Church Leadership

Our church recently announced a couple upcoming changes. These changes have led me to think about my view on leadership and what is God's "best".
I also have recently been reminded of the book " Love and Respect" by Eggeriches.

In this book he does a pretty good job of explaing the needs; but also what God is asking of us. Wives, submit to your husbands and Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church.

I havent spent too much time trying to properly articulate my thought here but; I am thinking that if we take these simple but deep and profound principles and apply them to church leadership; we just might have something that is from God.

Elders, you are to love the members of your congregation. In fact, love your neighbours, love your enemies - its pretty much covered. And how should you look at them? Well, you should be loving them unconditionally; looking at them the way God looks at us ( totally acceptable - and note I am not talking about acceptable behaviour).

Church members, what are we asked to do ( as similar to the wives and their response to their husbands)? We are to respect. That is respect unconditionally, hold them up etc etc .

I understand this analogy breaks down, and every aspect of marriage can not be compared to our church and its God given authority; but the principles apply. We are to love and respect our elders - plain and simple.

Let us not enter the "crazy cycle" as Eggerriches talks about. It is not about loving only when we are respected. It is also not respecting only when we are loved the way we think we need to be and want to be loved.

Just a thought that was on my mind.

Til next time

Jacqueline