Lessons Learned (Again)

The past two Sundays I have attended two churches I had the privilege of planting. On Jan 1st I attended Creekside United Methodist and today I attended NewSong Community Church. It's great to see how well both churches are doing now that they have gotten rid of the deadwood (me!). Seriously, it's great to see how both churches have taken on their own personalities; obviously the personalities God had in mind for them when he called them into being a few years ago.

Attending these churches has also taught me something about myself. Actually it's not a new lesson - I've been schooled in it before. It's a lesson I've been trying to learn for several years now. Namely, that if we surrender our need for results, success becomes God's business (as stated so succinctly by Fr. Greg Boyle). Sometimes our striving for success, results and outcomes is the very thing that keeps us from seeing what God is trying to accomplish all along. Learn this lesson Steve!!!

I believe Creekside and NewSong are both successful today in their own unique ways. I'm grateful for what God is doing in and through both churches. I viewed both churches as my "children" while I was leading them and while there I viewed them as a child coloring all outside the lines. I saw it as my job to try and force them to color inside the lines - my lines. But God had something else in mind. These churches are actually His children and both of them are still coloring outside the lines today. Because they are, many people are being blessed and God is being glorified. That's how it should be. Now if I can just learn that lesson going forward...