Lev 8-10 Leadership, Followership

February 3rd, Leviticus 8-10

       You might have seen this picture on my facebook account and wondered what it was. It is a picture taken inside the Air Force Academy Chapel in Colorado Springs CO. This is the ceiling, a fish-eye lense, and a unique look. I mention it because the Academy has a unique outlook on leadership.
       Military institutions want leaders and that is one their pursuit. But for the first two years as a cadet, it's not about the promotion of leadership. The first two years cadet's learn the 8 principles of followership(I didn't make up the word, they did). Their thinking is you'll never be a good leader, til you learn how to be a good follower.
       I say that because in the text today we see Aaron and his sons getting ordained into the priesthood. It seems from the text that God wants them to care about the details of the job and some don't. Some times we take on responsibilities willingly, sometimes it is thrust upon us with no choice in the matter. For all of us, wherever we are at, we have a responsibility to be a good leader, or be a good follower. When it comes to God's house you can see why responsibility matters, but it matters everywhere as a testimony to God. Leadership is something we pursue. People want to be on top, give orders to others. However,following is a craft worth perfecting also. Jesus said "Come follow me," not come lead me.  Do it well and when God call on you, you will lead well.

Ex 30-32 Faith, Failures, and a Future

January 28th, Exodus 30-32

       Two things today:  1. It's always a challenge to read about something that God asks of us that I know I don't do very well. Sabbath, one day set aside to rest, do nothing, honor the Lord. No work projects around the house, no endless errands, hobbies that really are work to some degree etc... People back in the day didn't have 2-4 weeks paid vacation. They had to stay sane on a weekly basis. I've long felt like I need to learn how to work hard for 6 days, do nothing on one, and whatever doesn't get done maybe didn't need to. Building margin into life, time and place for God. A one day staycation every week.
       2. A couple of lines out of Aaron's story about the golden calf offers an insight into our delusions. Exodus 32:4 "He received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, These are your gods o Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." (Funny I thought it was the great I AM who brought them up out of Egypt). Aaron has a memory problem!
       The second line is in contrast to the one stated above, later in the story after getting busted...Exodus 32:24 So I said to them, Let any who have gold take it off. So they gave it to me, and I threw it in the fire, and out came this calf." 
       So which one is it Aaron, did you form it with a tool, or did this calf just come out of the fire. Did you make this with intent or was this a miraculous intervention by God almighty(calf falling out of crucible of molten gold?!?!?!?)  My old Police questioning gets fired up!! We say a lot of funny things when we're trying to disperse our guilt.
       Aaron is learning some lessons on leadership, they're all learning lessons about faith when we can't see, Moses pleads for God to relent on His anger, which is stepping into uncharted territory as well. Speaking of uncharted territory I need a consistent Sabbath. We all have some room to learn and grow, may this and every year of our life be just that.