Moses And Me

I have been teaching from Exodus at SLBC and at a church all week in Southwest Oklahoma. It has been a rich experience for me. I got to spend time with two of my favorite people Richard and Shelly Manning and to meet some of the finest people in the world at Corinth Baptist Church. I am mentally and physically tired but resting today. I will be ready tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will preach twice, meet with Deacons and budget and finance team (the most important meetings of my ministry here) and I will counsel with a couple having marriage difficulties at 2:00. I will also finish readings for a Monday meeting (perhaps I can do that and walk at the Y at the same time). Monday, I will know more about what God's direction might be in 2010. I think it will be a confirmation of SLBC. Also, Monday I am able to meet with my pastoral learning community and bounce some things off of these ministry collegues. This is a time of renewal and transitions.

Moses and I are very similar. I have learned from Moses that confrontation and anger are counterproductive no matter how justified in your mind. I have also learned from him that when you lead that you will create conflict, discomfort, reactions and disillusionment. However, you will create progress, direction and constructive change. Change agents are always unpopular. Moses was charged with getting Egypt out of the people. They rebelled. I would rebell also. That is to be expected. God delivered them from Egypt but Moses was responsible for performing an "Egyptectomy" on these sojourners. God gave him some laws, covenant applications and a tabernacle to die for.

I have also learned from Moses that the best route is not always the easiest. God led the people the long route not the short cut. They had to face the river, the growling stomach, the dry throat, the sour water and the desperation of survival. They had to face the loss of a leader possibility when Moses was on the mountain. Moses was dissappointed. The people became fickle. Moses was both strong and weak. He saw God face to face but blew up at the people's rebellion. He was human and had a taste of the divine that no man to this point had experienced outside of Adam and Eve.

Moses made a decision in Egypt that lasted his entire life. He decided to refuse to be called the Pharoah's heir. He choose the underdogs. He choose to be himself. He choose his roots. He did the unconventional, the unfamiliar and the unusual. He chose sides with the losers, entered unfamiliar territory and challenged the establishment. He decided to be himself under God. I want to do that.

How to be myself? I must choose to side with the losers. I choose people who are sold out to Jesus who appear to be impractical, foolish and otherworldly. I want to enter the unfamiliar territory of God's will that may lead me to be more agressive, selective and intentional in ministry. It may lead me to be closer to people and less concerned about things. It may lead me to be less materialistic and more humanistic (in the proper way). I may lead me to challenge the establishment when it involves God's ways. I want to know His ways to follow Him.

I will never get there but I am closer than I was last week. Exodus has set me free. I plan to read Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy to learn more. I don't think I will ever be the same.