9.1.2021 Being the Best You

    I’ve never been a Rolling Stones fan. As a late baby-boomer, I recognize their contributions. What would “Classic Rock” radio be without their enormous output? Charlie Watts died last week. He was the unlikeliest rock star in the quintessential rock-n-roll band. I admired his sense of style and individuality. I prefer the tailored look. So did he, albeit in a completely different price range. 

Charlie was an outlier in many ways. He did not particularly participate in the over-the-top rock star scene. He married the only wife he ever had in 1964 and was married to her till the day he died. You don’t have to conform to the expectations of excess to be excellent at something. That’s a good, learnable lesson even for those of us who are in ministry. 

Consider this. If you were to look at a group picture of the Stones, Charlie was always the one who seemed out of place. This became even more evident as they aged. In that picture the other four would likely be wearing fairly expensive designer clothes. Because they were rich and the Rolling Stones, design consultants, and costumers would have been consulted and their directions followed. In the photo they looked like the successful rock stars they were. For that same photo Charlie likely wore what he would have worn had there been no photo shoot. He always dressed impeccably in a bespoke suit and shoes. The others were in costume. Charlie was simply himself. Here is a second lesson for us. You don’t have to try and stand out to be outstanding.

Of all the advice for young preachers this is perhaps the most important. Be who God created you to be. Listen to good teachers and follow good models but take those lessons and paradigms and use them to mold your unique approach to preaching. The two phrases emphasized above clarify temptations which are alluring not only to the rock stars of our culture but to the preachers in our churches. We are always tempted to “turn things up to 11” thinking that superhuman effort will make us more than we are. 

To begin with, anyone who associates excess with the pulpit has already missed the point. You want to be the best preacher you can be. You want to consistently preach excellent messages which are Biblical and practical. Too often, in the search for excellence we give in to the temptations of excess. To do more than is necessary, say more than is prudent, discover more than is actually present in the text. Don’t do that. The text says what it says. We must balance truthful honesty with compassion and kindness. We all called to communicate clearly and we achieve that clarity, more often than not, through simplicity. 

Every single congregation deserves and should expect excellent preaching. You don’t have to have a fancy degree. You don’t have to have the latest tools. The music in your worship may be new, old, impassioned, or flat. You may minister in a small rural congregation or a rising mega-church. You don’t have be Mick Jagger before a photo shoot. You don’t have to line up consultants, google the latest designer, push the boundaries, or try and stand out from the crowd. Just show up like Charlie Watts. Be comfortable in your skin. Be the best version of you possible. Understand what kind of preacher God made you, in this place where He has placed you. If you do that, you will be outstanding.