Mission, Spirituality, Connecting  

A central theme of biblical leadership is intercession by and for God's people. Abraham interceded for the few righteous in Sodom, Moses for the "stiff-necked people"1 in Israel, Nehemiah for Jerusalem that lay in ruins, and John 17 shows Jesus' profound intercessory ministry. Their prayers made a powerful difference.

If you discern that I have a specific concern in mind, you are correct. There are elements in God's cause that continue to polarize. The pathway to the kingdom is described as straight and narrow. Straight and narrow paths often have significant ditches on both sides.

I've worked with rebellious churches and individuals — both extremely conservative and liberal — who were very legalistic and so focused on side issues that the main mission of the Church was lost. Both were often very critical of those who did not agree with them, frequently sending varying kinds of volleys, through whatever means available, at those who were "wrong." That unChristlike spirit always does great spiritual damage within and even beyond the bounds of those congregations.

Then there are wonderful individuals and groups who handle disagreement in spiritually-productive ways. I have seen these differing groups come together in attitudes of humility, with much prayer, seeking to understand each other in an attitude of Christlike love, and finding a deeply productive, spiritual unity in spite of contrary viewpoints. Read more.

The message in this section is the intro to President's Perspective, by Don Livesay, Lake Union president, reprinted from the current issue of the Lake Union Herald. It will be updated monthly.