Back to the Present

By Eddie Lowen

Over the last couple of years, I”ve heard several of my pastor heroes reveal what they would do differently (and the same) if they could start over in church leadership. Those talks have been rich with wisdom. Since I emulated them in multiple ways, I listened closely each time, wondering if they would express regret over something I mimicked.

I carry notes from their leadership talks on my phone, an indication of the regard I have for the wisdom of these men. I reread and meditate on them. It seems wise to give weight to the reflections of people who have led churches with integrity and distinction.

Harmonizing Past and Present

There is a degree of wisdom that can be harvested only from the past. In family, business, government, and the church, we do well when we identify authentic sages and offer them a platform. History is full of transformative lessons if we”re willing to be taught. But as essential as history is, it”s important to avoid getting stuck in it.

I wish the Bible revealed more about the men of Issachar noted in 1 Chronicles 12:32. They were admired because they “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” It”s telling that in a book written for the sake of history, those who wisely discerned the present were standouts.

Here are my observations about church leaders and their relationships to the past: bad leaders live in the past, good leaders understand the past, and great leaders learn from the past, while embracing and understanding the present. We need great leaders in our churches.

I”ll take a leader who understands the present over one who is an expert on the past, any day. Sure, in a perfect world, every leader would understand both the past and present. I”m not anti history. But a person”s view of the present determines whether he manipulates history or learns from it. Ecclesiastes 7:10 warns, “Do not say, “˜Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.”

Romanticizing the Past

There is a degree of insight and inspiration that come only from engaging the present, including its moral, economic, and cultural realities. While time and culture never alter God”s truth, let”s be honest: every generation insists on some moral compromises and chooses some moral blind spots. The current younger generation didn”t invent those tricks, nor did it popularize materialism, divorce, premarital sex, racism, or debt-laden living. Since I”m 51, I”ll own it: my generation helped normalize these moral and social ills.

I point this out to encourage a little moral humility by those my age and older. Nurturing our disgust for the obvious sins of the current younger generations and pretending they are the ones who ruined us is dishonest.

But even more to the point in this magazine, it doesn”t help us lead people to Jesus. We can”t secretly (or openly) despise the day in which we live without conveying that we despise its people. To connect people of our time to Jesus and his mission, we must love our broken world””not its values (see 1 John 2:15), but its people and their value to God (see John 3:16).

Past-loving Commentary

I watched a basketball game recently during which a former player was invited to offer guest commentary. Initially, it seemed like a great way to blend past and present. But as the broadcast unfolded, the former player offered more and longer segments of commentary about the good ole days. The veteran player was so attached to the past he didn”t seem to appreciate the game or the players right in front of him.

When another commentator asked if the overall athleticism of today”s players is greater than his generation of players, the former player insisted it could not be true. Well, he”s wrong. There is no question that today”s players are (overall) more athletic because they train so much more. He couldn”t see the truth or appreciate the present because of blind and inaccurate loyalty to the past.

Now that I”m beyond the half-century mark, perhaps I”ve logged enough time on the planet to make an observation without being deemed a rabble-rousing whippersnapper. Regardless, here it is: the oldest voice is not always the wisest.

No generation of church leaders gets it all right, including mine. Even the Bible acknowledges youthful ignorance, but it also includes multiple references to youthful wisdom and elderly ignorance. For example, Ecclesiastes 4:13 says, “It is better to be a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king who refuses all advice” (New Living Translation). Experience and power do not guarantee you”ll be wise. Jesus didn”t say wisdom is validated by your date of birth. He said (in Matthew 11:19) wisdom is validated by its actions. Wise is wise. That”s all.

Engage the Emerging Generations

I am completing one final edit of this article in early May. As I write, my son is driving away from his college dorm for the final time. Since it”s Thursday, I posted a #TBT (throwback Thursday) photo on social media. It”s a photo of his first day at college, nearly four years ago, sitting at his dorm desk. (Yes, it does go fast, both the tuition money and the time.)

Because of where my son is on his journey, I”ve had flashbacks of my final day at college 30 years ago. It was a small school, a tight-knit community. I recall several long hugs with professors and classmates, along with some tears. I remember choking up as I drove away, realizing how much my life was changing in that moment. I loved that place. I loved how I had grown and the people who made it possible.

Over the years, I”ve returned to that campus many times. I still love the mission of the school and the people who lead it. However, some of my return visits have followed long absences, and those visits have always begun with a disorienting realization: things change. Duh. We should expect it, but we don”t.

The campus changed, yes. But it”s the students who seemed most different. They seemed so young, so immature. They looked different. They talked differently. It seemed wrong. They played different sports and listened to different music. How could intramural softball die? How could Leon Patillo and Brown Bannister not be their jam?

There is a temptation that comes with observing change. It”s the temptation to believe that “things are not as they once were” equals “things are not as good as they once were.”

Well, that”s not true. Nostalgia lies. Today”s students have just as many noble qualities and no more sins. Today”s world is just as broken and just as full of potential. Today”s lost people are just as precious to God. So, no matter how long ago you left campus, or left the farm, or first became a church leader, engage today as today.

As Paul put it, “Indeed the “˜right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2, New Living Translation).

Eddie Lowen serves as lead minister with West Side Christian Church in Springfield, Illinois, and on Standard Publishing”s Publishing Committee.