BEING ABSENT FROM THE "BODY" BUT PRESENT WITH THE LORD

I was running the race last week and found two disturbing things at work.  First, I was running on empty. Physically I was tired and mentally I was slowing down. But mostly I was reacting to the tyranny of the urgent that always seems to be present in the life of a church leader.  In that situation I was not running according to the plan, following the vision, but simply running to keep from falling further behind.

Second, I was running ahead of the Lord.  I had just passed through an intense period of the summer when I was trying to squeeze in work, vacation, extra duties brought on by other peoples' vacations, and seeking to be ready to go when everyone else finished their vacations and once again was ready to go.  I was working along my agenda but it had been quite a while since I took the time to ask God whether I was still operating from His agenda.

Both are dangerous situations if you believe as I do that it is God's Church and His Holy Spirit is the true leader of the Church.  I may have title of Lead Pastor and others may expect me to lead; but leading without being clearly connected to God is a formula for frustration and failure.Part of my dilemma was that I have just two weeks until most of us take that last summer break called Labor Day. Then I and the church hit the ground running in a new church ministry year. 

There's that word running again.  You can run a marathon or a sprint but the first step is critical.  If you misstep or make that first step without being sure where you are going, you can stumble or even fall.  The race (or at least that leg of it) can be lost in that first step.  Being sure of where that first step needs to go is a necessary part of a runner's strategy.

For a church leader, the everyday business of the Body can be a distraction. Reports to write, people to visit, emergencies to handle, schedules to meet, meetings to attend, conversations to be had, questions to answer - all of these can consume a lot of time and energy. They can also be interruptions of bigger things. And if you're like me, each interruption requires some regrouping, refocusing and then a restart.  The still small voice of the Lord is easily lost in all this.

So last week when I paused to catch my breath, the Lord whispered, "You need some alone time with me."
It was not convenient. It did not fit easily into my already full dayplanner. It required some planning; but tomorrow I am heading out to be "present with the Lord."  There are some people who this will inconvenience. There are some items of business I will need to play catch up on.  Someone else will have the handle emergencies.  And I will miss some of the joy and satisfaction of sharing fellowship with the Body.

But by being absent from the "Body" for a few days without the distraction, I can be "present" with the Lord by giving Him my undivided, unhurried, uninterrupted attention.  And I know from past experience that I will be more assured and empowered to run the race He has set before me. And Lead Pastor, to help the church I serve run their race with the same faithfulness and fruitfulness. - Steve Dunn, Church of God of Landisville




So when