Helpus see God
By Dave Daubert S
o you are a congregation looking for the ideal pastor. How exactly would you recognize her? Or per- haps you’re a pastor looking for just the right congregation. How would you know this group is for you? In working with churches, it’s
clear that underneath every effective congregation lies a simple ques- tion that shapes everything (yes, everything): “What is God up to and how can we help?” All the people, ordained or not, ask it. It’s the ques- tion on everyone’s lips.
Of course, answering the question brings its own dilemma. Just what is God up to here? How do we know it is God? Do we even believe we can
know what God is doing? In my traveling and teaching, no issue raises more eyebrows than this one. I’ve had people who should know better say things like: “Decid- ing what we think God is up to is too hard for our people. I think we should just do the Great Commission: invite people to church and let the churches make disciples out of the people who come.”
Suddenly, evangelism is reduced from witnessing about a living God to some transaction to “sell church.” No wonder people want no part of it! For any of this church busyness to take on real meaning, pastors and faith communities must agree that
Pastors and congregations work together in church, world
“Christ is risen!” is not a past tense phrase. The Scriptures are filled with reminders that we live life fully in God’s presence and that in our relationships with each other and our encounters with others, Jesus is there—God is present. When the petitions to the Lord’s Prayer are answered (people are fed, forgiven, empowered and freed), then God’s reign is breaking into our midst. When the fruits of the Spirit are embodied, then the Spirit has to be at work—regardless of who embodies these fruits at the moment.
Starting at the same place The search for the right pastor needs to start in the same place for every congregation—large or small, fragile or strong. Congregations need pas- tors who not only can say Jesus rose from the dead but who also believe Christ is present now. And these pas- tors need to believe Jesus is just as active in the world as inside the insti- tutional church.
God is on the loose! Even our most active church members will spend more time each week with God
Daubert is an ELCA pastor who lives in Elgin, Ill., and is a managing partner of A Renewal Enterprise Inc. (
www.RenewableChurch.com).
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