I saw a person's bulletin after worship, and they had marked out "We" in the bulletin title and written in "You!" did that mean the sermon needed help, or that the person was affirming the sermon? Perhaps it was a joke! This was perhaps the most difficult sermon to translate beyond the local congregation, but I tried to make the case that our leadership expectation for members in the church applies to our lives in the places where we serve outside the church.
“We Need More Help” Exodus 18:13-27; Acts 18: 24-28 ; SAPC, Denton; August 21, 2022; Richard B. Culp
Exodus 18: 13-27 13 The next day Moses sat as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make known to them the statutes and instructions of God.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before God; 20 teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they are to do. 21 You should also look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Let them sit as judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you, but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people will go to their home in peace.”
24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officers over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times; hard cases they brought to Moses, but any minor case they decided themselves. 27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went off to his own country.
Introduction: Next week, we have a called congregational meeting to hear a presentation by the officer nominating committee and elect officers to serve in leadership at ST. Andrew over the next few years.
this is the practical application of the expectation we have of members to participate “in the governing responsibilities of the church" (G.1-0304)
I invite you to reflect with me this morning of our call to participate in leadership.
Move 1: We need leaders
a. The biblical narrative tells the story of God’s people through the generations.
1. In each chapter of that ongoing story, we find people answering the call to take on leadership roles.
2. men and women hear God’s call - Abraham; Sarah; Jacob; Joshua; Esther; Mary; Peter; Priscilla and Aquilla - the list goes on and on.
b. Moses
1. We remember how when God needed someone to lead God’s people out of slavery in Egypt into the wilderness and toward the Promised Land, God spoke to Moses from a burning bush.
2. Moses may have resisted initially, but he becomes the leader of God’s people.
3. the one who negotiated with Pharaoh on the Israelites’ behalf;
the one people looked to for guidance;
the one people grumbled about and complained to when they were upset;
the one who led them to new places, literally and figuratively
2. God’s people needed Moses to stand in the forefront and lead them.
3. We need leaders.
4. Will Campbell, tells about a leadership lesson he learned from his grandfather.
His grandfather was teaching him about the bell cow as they looked for the herd of cattle by listening for the bell.
he told them that wherever they heard the bell, they would find the cow and the other cows with her.
He went on to describe the process of picking the cow on which to put the bell. “you know, hon, we always pick the cow to put the bell on with great consideration of her character. All the other cows follow the one with the bell. So we never pick a fence breaker or a fighter. She’s the leader. The bell cow is always the leader.” (Will Campbell, Brother to a Dragonfly, 26)
5. we need leaders, and God provides by calling people like Moses, people like you into leadership positions.
c. Not just in the church, but we need leadership in lots of places.
1. Principled leaders.
2. Humble leaders who seek to lead people in ways that benefit the people, not just the leader.
3. the world is looking for people willing to take on the work of leadership.
4. as you look to your community, or state, or nation, or world, look and listen for the places where God might be sending you into leadership.
Move 2: In the Presbyterian church, we practice shared leadership.
a. Jethro would have made a good Presbyterian!
1. I love the image Jethro gives us of Moses as a leader: Moses sitting by himself;
everyone else standing around waiting to be heard by Moses.
It brings back images from the opening chapter of Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather in which Vito Corleone, the Godfather, sits as people approach him to ask for favors.
b. Jethro makes the point that Moses cannot do it himself.
1. he will wear himself out.
2, Plus, he cannot get to everyone.
2. Moses needed help from other leaders.
3. We need help in leadership.
b. Thus, the Presbyterian approach of shared leadership.
1. ruling Elders and Teaching elders.
2. Differentiated from the Catholic church and its reliance on clergy to be the leaders - popes and bishops ruling the church.
3. The Session is made up of Ruling Elders, members elected by the congregation, ordained and installed
and Teaching elders, and ministers elected to serve by the congregation, then ordained and installed.
the ministers, Dr. Patterson and I, cannot have a Session meeting with the Ruling elders, and decide matters about the church.
the elders, cannot have a Session meeting without the ministers and decide matters about the church.
We are either stuck with each other or called together because we need each other, depending on how you look at it.
4. Take the image of Moses that Jethro offers and reimagine it - Moses, not sitting alone, but sitting around a table in the Session meeting.
Or, Moses, standing with other leaders, shoulder to shoulder working in leadership.
5. The tasks before the church are significant, so God gives us people in leadership to work together.
c. Ruling elder story - talked to a colleague recently
1. new Presbyterian, grew up Catholic.
Got involved in a church. Pretty soon, asked to serve on a committee planning a redesign. He was an architect.
The committee comes up with a plan and meets with the session. His first Session meeting.
Makes presentation to the Session. 24 Ruling elders and a couple of ministers.
As he looks around the room, he expects the head minister to tell the committee if the proposal was accepted.
Instead, they vote. 12-12 tie.
Ministers chose not to vote. Sent it back.
Committee then spends a couple of months redoing the proposal. brings it back to Session. They vote unanimously in favor of the new plan.
My immediate response was, “so you still wanted to be Presbyterian?”
“Oh yeah. what a great thing. the Presbyterian church had leaders disagree and agree and then work things out - they didn’t have a priest or bishop tell them what to do!”
No, we do not. So we need members to participate in the governing responsibilities.
Move 3: Our shared leadership also reminds us that we are all in this together.
a. So easy to get into “those people”
1. The session - those people made a decision.
2. or the presbytery - those people made that decision.
I have gone into lots of churches on behalf of different presbyteries, and typically the complaints begin with “those people at presbytery….”
3. Or, General Assembly. “those people….”
4. For good or for bad, sometimes in disagreement or agreement, the church is about us.
5. The call to leadership is about us.
b. Notice that when Jethro describes the scene of Moses leading by himself, it is not just Moses who gets worn out - the people do as well.
1. they need to be involved.
2. they need to do more than just stand around waiting on Moses.
c. I promise significant decisions are going to be made in this congregation in the coming months.
1. We are going to move into the next chapter after Our Daily Bread leaves;
we are going to be asked to address accessibility issues;
we are going to continue to figure out what it means to have a strong presence online;
we are going to listen to God’s call for who God needs us to be as this part of the body of Christ in this particular place.e
2. Our elected leaders will work with all of us to continue living into our calling.
Conclusion: one of the strangest stories I have heard through the years when it comes to the Nominating committee was told to me by a farmer in KY. He was a pretty big guy - not wide, but probably 6’ 3” tall. He worked hard and sometimes complained about his aches and pains from his hard work.
When he told me about agreeing to serve as a Ruling Elder, he said, “there I was, in my bubble bath with lots of hot water and bubbles, with the phone sitting next to the tub, and I was thinking, maybe God is calling me to serve as a Ruling Elder this year. then, the phone rang, and it was Jeff someone from the nominating committee.”
A voice from the burning bush; a phone call during a bubble bath.
God calls.
We answer.
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