Checking my attitude...

A friend on Facebook posted recently with this update:

When it comes to being community, there is a fine line between being a prophet in your own "hometown" and just being an jerk.

In terms of "being community," I took this words in the context of being a faith community.  Certainly there are many other levels of community.  My softball team is becoming a level of community for me.  And these words are true in every level of community.

But these words hit home for me in the context of church.

See, I like to think of myself as playing the role of the prophet.  (think Old Testament prophet here).  I feel like it's my "calling" to speak to the status quo and challenge the accepted norms.  It's hard for me to sit quietly when I see people or groups settling for something that's so far below what could be possible.  I love to point out what could be.  Maybe even what should be.  I love to encourage people to see differently, think differently, live differently.  I feel deeply that a part of my role in the faith community is to call people back to whole-hearted reliance on and connectedness to God.

But my friend is right.  There is a fine line between "being a prophet" and just "being a jerk."

Often times, I'm just a jerk.  And I'm sorry about that.  (I actually mean sorry - as in I intend to try my best, with God's help, to not do that again.)  I also want to invite you to call me on it.  "Hey bro, you're slipping off to the wrong side of the line." or maybe "Come on back to community, prophet boy." I'll laugh and nod and agree with you.

OK, all that said, I am who I am.  As long as you'll have me, you're going to have a pastor who resists easy answers because the hard answer might be better.  You'll have me saying uncomfortable things, because Jesus didn't die for us to be comfortable.  You'll have me pushing and pulling and calling and challenging because I believe in the deepest chamber of my soul that God is inviting us into possibilities that are so much greater than what we settle for.

Hopefully, I'll keep it on the line.