Flashback: Define "Followable"

This entry was originally posted on March 12, 2012. Thought I would re-share it today. It's always good to remember what you're about and where you're coming from.

I believe that one of the main jobs of a pastor is to be followable. This means that people both CAN follow you and they WANT to follow you. You should make it easy for people to follow you, and you should want to lead them.

Now, before any of you start throwing rocks at me, understand this: the only good reason anyone would ever have for following me is that I am following Jesus. At least, I'm trying to.

Of course it is way better to follow Jesus than to follow me, but my experience has been that I began by following those who were following Jesus until I figured out how to follow Jesus on my own. Still following me?

As a friend of mine used to say, a pastor isn't really a leader. They are just the lead-follower. 

Moses was a lead-follower. He looked at God's people and said, "Ok everybody...follow me!" Then he turned and said, "So God...which way do we go?"  That's what a pastor is supposed to do. They hold God's hand like a child, and call the rest of the children to come hold your hand also. We're the line leader, and we're following the teacher.

But sometimes, the line leader gets so far out ahead because they are afraid they can't keep with with God that the leave the rest of the class behind. You look over your shoulder and no one is there. 

Have you ever driven in a long caravan where only the car in front knew the way? Then you get out on the highway and car #1 just takes off at 100mph. The most important car is now car #2. And trust me, if you are driving car #2, you feel the tension. You have 3 possibilities. 

A) Floor it. Forget the losers behind you and keep car #1 in your sights at all cost. 

B) Forget car #1. The people are looking to you now. Just drive and hope for the best.

C) Stay in communication with car #1, and drive in such a way that the rest of the pack can follow you.

Of course, C) is the best option. Its the only one that assures that you and everyone else gets to the destination. 

In ministry, sometimes we just take off and leave the church in our spiritual dust. After all, if you can keep up with God, they should be able to. If they really want to follow they'll get their rear in gear and go. Why should you have to hold their hand?

Sometimes we do just the opposite and slow to a snails pace so no one gets left out. The result is a shallow, infantile faith that wanders without purpose. 

We must learn to live in that tension between leading and following and leading in such a way that we are followable.