Light-work

Consultants, and Critics, and Bears! Oh, my!

What does a “church consultant” do? And, why do we need them? For me, these are not purely theoretical questions. I recently completed level four of training offered by the Society for Church Consulting and only have one more project to complete before pursuing certification. If I’m gonna be one, I had best know what one does and why!

I can attest to the ubiquity of critics in the church. Everyone seems to have an ample supply of “things I don’t like,” even though the particulars on any given list might be on someone else’s list in the column for “things I really like!” If all the critics weren’t bad enough, there’s the bears. Like their stock market counterparts, church bears are predicting a looming downturn. They wax eloquent, remembering former days of glory, while wringing their hands about how current trends are sure to end badly.

So the notion of adding a third party to the mix could easily make one sound like Dorothy –  “Consultants, and Critics, and Bears! Oh, my!” Why, when we already have enough home-based critics and pessimists in our church, do we need to import more from outside? Isn’t using a consultant like adding another voice to what is already a roiling cacophony?

Maybe what we really need is some fresh air! I find it in 1 Corinthians 4:3-5: But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God (1 Corinthians 4:3–5). This passage attests to the active presence of critics as a constant of church life in Corinth two millennia ago. In Paul’s case, he processed the claims of his critics by affirming two fundamentals: We are only accountable to the Lord, and men’s perspectives are profoundly limited in value.

Hear, hear! Jesus is Lord of the church and the only one qualified to evaluate both individuals and churches. On some future date, Jesus will come for an on-site visit to file a full report. His evaluation will not simply focus on externals. He will put a spotlight on things hidden; He will bring to light men’s true motives; He will get to the bottom of it all. This will be the perfect value determination of what Paul and everyman have done. In this moment, the only opinion that will matter is the Lord’s.

Everyone else’s won’t! For Paul, the opinions of his Corinthian critics, or of any human court for that matter, are of minor importance. It stands to reason. The eyes of men do not see as the Lord sees, and the minds of men are as nothing before His infinite wisdom. Paul maintains that others are simply not qualified to render the final verdict on his ministry. Indeed, he himself is not adequate to do so. The Lord alone possesses the necessary skill-set to discern what truly warrants approval. He alone is qualified to critique His church and His servants!

In the course of 40 years in local church ministry, I increasingly relied on this passage as a steady compass to guide me. I identified in God’s Word His goals for my life and ministry and charted the means He commends for their attainment. This became my true north. As often as I would hear the siren voices of the critics or the murmurings of my own inner doubt, I would hold steady and remember this: In all things, I live for the good opinion of the only One whose opinion matters. When I battled discouragement, I would remember that I am not qualified to see the big picture. I would renew my efforts to live for His pleasure (my part) and respect His abilities to discern their true worth (His part). When my critics sought to convince me of my inadequacy, I strove to gain insight from their comments and learn how to better live for His pleasure (my part), while taking comfort in the knowledge that, in the final analysis, His would prove the only opinion that matters.

There are those, the serpent chief among them, who would like our minds to be led astray from the liberating simplicity of this pure devotion (2 Corinthians 11:3). His plans are thwarted when we live all-out for the Lord alone. But taken in isolation, this principle can become a pretext for a sort of mystic individualism that sniffs, “I am unassailably convinced of what God asks of me. Hold your tongue, step aside, and hallow my signal devotion to Him.” If everyone followed suit, we would achieve but a quick and easy return to the days of the judges: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25).

Going it alone will make the going harder. Yes, we do well to live with heart’s ablaze solely for His pleasure. But we do better when we also appreciate how others can fan our flames of passion in the right direction. The ability to accomplish what will endure is enhanced when we take advantage of the insight and perspective of others: Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed (Proverbs 15:22). Of course, not all counsel is created equal. When a man speaks words of wisdom well suited to a situation, that’s the good stuff: Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances. Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear (Proverbs 25:11–12). Sometimes another will even seek our good by telling us truth that hurts. This, too, is counsel you can take to the bank: Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy (Proverbs 27:6).

The Bible clearly teaches what we need to know about the things that matter. So understanding what the Bible says about an issue being faced by another is where all good counsel begins. Word based discernment of how the Lord would evaluate a local church is key to helping consultants, and critics, and bears offer apples of gold in settings of silver. Oh, my!

Jesus, the supreme church consultant, would advise a particular kind of church to buy from Him gold refined by fire (Rev. 3:18). When Jesus, the critic worth heeding, has items on His “things I don’t like” list (Rev. 2:4, 14, 20), they have got to go. When Jesus gets bearish over a church’s future and issues a warning (Rev. 2:5), any church with similar issues had better pay attention. When we, His servants, aptly discern from His Word what Jesus thinks of a local church, and report what we see with grace and wisdom, we therein serve the Lord by promoting the good of His church.

A consultant or interim pastor can render valuable service to a local church by bringing them back to the Word and by helping them understand what Jesus wants them to be and do. A consultant or interim pastor can then follow up by helping a church answer these two questions: (1) To what extent do we actually demonstrate the characteristics of Jesus’ people? (2) To what extent are we actually accomplishing the mission Jesus gave us? Once these questions can be answered in a way that is confirmed by a fair-minded assessment of the pertinent facts, a consultant or interim pastor is able to help a church determine and implement a sound strategy to do better.

A consultant does well in the role of a servant. He seeks to promote in others whatever is needed for them to hear “well done.” He is like a pairs figure-skating coach whose energies are directed at helping his team members win the approval of someone else. In the final analysis, the coach is not the judge of his team. He does not score their efforts. But the better he anticipates what the judges are looking for, and uses that information to bring out the best in his charges, the more effective he is as a coach. The same goes for church consultants and interim pastors!

Allow me to return to my initial two questions and make them personal: (1) What will I do as a church consultant or interim pastor and (2) why would a church need my help? Here are my answers: (1) As a church coach, I will help a congregation to better be and do what the Lord of the church expects of His people. Ultimately, their accountability is not to me but to Him.

(2) When something matters as much as hearing the Lord say “well done,” we should seize every advantage. Any congregation that genuinely wants to do better will seek out wise counsel from a circle bigger than themselves. As often as I am invited into this circle, I will offer up whatever wisdom God gives me in order to help a people live for His pleasure. When the Lord someday says to them, “well done,” I will rejoice for them and thank God for whatever He allowed me to contribute toward their success.

Praying With Joy

In January of 2013, I had the unspeakable joy of celebrating God’s goodness with many Banjara people in central India. Hundreds of Banjara, first-fruits of God’s recent breakthrough to this tribal people group, were gathered together near Hyderabad to rejoice over what God had done among them. I was one of the speakers at this festival, and it was a thrill to minister truth (by translator) to such eager and earnest souls.

One of my most memorable experiences was something spontaneous and seemingly insignificant. In the picture above (from 2009) you can see my friend, Joy, who lives in Hyderabad. She calls me “Jim-Uncle” and is the younger daughter of my friend and translator, Srinivas.

Between meetings at the Banjara Celebration in 2013, I was deluged by people wanting to be anointed with oil and prayed for. Few spoke any English; I knew next to nothing of Banjari, or Telegu, or Hindi. So they made signs and I made guesses, and prayed in hope that the Spirit would bless despite my ignorance.

Then along came Joy. She joined the circle of people pressing all around me and became my ministry partner. Joy speaks English, as well as the languages of her people. As each one made their requests known, Joy translated for me. Then I prayed, and she translated my prayer for them.

For almost an hour, we ministered together non-stop. Through her help, I learned of a young boy whose father was sick and couldn’t work which meant his family didn’t have anything to eat. I was able to pray for him out of knowledge of his urgent need for grace and mercy. I prayed for dozens more with the help of Joy, now able to grasp how desperately these dear souls needed God to work on their behalf.

I chuckle when I recall this moment. Joy was “just” one young girl. But her willingness to serve supplied the missing link for a conversation with the Creator of the Universe. It will be fun, in heaven, to learn how Father answered our requests when I prayed with Joy.

Waiting for Dawn to Break

It was an honor and privilege to speak at Central Church last Sunday. This sermon was intended to minister encouragement to those who are facing difficulty and seemed to connnect for many. You can check it out by clicking here. Maybe you know someone who yearns to see dawn break as they walk in a dark place. This message explains how to (1) identify fear talking, (2) follow the twin tail lights, and (3) wait in trust for maximum effect.