Following… or Leading?
The poet David Perkins once wrote
“Do not follow where the path leads, Rather go where there is no path, and leave a trail.”
I believe this is what God has called the Salvation Army local church (Corps) to – trailblazing. We shouldn’t be copying the methods of WillowCreek and the like, but neither should we be copying the methods of our forefathers.
Each of us is in a unique situation. Our community that we need to reach for God, (a given as our mission hasn’t changed, we are after all The Salvation Army) differs from country to country and even from suburb to suburb.
We each need to implement the best and most effective way to achieve that mission.
No argument here Paul. I love the quote that you used. I first saw that on the toilet wall at my friend’s house in Australia and pondered it for a while!!!
If we’re called to be trailblazers then presumably we’re not following a path that someone else has trod before. That requires a huge amount of faith and requires us, as leaders, to spend much time listening to God and receiving vision from Him. Only then can we be true spiritual leaders and communicate that vision to others (I suspect many leaders try to do this in reverse order).
I think you’ve just coined a new sessional name…Trailblazers for Jesus!!!