I think there is something beautiful about the multi-generational composition of the Body of Christ. Recent ministry opportunities have put me in the midst of the generations and I found it to be a wonderfully enriching experience.
On Monday I got to spend time at OK Cafe with Bill Swaim. Bill has been a member of this church for many years and drives a long distance across town to be a part of this fellowship. His association with the church goes back to the time when a few hundred believers gathered for worship in a school and the church offices were in an office complex. Bill is a "cards on the table," straight-forward kind of guy. At age 83, he doesn't spend a lot of time beating around the bush. He spent over three decades providing leadership training to first line managers at IBM (In IBM parlance "first line managers" are executive leaders who report directly to division VPs). Bill will take a few minutes to size you up (assessing, I think, how "Bill" he will be able to be without blowing you away) and then will quickly establish a deep, meaningful connection to you. Bill and I hit it off wonderfully, right from the start. I'm hoping he'll become a mentor.
Bill asked about my history, my family and other ministries I've served before he got to the real question, "Why are you here?" spoken with his typical forthrightness. His question (which I viewed as wholly appropriate coming from a man with his leadership experience) had the tone of God's question to Adam in Genesis 3. God didn't ask Adam "Where are you?" because he didn't know where Adam was...He wanted to know if Adam knew where Adam was. Bill wanted to know if I understood why I had been brought here.
I have learned much from the writings of Patrick Lencioni, so I started into my "elevator speech." (Your "elevator speech" is a 20-second summation of your purpose and why you do what you do...a speech that can be delivered between floors during an elevator ride.)
"Well, I build my job on four fundamental purposes: first, I want to develop a cohesive leadership team. Second, I want to create clarity. Third..."
"Stop!" Bill said.
He then continued..."Do you follow Lencioni? I just watched a Lencioni webinar last Thursday."
I pointed back across the parking lot toward the church and replied, "I was watching the same webinar in my office."
"Lencioni knows what he's talking about. Great guy!" Bill said, and I agreed.
"In that case," I replied, "I'm not going to finish my elevator speech."
Bill was so affirming, so encouraging...it was great to spend an hour with him. As only an 83-year-old can tell a 53-year-old, he said, "You're still young...you ought to go to seminary and get your M.Div. You've got plenty of time!" I've got a few other things on my plate right now...maybe next year.
The next day, Tuesday, took me to the other end of Atlanta and to the other end of the age range to another wonderfully fulfilling ministry opportunity. Again, I wasn't the one giving ministry, I was the one enriched by the experience.
Because of our similar calling and similar theological understanding of worship ministry, Aaron Keyes and I have developed a close bond (okay, to be honest anyone who spends ten minutes with Aaron gets immersed in the love of Christ and finds an immediate bond to this godly man). Aaron's Ten Thousand Fathers Worship School brings developing 20-something worship musicians together for intense training in worship, discipleship and theology. Aaron invited me to drive out to Snellville to spend the day with the current class. I went out with the goal of being a fly on the wall...listening to the training and spending time with the students. The development of young worship leaders has long been a personal passion of mine and it was a privilege to spend the day with them. It was a wonderful juxtaposition, having spent the day before with an 83-year-old. I found both of these times to be wonderful learning experiences.
At the end of the day at the worship school, Aaron gathered everyone together in his living room for a round-table discussion. As I'm finding the case to be with increasing frequency, I was the oldest guy in the room. Aaron started the discussion by gesturing toward me and saying, "We're blessed to have a real sage here with us today..."
I looked at him over my reading glasses (the way us "old folks" do) and said, "Oh, now I'm a 'sage.' I guess that's how it goes; one day your vital and active and the next day you wake up and someone is calling you 'sage.'"
Of course that drew snickers from the group and that big, beautiful smile from Aaron, so I poured it on (in a somewhat older sounding voice).
"I'm very happy to be here with you today, but if I start to drool I do hope someone will stop me."
Everyone's laughing at this point, so I nudged the guy next to me and said, "Let me know when it's 4:30 will 'ya? I've got to be sure to get to the Golden Corral for the senior special at five."
It was a beautiful experience for me. Unlike the way 20-somethings are sometimes portrayed, I found a group that had a growing love and appreciation for the history of the church -- "hymnody" for lack of a better word -- and a desire to bring the best of our Christian heritage into our present time in the context of worship and music. On Monday, Dr. Youssef again expressed to me his deep desire to see us invest ourselves in the next generation of leaders and I will long treasure the opportunities I had to be a blessing to and be blessed by my brothers and sisters in Christ across the generations.
