Examen.

"We have the pastor, the fellowship, and God as our Captain." -Dr. Lowell Hawthorne

The pastor.

Several weeks ago I wrote about a concept which I termed "the prophetic-faith exchange" (see Second Kings 4): that is, a situation in which a spiritual leader and a lay person work together in a short-term dyad to accomplish God's will. In saying "We have the pastor", Dr. Hawthorne alluded to this powerful relationship.

Sadly, many of us relegate our pastors to the role of "entertainer". We stroll into church and expect some sort of performance. We lack consciousness of our opportunity to participate in God's program. Our worship experience, rather than being a service to God, becomes a self-service station. And the exchange, rather than appropriating God's miraculous power, becomes as tepid as watching television. To quote from Keith Green's Asleep In The Light, "you just lay back and keep soaking it in." (Perhaps the only difference is that the cable company gets a larger offering.)

Why are we unengaged in this component of spiritual life?

We slip into Fear. I believe this falls into two categories. There is the fear of rumors based on our association: Jesus's disciple John experienced this crisis (John 21:20-22). And there is the fear of retaliation based on our association: again, the book of John shows us that Jesus identified this as a real possibility for His followers (John 15:18-21). The emotions of jealousy and hatred, especially when launched from other believers, are sometimes sufficient to cause a Christian to avoid any sort of prophetic collaboration with their pastor.

We shirk our Responsibility. It may be the "exchange" aspect of prophetic-faith exchange that deters some souls from engaging the process. The apostle Paul made mention of those men and women who took risks and gave of themselves for the sake of his ministry (Philippians 4:15; First Corinthians 16:17). If our approach to faith is that the pastor is the supplier and we are merely consumers, then we will never reach a point where God can commend us for our role in the prophetic process.

So today, and everyday, let's examine our hearts. Are we willing to be participants in God's program? Do we trust our pastors as accurate purveyors of God's agenda? Is our heart's desire to participate in the miraculous regardless of what it may cost in terms of profession or reputation?

Trust in the LORD your God and you will be safe! Trust in the message of His prophets and you will win. (Second Chronicles 20:20b)