the
grand pecking order
by
john o'keefe
i
can't seem to remember who sings the song, but i love the
song "the grand pecking order." it's song off
key and out of tempo - i love it - but more then the style, i
love the lyrics. it's about a guy in a restaurant. here is a small
sample:
"in
the grand pecking order
i
sit by the bathroom
getting
ready to pass the bread
with
a smile"
that
is so very cool - and that is where i am sitting right now - and
i want others to sit there with me. but, alas, the
church, or our theology, will not allow such a move.
after all, we are pastor, elders, deacons, leaders - and leaders
sit at the head - they give direction, they give advice, they
help others catch the vision, they are the bosses - we would
never sit in such a spot - we would never allow ourselves to be
sat by the bathroom, we are more important then that.
flash
back:
wavy-lines,
wavy-lines, wavy-lines - back 2000 odd years ago to a small
jewish rabbi teaching in the streets of a small jewish town -
and he shares these words with those who gathered around him:
"So
Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said,
"You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight
around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It's not
going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must
become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be
your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to
serve, not be served--and then to give away his life in exchange
for the many who are held hostage." (matthew 20:25-28)
wow,
"leaders" are to be servants, are to be slaves! think about that for
a second and contrast it with all the leadership books on the
market today - even the "christian leadership"
books. no where does it say that leaders are to be
complete servant to the people (at best, they speak about
"servant/leadership" with greater emphasis on the
"leadership" and less on the servant) - that to be the greatest leader
of all time, you will need to be a slave and die for others - a
slave - think of all that that word has to offer - are you
willing to be a slave?
to
be a "leader" in the church jesus gives a few job
qualifications:
1.
not to be like "secular" leaders
2.
don't throw your weight around
3.
don't let it go to your head
4.
be a servant to be great - even a slave
5.
be ready to die for those you serve.
not
much - but it is a call so many "leaders" in the
church are missing - where are you in the pecking order of life?
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