Thanks for Honking!

Preached at Hallam and Martell UMCs, October 14, 2007.

I'm no expert on geese. I don't hunt geese, raise geese, or even eat geese, so I know little about these birds that will begin flying south over our heads soon. I cannot dispute any of the information Gene Getz gives in his book, Elders and Leaders: God's Plan for Leading the Church.

Getz writes “Consider the following rather startling facts about a flock flying in formation:
As each goose flaps its wings, it creates and “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
When the lead bird tires, it rotates back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
When a bird gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

“Look at the birds of the air,” Jesus said while teaching a group of disciples on a hillside in Galilee (Matthew 6:26). When we look at the geese that fly in formation, we can learn much about leadership [and the church]. This marvelous metaphor from nature offers several obvious lessons about teamwork and leadership—lessons that hardly need to be explained.”

I share these insights with you because over the last two years I have been talking to you about callings. I have encouraged you again and again to respond to the callings of God on your life, and in many cases, you have responded to those calls. I want to encourage you to continue to respond to those callings, because like the geese, it doesn't matter so much who is up front, as long as the whole formation is flying together. There are times when the lead goose tires and has to move aside, and times when a new direction is called for.

I took that new direction when I began in pastoral ministry. I sensed God's call—waking me from much needed sleep to ponder God's Word, seeing over and over God's message to preach Grace to the world. Finally, I gave up and told God that I would go wherever He wanted me to go, do whatever He wanted me to do, and be whatever He wanted me to be. I remember going to my pastor and telling him what God was doing, sharing with my District Superintendent, and hearing that the two year process of entering the full-time ministry was about to begin (Nine months later I stood in the pulpit at Cody, Nebraska).

Every step in my faith life thus far has been devoted to the idea that my greatest desire was to follow hard after God. I didn't choose the seminary I would attend, God did. I didn't choose the churches I have served, God did. I have to tell you friends, nothing has changed. My first priority is still to follow hard after God.

As I worked my way through seminary, I pictured in my mind this light at the end of the tunnel...graduation. I knew that if I kept at it, I would eventually graduate, and honestly, I didn't know what there was after that. So I put in my paperwork to be a probationary member of the UMC in Nebraska, went through the interviews and was commissioned, even though at that point I knew the winds of change were blowing (though I didn't know where).

A few months ago (maybe you remember) I stood in this spot during a sermon and told you that I sensed that God was working in my life in a new way, but I didn't know what it was. Well, in June, I began to get an idea of what God was doing in my life. I began to think that perhaps God was calling me back into the Army as a Chaplain. I began to pursue this idea, but was a bit discouraged that in order to be active duty as a United Methodist I would have to wait another 5-6 years—after ordination and endorsement—to get into the Army. By that time I would be very close to being too old to rejoin.

I began to explore other avenues, and after much thought and prayer and direction from God, I began to talk with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Nebraska. To make a long story shorter, if all goes well, I will be ordained by the end of the year, and will enter Chaplain Training School in Ft. Jackson, SC in January.

What happens next? What will happen over the next 2-3 months here in the church? The same thing that has been happening for the last few months—I will be encouraging you to respond to God's calling, participating in the leadership of your church. Remember, the church is the Body of Christ, and all are called to participate and serve in the mission of Christ in the world. We will continue to worship, thanking and praising God for the gifts poured out in our lives, and the gift of His Son.

The Pastor-Parish Relations Committee will be meeting tomorrow night, and in consultation with the District Superintendent, will be searching for an interim pastor to fill the pulpit until the regular appointment year at the first of July. If you are a part of that committee, I would highly encourage you to be a part of that meeting and participate fully.

As we go through the next few months together, I want to thank you for the grace you have shown me in the past, and the love with which you have welcomed me and my family. To go back to the geese, I want to thank you for your honks of encouragement along the way, and the opportunities to fall out of formation for periods of rest. I pray that you would celebrate God's call on my life and this new direction.