiritually sound men in leadership that are not "masters" yet.
ReplyDeleteMy personal experience is that there is a disconnect between these men and the flock. In all fairness, I don't know if they are truly not masters yet or just don't know how to share their wisdom and knowledge with the flock. Then again to be a master you need to know how to pass on your wisdom with all who need and desire it. The church has lost this type of interaction (discipling, mentoring) on a large scale. We are too fast paced, put too much emphasis on the program instead of good, old fashioned relationships. Relationships take time and effort but are the only way to develop men and women into something better. To use your martial arts example, You could practice many hours, days and years and most people would get better yet they would never become masters. You need the master teacher to help point out where you fall short and to help you become a master yourself. In the christian walk this take a lifetime for most of us apart from a great work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus came to restore our relationship with God and this example is repeated over and over in scripture (marriage, family, friends, workplace, church assembly, etc...)
How will we solve it?
TonyO
The mentoring of young men in the nuances of fighting the spiritual battle are not practised by the men who have learned to fight the battles.
ReplyDeleteMy granddad was a tool and die maker. In his 70's he was driven to the Navy Yard in Bremerton to mentor the younger men. He did this 3 days a week. He say in a chair and they younger men came to him and he taught them the stuff not in the books.
Proverbs tells of the man who is the mentor and walks the young men through the process of being wise / warrior servants with a heart for Christ.
Those skilled in the nuances of the spiritual battle and the advanced wisdom of age must pass on the "behind closed doors" understanding of the spiritual walk so we can see God pour out His favor in visible ways. Walk the Light into the Darkness.
ReplyDelete