For those of you who may not know, I am an executive pastor. That means that on Sundays when I’m not teaching a class, I spend most of the morning conversing and troubleshooting and clarifying.

Yesterday I was doing my usual running around our church building. The 10:15 gathering was starting. I heard the music as I was heading one more time to my office I stopped. I realized that I needed to get done and get into the room. To stand next to Nancy. To sing. To not be in charge.

I realized that I needed to tell you why I need the church.

1. It teaches me humility. Not humiliation, which many people have been taught too many times by people like me. But humility, the fact that that deferring to someone else’s direction and planning is healthy. When I sing songs someone else picks, when I follow as someone else prays, I have to release control. And that’s good.
2. It teaches me community. As an introvert, it’s too easy for me to be independent. But I need to learn interdependence through people who draw me out and draw me in.
3. It teaches me to grow. When people ask me challenging questions, growing out of reflection, I am reminded of the value of continuing to learn, continuing to deepen, continuing to mine the ignorance out of my heart.
4. It teaches me to listen. I spent 24 hours in the building this weekend in a variety of settings. I had extended discussions with more than 25 people in three different groups and one-on-one conversations with many more. I am changed by the opportunity to listen to their hearts, their needs, their dreams, their attempts to discern direction.

I know. Churches have hurt people. I’m not saying you need the church.

But I do.