Leadership is one of the hottest topics of the last 20 years. Over 10 years ago I completed my Ed.D. program at Nova Southeastern University. One of the core components of that program was leadership. In those courses and as a result of my own interest in the subject, I have read at least 12 books on leadership, but I have only scratched the surface of the literature on the subject.

Leadership has become a hot topic in the Church as well. There is a professional development process for Lutheran pastors called Pastoral Leadership Institute. There have been more books written on the subject of pastoral leadership than I could ever read.

There are lots of things we could say about leadership in organizations and how those concepts apply to the Church and to pastoral ministry. There are many valuable ideas from the field of leadership studies that apply to the Church and how we do ministry. Then there’s Exodus 3 (the Old Testament reading for this coming Sunday in our church).

In Exodus 3 God called Moses to lead Israel from slavery to the Promised Land. Of all the people God could have called, it is hard to imagine anyone more unwilling or unqualified than Moses. Moses had the wisdom to recognize his shortcomings when he said to God in the burning bush, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11)

The answer to Moses’ question was that Moses was the one that God called. God in His infinite compassion had seen the misery of His people in Egypt and God came down to rescue Israel. Moses was God’s man for the job not because of Moses’ background or training but because of God’s call.

You are God’s man or God’s woman. God, in Christ, has called you to be His own child. God has also given you something to do. It is God’s call that qualifies you and equips you.

I don’t think you will get your marching orders from a burning bush, but I do know that God still speaks today. He speaks in His word and, as you spend time with God each day in His word, I am convinced you will know what He has for you to do.