Pop the Question

“So you want to lead the church?”

She says as she peers down her nose, past her cliff-hanging reading glasses. I’m still not sure what she was looking at…it wasn’t my face.
My response seems to be lost as the low rumble of our dismissed church’s exit that Sunday. Either that or she never intended to listen anyway.

“Don’t you think you are a little young to be telling me what to do?”

I explain that, in leadership, leaders are the example to follow not simply dictators who bark orders for their subjects to follow. I explain that my intent is to help move the church forward in whatever way the Spirit leads.

“Sounds to me like you want to be our next pastor…”

Further attempting to reinforce my stance of being an act to follow seems to get me nowhere as she tells me that her wisdom will never be one-upped by such a young man, and that she might be teaching a Sunday School lesson on the value of Elders in the church.
I asked her who she thought might do a better job in leading the church at this time of our transition from one pastor to the next.

“Jesus.” She said, with a matter-of-fact clap.

I made some smart-aleck remark about how I didn’t think he would be willing to come for the money we offered. That too was lost…
I gathered her attention and asked who might be willing to be in the office for the next few months to help run the affairs of the church while we looked for a pastor.
She replied that she didn’t quite know what had to go on everyday at this ‘little country church’ but that she and her husband (the only Deacon of our church) thought that I should be able to work it all out.

My heart jumped as I thought about the fact that one of our most skeptic members was willing to trust me. My blood began to race as I thanked God that he had placed openness in my church’s heart to let me grow in my leadership abilities.

I went to my office and cleared out the rest of the days papers and got ready for the evening service. I heard the last few people exit the church and went to lock the door. As the latch fell across the double door of our main entrance, it hit me, “How do I do what I need to do?”

I knew I should lead our church; but how?