Fujishin Gardener Philosophy

How to Lead (Worship) Like Jesus
1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4835-3853-2
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 80 Seiten

Of the many images and pictures you may have in your mind of what a culture-shaping leader looks like, a gardener is probably nowhere near the top of your list. You may be thinking of a captain, or a quarterback, or a politician... but John 20:15 paints a picture for us of Jesus, the ultimate leader, being mistaken for a gardener on the most triumphant and important day in all history: the day he was raised from the dead. What was it that left these women 'thinking he was the gardener...?' Perhaps it was his attire, his voice, or how he carried himself. Whatever it was, this image of victorious JESUS being mistaken for a common gardener has some serious implications for how we Christians (and worship leaders) are supposed to carry ourselves and lead others. The Gardener Philosophy is a focused and practical guide for any current day worship leader that will help to build a healthier self, team, and congregation.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Fujishin, Jared

Leseproben

1 THE GARDENER PHILOSOPHY There are five words that completely changed how I saw leadership—five words that changed how I would forever lead worship. They are found at the end of the book of John, but my guess is that you will not find this verse on a bumper sticker and you will not hear this verse quoted at weddings or funerals. In fact, up until this point, you may have not ever given these words a second thought. You may have grown up in church your whole life, you may have read the resurrection story a million times, and, if you are anything like me, you probably never even noticed these five words! But the implications and potential impact they hold for your life are too great to capture in words. They may very well be the most important five words you take from this book and, once explained, you will never read the resurrection story the same, and hopefully, never lead worship the same either. The five words are: “…thinking he was the gardener” (John 20:15). Disappointed? Confused? Getting ready to put this book down and write me off? I would probably be having the same thoughts, but please, you’ve come this far, humor me for one more page. Allow me to explain myself before you dismiss what may very well forever change the way you lead your life, your team, and your congregation in worship! The hundreds of pages that lead up to this statement set the background for one of the most epic tales of all mankind. If you are a worship leader, you know it by heart. But you may know it so well you missed something… Here’s what you likely DO know: mankind fell, absolutely cut off and separated from God with no hope of salvation…and then Jesus came—a breath of fresh air after 39 books of Old Testament law and human failure. Jesus finally appears and lives the perfect life, and then does the impossible. He beats death at death’s own game. And in the moment he rises, he forever changes history, opening up salvation to all mankind. Can you imagine what that first breath must have been like for all of heaven? Jesus had just done the impossible, the unspeakable, he had become the Name above all names; he had forever changed all of history with that first breath he took in his resurrected body. It was the greatest moment in history. We talk about it to this day. If anyone was ever deserving of glory, if anyone was ever deserving of attention and the spotlight, it was Jesus at that moment. But in that very moment come the five words that are going to change your life, the five words that will change how you lead and how you live. Are you ready? By John’s account, it happened like this: Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (John 20:11-16 NIV) Did you catch that? On his most victorious day in history, there was something about Jesus that got him mistaken for a gardener. Maybe there was something in his voice, or in his attire, or maybe it was just the overall way he carried himself. But on the most glorious day in history, the only man who truly was deserving of glory came back and carried himself in such a fashion that people would walk by him and mistake him for a gardener. A lowly gardener. If you are anything like me, you are feeling pretty silly right about now as you think back to all the times you’ve tried to get glory for things that are far less impressive than redeeming all mankind in a single breath. I once led worship for Francis Chan and thought I was hot stuff. I crafted my tweets and Instagram pictures in such a way to appear humorous and humble, but in the end, knew the primary point was to show off, to put the spotlight on me and get the attention I felt I deserved. I remember times when I first started leading worship and would look in the mirror until I found just the right length to let my in-ears dangle out to look as cool as possible; my end goal being that people would notice me. Then I read this passage and think, dang. Jesus, who was fully deserving of glory and attention, carried himself in such a way he wasn’t even recognized by dear friends, he was even mistaken for one of the lowest position in their day. Then along I come, doing things far less impressive than saving mankind, and all I do is try to get all the attention I can. Something is not right. When I read this, it changed me. It changed how I led worship; it changed how I carried myself, and changed how I trained other leaders. I now aspire to be mistaken for a gardener (or stagehand, roadie, etc.). In my experience, the gardener lifestyle is not only biblical, it also yields far better results in worship and the receptiveness of an audience. It was the way leaders were designed to lead. Jesus modeled this lifestyle to us in the most glorious moment in history. Over the years I have been leading worship and traveling to different churches, I have discovered some behaviors and practical ways to implement this gardener philosophy. I want to share a few of those with you. But first, we must address a key question…do you really want to lead? Do You Really Want To Lead? My grandfather was a gardener for 35 years. Grandpa Mike would wake up at 4 a.m. six days a week to mow lawns, lay fertilizer, and clean up after his upper middle class neighbors. Let me tell you, the gardener life is not a glamorous one. No one walked by my grandfather secretly envying him for his position. If my grandfather had had social media back then and posted a picture of his daily activities and hard work as a gardener, no one would “like” or “retweet” his photos. No one would comment on his posts. There would be no hidden envy or resentment in his friends as they looked at the things he did. The gardener life is not one that is envied. Why then, are so many worship leaders’ lives envied by the masses in the Christian community today? Why, when you see your favorite musician post a picture of a sold out arena with lights flashing and the sound system bumpin’, do you secretly wish you were them? Why do you then compensate by posting pictures and posts of your own as you lead your own service in hopes of making others envy your own life? The gardener leadership life is not one that is envied, but the life of a rock star is. Before you continue, you might want to ask yourself…Do I want to be an effective worship leader, who models my leadership after the example of Christ? Or do I want to be a rock star who is envied by my peers? We all know the “right” answer here, but I’m not asking for the “right” answer. I’m asking for your true answer. The beauty of where you are right now is that no one can read your thoughts. You may be sitting on a couch, reading this on your phone in an airport, or at your desk skimming this book before walking to your next meeting. The point is, it’s just you. It is a safe place to be honest with your true heart’s desire. In this moment, it’s just you and the Holy Spirit who already knows your heart. So take a minute before you read this list, and ask The Spirit to humble you and open your eyes to any ugly truths you may hold in your heart or spirit. Once they are revealed to you, ask him to rid you of any impurities of leading from the position of a rock star instead of a humble gardener. Truly ask yourself…Do my actions communicate to myself and others that I want to be a rock star, or a gardener? ROCK STARS expect to be served by others. GARDENERS come expecting to serve others. ROCK STARS do what is best for themselves. GARDENERS do what is best for the group as a whole. ROCK STARS expect things setup when they arrive. GARDENERS come early to help the tech crew set up. ROCK STARS feel entitled to respect and appreciation. GARDENERS feel entitled to nothing. ROCK STARS are full of themselves. GARDENERS are full of the Spirit. ROCK STARS spend more time picking their clothes for the morning than praying for the service. GARDENERS are constantly in communication with our Father. ROCK STARS talk more about their equipment and the music than the presence of God. GARDENERS constantly redirects attention back onto the purpose of why they worship. ROCK STARS are selfish. GARDENERS are selfless. ROCK STARS enjoy being built up. GARDENERS enjoy building others up Think about this: why did Satan fall from heaven? Isaiah tells us that Satan said in his heart, “I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the North. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the most high” (Isaiah 14:12-14). Satan wanted to...