Passion 2017

For several years now I've been able to go as an adult leader to the Passion Conferences in Atlanta. Having returned today, my mind is swirling with all sorts of thoughts, images, and mental tiredness that affects old guys like me when they go non-stop for almost three days. I realize that I am probably getting too old to keep doing this but I simply can't help myself.

If you have never experienced something like the Passion Conferences, then a brief blog post like this is probably not going to amount to the much more than the first few pieces of a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. But it's just too difficult to not make at least a meager attempt to recap some of the more memorable moments for me.

Imagine yourself sitting in a room surrounded by around 60,000 other adults young and old who want one thing - to know God in a more intimate way. And I'm not just talking about experiencing warm and fuzzy "Yes, Jesus loves me" kind of tingles; I'm talking about a passionate desire to know God on a deeper level than ever before. To breathe Him into your lungs. To see His work manifest in the world around you. To want Him more than anything else. This is what I walked into when I stepped into the Georgia Dome in downtown Atlanta on Monday night.

As someone who has been involved with student ministry for a couple of decades, I've experienced my share of trendy events where there is a lot of glitter and glitz but very little substance. Passion isn't like that. Yes, the production level is top notch and the music is about as professional and "tight" as you can imagine, but that is not what it's all about. Those things are avenues to open the heart and mind all the more so that God can fill it with Himself.

John Piper. Francis Chan. Christine Caine. Levi Lusko. Louie Giglio. Beth Moore. Chris Tomlin. Christy Nockles. Matt Redman. Passion Band. Hillsong United. All of these men and women come together to lead and teach through music and the study of God's word and life experiences that captivate the souls of all in attendance. It's not some weird hypnotic effect. Rather, it's interactions with real people who love God with everything they have whose sole aim is to lead this generation of college students to also love God with a reckless abandon. There are no gimmicks, just God.

Being one who is one score removed from being the age of most the participants, it would be easy for me to sit back with arms crossed and marvel at what God is doing in the lives of these students. However, that isn't what happens. Instead, I find myself captivated by what I am hearing and seeing, the spectacle of much being made of God. In return, I am drawn in as well and my soul is well-watered. I leave inspired, encouraged, connected, focused.

Eventually my days as a participant at Passion are going to come to an end. Each year, thousands of men and women my age come to Passion as "door holders," volunteers who selflessly and tirelessly serve to make sure that every aspect of these three days flows without interruption. I see myself in that role sooner than later. But for now, I am grateful to be a part of this movement of God as it flows and picks up momentum, showing no signs of slowing down or fizzling out. Thank you, Passion, for allowing an old guy like me to share in the joy of what you do.

You don't need a license to drive

The artist known as Prince just died. It's all over the news and his music is basically on every station. While not necessarily a fan of Prince - I have never owned nor downloaded any of his music - I do have a deep appreciation for the artist that he was. I'm not ashamed to admit that last night in the car is was jamming to "Little Red Corvette" and "Let's Go Crazy" when it came on the radio. When you hear brilliance, you must stop to appreciate it.

Another no-as-famous person died yesterday as well. Chyna, of WWE fame, passed away, leaving behind a legacy for female wrestlers that she pretty much started on her own. Back in the day, I used to watch wrestling when it wasn't the trashy show that it is now. Chyna was just coming on the scene then and, while I didn't always buy the theatrics, I did appreciate the fact that a woman could body slam a man and make him look silly. When someone busts boundaries wide open, you have to stop and admire, even if it's an arena (pardon the pun) that you don't necessarily like.

Why do so many people react almost viscerally when those who are loaded with talent and vision are gone from our presence seemingly too soon? I believe it's because these people leave a void in our lives that we don't believe can be adequately filled by someone else. While the movers and the shakers of this world have feelings and often deal with the same struggles as you and me, they also have something that makes them stand out - drive.

Drive is what you call initiative on steroids. It's what keeps you up at night thinking about how tomorrow is going to be better today. Drive won't necessarily give you better grades on your tests, a cooler car, or a nicer house, but it will allow you to push boundaries that many will think impossible to eclipse.

As a society, we adore and sometimes detest people with drive. But we also tend to do something else that is rather self-deprecating. As hold these people in higher esteem, at the same time we believe that there is no way we could ever achieve the same kinds of success that they did. That had IT and we don't, or so we convince ourselves. When we see ourselves that way, we automatically limit ourselves and preapprove mediocrity as a way of life.

Don't get me wrong - there are people out there who have achieved much more than you and I could ever do, whether it be because of the financial backing that they have, freakish athletic ability, or a brain that is wired for superior smarts. Yet drive is not limited to those with "elite" skills. Drive is something that we all have within us, we just have to be unafraid to release the horses and let them run.

Ask yourself this: What is your passion? You know, what is the one thing that, if you could do it, you would want to invest all of your energy and time in for as long as you could? Your passion is what drives you, and for many we have allowed life's circumstances to dictate where we can and cannot allow our drive to take us. Some of that is beyond our control, yet more often than not we limit ourselves.

Jesus had drive. It was to seek and save the lost, drawing all men and women to His Father, God. The apostle Paul had drive. His was to proclaim the good news of Jesus across the Asian continent, planting churches all along the way. You, too, have a drive that God has put into your heart. It may not make you into a famous musician or professional wrestler, but once you allow that drive out of the barn you can be assured that God will use it to change the world around you.

Share what you got or you might lose it

This past weekend there was a middle school retreat for the student ministry I oversee. Dozens of middle school students brought their glorious chaos to a weekend filled with fun, very little sleep, and lots of junk food. It was all aimed at helping them grow closer to God.

I didn't go to it.

On Wednesday night we will have our regular youth ministry time where we will begin with a teaching time before breaking up into our small groups. Well over 100 middle school and high school students will come for pizza, snacks, fellowship, and intentional time talking about God.

I won't be leading it.

What will I be doing if I am not leading these events? Am I sitting at home watching Sports Center or out on the town eating pizza and wings? No to both.  Instead, I am watching other leaders who have stepped up to the plate and taken the proverbial bull by the horns as they lead and teach our amazing students. These guys and girls aren't leading by accident. They have been placed in key positions to either lead or blend into the background.

Some may call giving responsibility to others delegation, but I prefer to see it as shared leadership. I know for a certain that I can't do everything on my own and I really don't even want to try. In fact, I am keenly aware of my areas of weakness and I do my best to bring people on board who are strong in those areas to make up for my deficiencies.

If you are in a position of leadership you have two choices: Share it or bear it alone. When you share leadership with others, amazing things begin to happen: People take ownership of the organization, they are less likely to complain, morale rises, and results improve. You have a unique vision for what you want to see happen - share that vision by inviting others to walk with you, not follow from behind. If you are hesitant to share leadership with those who serve with you, then they more than likely will not share the passion that you have.

What if you are not a leader, the one making the key decisions? You have two choices as well: Claim opportunities or clam up. Show a willingness to lead and a leader will spot you from a mile away. Don't be afraid to step up and take a chance at more responsibilities. If you choose to clam up, then you have chosen to set the bar as low as you might ever go. And what happens if you serve under someone who refuses to share their leadership? Continue to be available but also accept the fact that it may be time to look for other opportunities to serve elsewhere.

At some point in your life you are going to lead something or someone. If you are a parent, share leadership roles with your kids - allow them to invest their time in preparing meals and doing other jobs around the house. That may not sound very glamorous for your kids but it does take certain things off of your plate as well as equip them for real world challenges later. And if you are the leader of a ministry or other organization, don't even think about shouldering the burden alone.

When you share leadership you equip others to excel in areas they may not otherwise see their gifted-ness. If you aren't willing to share the leadership that you have, you might lose the opportunity to lead altogether.

Stay in your own lane, but it's okay to be curious and take some detours along the way

As a kid growing up, I had the privilege of sitting in the shadows of some great examples. My grandfather fought in WW2 and afterwards worked as a mail carrier before opening a family grocery store with his wife, my grandmother, that they both operated until he died in 1990. My father went to a technical school after he graduated from high school and he has had the same career as a contract draftsman since the early 1970's, a job that he's pretty stinkin' good at too.

No one told me growing up that I had to pick one thing and strive to do it to the best of my ability, but there was some outside pressure that pushed me in that direction. Ever since high school I knew that God was calling me into the ministry, and student ministry was always at the heart of what I wanted to do. So it just seemed natural that I would pursue student ministry alone and then, when I became older and more seasoned, I could transition out into other areas of ministry. The only problem was that, while I did have a passion for student ministry, I also had strong desires to do other things such as preach, teach, write, and oversee other ministries.

While that may not seem like a problem to you - and it didn't seem like such a big deal to me - I did have others in my life telling me that I needed to pick one thing and focus on being excellent with it. There was actually a time when someone I considered a mentor told me that I was being wishy-washy and that what I wanted to do didn't exist in the ministry setting. "You need to figure out what it is you want to do and then pursue that one thing. Narrow it down and stop being so all over the place with your ideas and desires. You won't get hired that way."

Now I truly don't believe that those who gave me that advice were out to squelch my passion or discourage me in any way. I had living examples set before me of men and women in the ministry and other fields who had faithfully stayed in their lane for decades and not once thought of bailing out. I knew that they were only trying to guide me along a path that they believed would allow me to succeed by focusing on one area of greatest need. The only problem was that I just couldn't seem to do that. I wasn't wired that way. I'm still not.

The idea of staying in your own lane IS an important concept that I do seek to practice in my own life because, if I don't focus on what it is that I am called to do right now, then the results will be half-hearted and nothing will be excellent. But what I've also learned is that I can't be afraid to take some detours along the way. It's okay - actually, it's healthy and normal - to want to pursue other interests that exist beyond the responsibilities that know you must accomplish on your every day list of things to do.

Bottom line: Don't run from what interests you. The ideal scenario is that you are working or serving in an area that satisfies your greatest passions, yet it is also probably true that you have other interests in different areas. Shoot, you might even realize that where you are working or serving right now is NOT in the area of your greatest passion and that it might be time to consider a career move. I would rather be treated by a doctor who is passionate about medicine than one who believes he's missed his calling as a landscaper!

How do we fulfill our daily obligations yet still fill the gaps of other interests that keep knocking on our doors? You feed the need. For instance, find a book on some off-topic that interests you and then read it. Before I went to be last night I read a few chapters on the Rastafari way of life (I was going to type that it was a religion but after reading a few chapters I learned that, to those who practice Rastafarianism, that it is more than that). Before that I read a book on true crime. What do these have to do with working with students? Nothing! But I believe that I am a more well-rounded leader and thinker when I allow myself to read up on areas that interest me. And reading these books also confirmed to me that I was most certainly in the right lane for my life.

And you can do more than just read books. Take a class that will allow you to learn and explore the depths of a new subject that fascinates you. Go on a personal field trip to see the lighthouses or learn about another culture. Make friends with someone from another country and practice learning their language. Spend time with people who hold different views than yours and learn from them - listen to what they have to say, even if you don't agree. 

As children we ask the question "Why?" at least a million times a week, yet as adults we often settle for not knowing the things that continue to gnaw at us. It's okay to have your curiosity peaked well into adult life! Curiosity grows the mind and will make you into a more effective and well-rounded leader. I used to feel bad about having so many varied interests when friends of mine were already settled into their field for multiple years, but not anymore. I've allowed myself to feed those other interests that continue to knock at my door while not neglecting the most important tasks that are set before me. I agree with what Brad Lomenick wrote in his book H3 Leadership:

If you're not growing, you're not going. If you're not learning, you're not leading. And while it is great to be interesting, it's more important to be interested. Stay curious.