The subtle difference between Me and Us and Him

A couple of things have been standing out to me recently as I talk with various church leaders and more recently read other blogs.

First. Everyone is talking about outreach, missions, and service. Some use the term Missional, other simply want their congregations to get beyond themselves.

I've heard a Senior Pastor of a large church in Colorado say, "God is the Author of the Story and he's the main character. You are not." Then he spent the rest of the sermon talking about how each of the individuals can grow in their relationship with God.

I've talked with a kingdom minded Associate Pastor or a different large church who desires people to get beyond themselves and our American Individualistic Faith. But when I talk about the studies the adults of the congregation are doing, they are are studies on "me and God".

I've heard Senior Pastors from across the country drone on and on about leadership, leadership styles, and management priorities which is the church leader equivalent of me and God.

If you want your people to get beyond themselves it's going to take more than you telling them to do so. It's going to take you doing it yourself. It's going to take you talking about something else. Something other than me.

At some point we have to talk about Us and how we follow Christ. But more importantly, we need to start talking about God, his plans for the world and what it means for Us to join him in what he is already doing.

More Bible Study is not the answer.
Telling people they are too self centered is not the answer.
Spending all your time educating people on how to be the church and how they as individuals can follow Christ is not the answer.
More baseball diamonds are not the answer. We don't need any more classes on me.

So if you want your church to get over themselves. Start living into Us and more importantly, in to his plans... not as individuals, but as the people of God.

It might surprise you.