As I noted last time I managed to slip in one of these posts, I've been writing little reflections on what I have personally found to be some significant talks from Vineyard UK and Ireland National Leaders Conferences. Today is a little shift - demonstrating the more 'ecumenical evangelical' nature of the Vineyard, as I reflect on a blindingly good talk from Rev. Mike Pilavachi, founder of the Soul Survivor/Momentum Summer festivals, and pastor of Soul Survivor Church Watford. I've shifted (as regular or long term readers will know!) from a firm cessationism (viewing the Vineyard and Soul Survivor as hype-driven cults) to what I hope is a thoughtful 'Charismatic Clarity'. This talk from NLC 2013, when my wife and I were serving at Trent on the Discipleship Year, is a great example of some of the reasons I've made that shift. Or, rather, God has shifted me.
But I digress.
Today I'm reflecting on the Wednesday evening talk from Mike Pilavachi at NLC 2013. You can watch it (along with the other NLC sessions!) over at the VCUKI website here.
The theme of NLC 2013 was 'Visionary Leadership', and this came out beautifully in a number of the main sessions. I particularly enjoyed Mike's talk, though, as he focused on Nehemiah. Mike considered four characteristics of a true call from God. This is at the heart of so-called 'leadership', and something that much of our modern Leadership 'industry', particularly in the Church, can learn a great deal from. So what does Nehemiah, that Old Testament prophet, have to teach leaders today?
Mike notes that his talk is 'loosely' based on the book of Nehemiah. With his wonderful storytelling and communicative style, Mike wove the story of Nehemiah into the notion and challenge of a 'True Call from God'. As such, my reflections on this talk are a little less textual than the previous instalment, but hopefully are at least as useful...
- i - A True Call from God has to begin with weeping
Which leads me to one of the most resonant points Mike made in this section: 'It's not about seeing a gap in the Christian market. It's not a career move. Do it [only] if you have to'. This is a sobering charge, one that many of us (myself so often included) need to hear. Why do we do what we do? Why do you lead how you lead? Why do you care about what you care about?
I wonder what our churches could look like if our leaders spent more time weeping and less time platform building.
Or, as Nehemiah puts it at the end of chapter one (with perhaps the least dramatic segway ever)
"Now I was cup-bearer to the King"
- ii - A True Call from God has a vision of God
The vision of God we have directly affects what we do. If we rightly see God as Servant King, we are more likely to serve. Nehemiah gets directly involved in the problem and challenge of rebuilding Jerusalem. He doesn't broadcast it beyond the necessary to get the job done, because his vision of and from God defines his direction. As Nehemiah notes "I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem" (Nehemiah 2:12). Nehemiah was not out to please men but to please God. The vision of God that Nehemiah receives directs him to act. Not for himself, but for God's sake and God's glory.
- iii - A True Call from God will not be ministry at people
I really like how Mike phrased this. We aren't called to do ministry at people. A true call will not be to do ministry at people, but to serve them. As Mike notes - and we see in the embodied, geographical obedience of Nehemiah in going and doing, this is 'the principle of incarnation'. We cannot serve people from a distance. This is a profound argument for the importance of the local church, for local mission. Things that are hard work. So I enjoyed and appreciated Mike's encouragement that 'going anywhere is easier when you've been to and with the King of Kings'. We do not, in the Christian life, go alone.
Part of this true call from God eventually involves telling the truth. Speaking out what God has placed on your heart. We have to be truth-tellers. In Nehemiah 2:17, Nehemiah articulates the problem and his hope for the future. We might call this the vision behind his visionary leadership, if we wanted to use those words. Nehemiah testifies to God's grace, and those who listen to him are captured and enthused by his words and his hope. By, perhaps, his vision. These are not people that Nehemiah is speaking at, but fellow labourers whom Nehemiah is speaking with.
Can you imagine if, after 'casting vision' or 'sharing plans', folk you did ministry with did what Nehemiah's new friends did?
"They replied, 'let us start rebuilding'. So they began this good work"
Leadership isn't standing on a stage telling other people how to live. Leadership is more like standing in the mud with people, starting to work together to build something else.
- iv - A True Call from God will be tested and even attacked
A true call from God will be tested and even attacked.
How often do we act, lead and live as though we expect things not to change, not to struggle?
The 4th chapter of Nehemiah introduces Sanballat, who comes to attack Nehemiah and the Jews. Sanballat begins with ridicule - a tactic the devil so often uses, even through the mouths of people we know and love. I'm not arguing that everyone who ever criticises is devil-motivated, but that the question 'who do you think you are?' or 'why would God use you?' is an important one to prepare for. To think through. Or, perhaps, to pray about. As Mike notes, 'Nehemiah turns the opposition into prayer. There is an echo here, perhaps, of Jesus' prayer 'they known not what they do', but the important point here is that when the expected opposition comes, prayer is the appropriate response. The matter of fact text of Nehemiah is beautiful: "So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart".
The second attack is the full frontal attack. A direct response from the enemy to the good work that Nehemiah and his friends are doing. As Mike noticed, often we see attack of any kind differently than we perhaps should: 'the temptation is to think you are outside God's will'. But it is reassuring that Jesus promises us it will be hard. In Nehemiah 6 the opposition steps up, with a full array of problems. As we note in Nehemiah 6:14, Nehemiah brings his enemies to God in prayer - and the matter of fact progress continues as recorded.
It then all seems to be going remarkably well. There are wonderful things going on.
Sometimes that does happen in life. It goes well. It feels fine. And that is when the third and most critical attack comes. Temptation to compromise. Mike was emphatic on this - only ever settle for 100%. 95% is not good enough. A key part of this is obedience to God's word and revealed will - the second, softer yet harder part is compromise in your personal life. As Mike says - and I've learned the truth of this from multiple angles in my own life - 'if you want to finish well you have to put things in place to maintain intimacy with Jesus from the beginning'. This goes hand in hand with an awareness of an expectation of being attacked and challenged. And is shaped by prayer, bible reading, and worship. Some of these themes are well explored by Debby Wright.
Closing Thoughts/Reflections
The language of Call of God means many things to many people. I really like how Mike articulates it here though. I wonder if we took seriously these four things, how different churches could be.
Weeping.
A vision of God.
Not doing ministry at people.
Being tested and attacked - and expecting it prayerfully.
How different could things be?
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