By Jerry Harris
In the previous two columns, we explored two questions: (1) Is there a leader? and (2) Is there a vision? This third installment connects passion to both leadership and vision. If you aren’t passionate about your vision, you don’t have a vision. Passion is what validates your investment into your vision. Passion is why God inspired John to put the word “so” in front of “loved” in John 3:16. Passion is what caused the Father to see the prodigal son while he was still a long way off and run to his son. Passion is what holds your commitment to something when logic and reason fail you. Passion is preoccupying. Your mind is running constantly back to it. It takes an effort to think about something else. Passion is personal. It attaches itself to your own identity and it becomes self-defining. Passion is emotional; it’s hard to talk about it without inflection in your voice or getting caught in hyperbole. Passion is powerful. Like a ship going through the water, it creates a wake that people get caught up in. When a vision is doused with passion, you’re getting pretty close to all you need for a roaring fire.
A church service should be filled with passion. I’ve often asked, “How can someone be in the presence of God and stay the same?” And yet, there are plenty of people that don’t change at all. Maybe there is unresolved sin, divided attention, or a closed-off heart blocking his presence. But maybe it’s the fault of those of us who call ourselves leaders. Maybe we’ve lost our passion.
Ephesus was a passionate church in the midst of a passionate people. The picture of the church’s elders weeping over Paul in Acts 20 is riveting. If you could choose a New Testament church to be a member of, it would be hard to beat Ephesus. They were doing it right. It’s revealed so brilliantly in Paul’s letter to them. Paul stayed there two years, longer there as a pastor than anywhere else. Later, John used Ephesus as a base of operations for managing all the churches of Asia Minor. Jesus’ mother lived there. The church became a critical metropolitan hub for infant Christianity. The church was approaching 50 years old at the end of the first century. She still looked great from the outside as she obediently went through the motions, but something essential was missing. According to Revelation 2:4-6 she’s lost her first love—her passion. Jesus was making it clear that there really was no point in existing without it.
What a perfect picture of so many churches in the communities where we serve. Still healthy, somewhat effective, and obedient to a fault, many churches have lost the passionate vision they once had. Vision has been replaced by tradition, and passion by obedient maintenance. To illustrate this point, I planned a sermon to be interrupted by dimming lights, soft music, a disco ball, and a couple in a tux and formal gown dancing to “The Very Thought of You.” I acted as if I’d been interrupted and told them to sit down. Lost in each other’s eyes, they completely ignored me. As I complained, a church member yelled at me to sit down! When the song was over, they strolled away holding hands and continuing their gaze. I returned to the sermon saying that the love that Jesus wants is captivating, preoccupying, and passionate. Passion rekindles the flame in our hearts for Jesus and his mission. Like the Ephesian church, our vision is pointless without passion.
Excerpted from Micropolitan Church.
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