I recently changed providers for my website. I used to use the Google Blogger format but have switched to the WordPress format. So far I like it, but it did take a lot of time and trial and error to learn it. As of now, all the content is older stuff that I have moved over from my old site. After I have migrated all my old posts to this new format, I’ll begin putting new content on here-hopefully at the rate of one or maybe two posts a week. I would appreciate it if you would subscribe so that you’ll get email notifications when new material is posted.
I had named my old blog Leanings and Leadings: Books, life, church, music, God, motorcycles…and the intersection therein. This new blog will contain some of the same topics, but I will more so be writing about trying to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and live biblically in our confusing cultural landscape.
In any event, I don’t currently ride a motorcycle. I took a break from it about a year ago. Probably, one of these days I’ll get the riding bug again. But even though I’m not riding currently I do still like the analogy I drew between riding a motorcycle and leadership in a church or anywhere else.
So I wanted to keep the introduction to my old blog which I wrote probably about 11 years ago. It follows below:
I am calling my new blog Leadings & Leanings to reflect my thoughts on leadership, ministry, life, and motorcycling. I have been pastoring for over 20 years and have been riding for only a few years. But since I started riding I have been thinking about the similarities between riding a bike and leading a church.
So much of good leadership involves being a good follower of and listener to God. Too often we would like Him to lead us by the noses in an obvious and forceful manner. We always prefer the pillar of fire and cloud rather than the still, small voice. By nature I don’t like ambiguity and mess. But I have been in this long enough to know that life is messy and church leadership is messy. Sometimes just being a follower of Christ is messy.
Some have called leadership an art. Others have likened it to jazz. I think it’s just messy. It’s borders are not marked by clean, definite lines but by the jagged coastline of real life. And like riding a motorcycle, it’s best leaned into gradually and gracefully rather than forced or sudden. I find that when I lean more on the leading of the Holy Spirit, whether in life or ministry, than my own pushing or steering it’s more graceful and fluid. When navigating twists and turns on my Honda I do very little steering. It’s all about leaning. No sharp, sudden movement. No imposing my will. I just keep my eyes on where I want to go, lean into the curves, and let the bike lead me.
If you don’t ride this may sound strange (it may sound strange even if you do ride!). But it works for me as I enter into the second half of ministry and life. More than ever, I want to follow God’s leading and lean gracefully into the ride He has planned for me. I want to be one with He Who dwells within me. I want that relationship to be like a rider on a bike when man and machine are melded into one–working in harmonious partnership. Trusting, seeing, leaning, learning. Sometimes accelerating, sometimes braking. Always shifting gears aware of the situation.
That’s mostly what you’ll read about in this blog: my attempt to navigate the twisty road of life, ministry, parenthood, marriage, and following Jesus. And trying gracefully to lean on His leading as He takes me around the next bend in the road.
Chris Higgins 