August 06, 2006 Unity or Consensus?
Context is key. There are times when unity is not
possible, but consensus is.
DISCUSSIONS - 08:32pm Aug 7, 2007 EST - The leader's
role is to lead. That means, in context, the ability to plan, communicate
the plan, and operationalize the plan. Operationalization may mean getting
the bus loaded with the right people in the right seats, as Collins
would say. This sounds calculated and political, and can be as it has
been practiced by authoritarian leaders. Godly leaders accomplish this
by grace and through grace. Authority, whether invested, or voted, or
hired, demands such. This attains whether the form of church polity
is congregationally or elder led.
The leader's role is also to influence when he/she believes the Lord
is calling in a particular direction. This takes wisdom, discernment,
and in some cases, tough love. As we learned, consensus is not the average
of all the responses, or 51 percent of a vote.
Unanimity is not required for consensus, and a lack of consensus should
not be an occasion for the leader to beat the team about the head with
a wet fish and tell them they are sinning in their disunity. (I've seen
the latter happen and would like to try the former at times.) Lockstep
response is just plain detrimental to creative growth.
DISCUSSIONS - 10:57pm Aug 7, 2007 EST - Fish slapping...It's
a reference to an old Monty Python fish slapping skit, maybe before
your time-1970 or so... sorry... my formative culture is showing...
I've seen a leader chastise diversity of opinion with accusations of
disunity and subsequent manipulation of the team into a false representation
of unity for fear of being accused of being "divisive". That
is an authoritarian tactic. It quenches legitimate discourse.
DISCUSSIONS - 10:44pm Aug 8, 2007 EST - They are different words for
a reason- consensus is about consent- agreeing together about some isue.
Consensus is more likely to exist through submission of one's ideas
or will to the perceived greater good.
With unity individuals are brought into order to be single in purpose.
Consensus is more about submission, perhaps even agreeing to disagree.
It does not necessarily mean you are philosophically unified, it can
involve submitting for the good of the group.
I think the difference may also be expressed in that consensus is about
solidarity of objectives. Unity is about oneness of essence or belief.
You could say effect compared to affect, but finally I have to ask "so
what?"
Here is an example- people with shared attributes can have unity, as
in the members of the church. The lost and saved can reach consensus,
but not unity, as light and darkness cannot unify.
DISCUSSIONS - 10:20am Aug 9, 2007 EST -
I would also say that it matters what we are talking about. The Great
Seal of the USA has United we stand, divided we fall on it. There is
a sense in which Americans are unified, especially when we our common
purposes/homeland are attacked. But Americans will never have true unity
of Spirit.
If a leader sees the whole process as essentially wrong, the leader
may have to move on or pray for a miracle. God majors in hopeless causes.
All Good Gifts
Give me a heart full of healing
And a sould full of love
Give me a total devotion
To the throne of God above
Give me a holy humility
That drives me to my knees
Give me a servant heart
That my Master I may please.
Give me a mind pure and holy
Give me eyes that are bright
Give me a compelling countenance
That shines with delight
Give me a attitude of gratitude
That desires what’s right to do
Give me a life that’s devoted to You.
For all good gifts come down from the Throne of Grace
The things of earth grow strangely dim as they are replaced
With the deep desire of knowing One thing and One thing alone
To truly know the Father as we ourselves are known
To see Him as He is lifted high upon His throne.
Give me a discerning spirit
Joy and peace in this place
An unbelievable boldness
That will shed abroad your Grace
Give me a selfless demeanor
A mouth that declares your praise
Set my eyes on my blessed hope
With an unflinching gaze.
Anthony Foster
August 6, 2007
Great and glorious
Great and glorious awesome your name
Lion of Judah, lamb that was slain
Servant Savior Lord we proclaim
Great and glorious
Great and Glorious
Great and glorious your name
Hope of nations
Holy are you
Coming King both faithful and true
You give a stone with a name that is new
Great and glorious
Great and Glorious
Great and glorious your name
Counselor most Wonderful, wise
Mighty God in flesh disguised
Prince of peace calm all our cries
Great and glorious
Great and Glorious
Great and glorious your name.
Anthony Foster
August 6, 2007
Together
Together we’ll gather together as one
One with the Father and Spirit and Son
In unity we’ll find the victory is won
Together until the work is done.
Together we’ll find it’s by strength we are bound
Together with one voice our one heart is found
One word and one song, one satisfying sound
One people walk on your holy ground.
Together by one faith we’ll answer the call
One hope One baptism One God and Father of all
One future as on our knees we now fall
For God is forever all in all.
Anthony Foster
August 7, 2007
Flesh and Bone
Flesh of our Flesh and bone of our Bone
This is the most precious mystery that’s known
For only the God man for sin could atone
Only the Christ and Christ alone
Found in appearance to be as a man
He humbled himself in God’s perfect plan
His perfect sacrifice to meet the law’s demand.
The saving sacrifice did not despise the shame
For the joy set before you, you embraced the blame
The Sin of the world was laid on you
You were cut off, condemned, faithful and true.
You chose the cross and you chose the time
You suffered loss, now riches are mine
You paid the cost so eternity is mine
The greenwood becomes the living vine.
Anthony Foster
August 7, 2007
He Gives Grace
He gives grace to save and power to heal
Faith he gave in His word revealed
To tell the nations that this is real
That the Father has sent His Son!
He gave light to see and the Word to hear
And He gave His Spirit to draw us near
To convict and judge and to make it clear
That the power of Sin’s overcome.
He gave joy that is made complete
As we stand before the mercy seat
On His life anew- he gave death defeat
The gate s of heaven thrown open-
So that we might enter in!
So to as many now who will believe
He gave the power to hear and to receive
To become children who were not conceived
By will or decision of men.
Well by the grace he gives and the grace he gave
The power to live and the power to save
And the power to rise up from the grave
For the victory’s in Him!
He gave joy that is made complete
As we stand before the mercy seat
On His life anew- he gave death defeat
The gate s of heaven thrown open-
So that we might enter in!
Anthony Foster
August 7, 2007
I Offer all I am
Forgive us Lord, the desperately wicked
With hearts of deceit
We all need forgiveness
Need to fall at Christ’s feet.
With Your yoke reign over our renegade hearts.
I offer all I am
To the mercy of your plan
The addictions of my soul
The gluttony of my heart
The selfishness of me
I offer all of me
I offer all of me
I offer all of me to You.
Amazing grace, amazing love
Amazing peace sent from above
Amazing hope, amazing faith
Amazing blood shall plead my case.
How can it be that my God died for me?
Amazing grace, amazing love
Amazing peace sent from above
Amazing hope, amazing faith
Amazing blood shall plead my case.
How can it be that my God died for me?
Anthony Foster
August 7, 2007
Your Yoke
Forgive us Lord, the desperately wicked
With hearts of deceit
We all need forgiveness
Need to fall at Christ’s feet.
With Your yoke reign over our renegade hearts.
As we seek His compassion, mercy and grace
As we fall on our knees as we fall on our face
His mercies so tender
Each morning are new
He’ll be the defender if your heartbreak is true
Of the repentant sinner, of the contrite in heart
Come return to the center
Come and be set apart.
You are faithful and just in your true righteousness
In you we will trust, and our sins we’ll confess.
True reconciliation we will dare to receive
So they too may believe.
We are separate, set apart
We are precious to your heart
We are aliens and strangers
and through many toils and dangers
God protectsd us and sets us apart
In but not of this world we abide
And by god in Christ we know we hide
Sojourners and pilgrims walking stride by stride
For in Christ and His cross we are crucified!
Anthony Foster
August 7, 2007
Well Done
Let us live our life with one single purpose
One vision and one call
At the end of our life we would hear the Master
Confirm us once for all.
At the end of my life I would hear Him say
Well done good and faithful servant
May all of our work and all our play
Bring honor unto His Holy name
Be done unto Him and to his glory alone
Well done, well done, well done, well done…
Let us live and move and breath with one purpose
One hope and nothing less
Let us find ourselves at the end of the journey
With one high hope: His name to bless
When the race is run and the circle’s complete
It will have no end, every point shall meet
And the voice I hear from the mercy seat
Will say on that eternal day
At the end of my life I would hear Him say
Well done good and faithful servant
May all of our work and all our play
Bring honor unto His Holy name
Be done unto Him and to his glory alone
Well done, well done, well done, well done…
Anthony Foster
August 8, 2007
Going Out and Coming In
Psalm 121:8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From
this time forth and forever.
Yahweh shall save His people from their sin
Yahweh shall guard your going out and coming in
Will we flourish in the sanctuary?
Will we take it to the street?
The Love of Jesus we will carry
To everyone we meet.
Yahweh shall guide
On our way to Kingdom Come
In Yahweh we hide
And abide until it’s done
As we go into all the earth
With a bold and upright heart
He will show His matchless worth
And a Holy fire will start.
Sister to sister
Brother to brother
As we love the Lord
Let us love one another
And this will be the mark
By which we’re known
Our love for God and others
Will be shown.
August 4, 2007
Anthony Foster
Faithful and Just
Desperately wicked
Hearts of deceit
We all need forgiveness
Need to fall at Jesus’ feet
And seek His compassion
Mercy and Grace
As we fall on our knees
As we fall on our face.
You are Faithful and Just
In your true righteousness
In You we will trust
Our sins we’ll confess
True reconciliation
We will dare to receive
And we’ll tell each generation
So they too may believe.
His mercies so tender
Each morning are new
He be the defender
If your heartbreak is true
Of the repentant sinner
Of the contrite in heart
Come return to the center
Come and be set apart.
You are Faithful and Just
In your true righteousness
In You we will trust
Our sins we’ll confess
True reconciliation
We will dare to receive
And we’ll tell each generation
So they too may believe.
Anthony Foster
August 4, 2007
Hope, Blessed Hope
Come lay your head in rest
As gently falls the night
Have no fear for God is Near
Rest in the power of His might.
He ever watches o’er you
He never needs to sleep
He lays your path before you
He guards the darkness deep
Your soul to ever keep.
He never fails
He e’re prevails
So hope in God at last
His faithful love
And His kindness prove
Their worth holds ever fast.
So cast yourself headlong on grace
And cast your burdens, see His face
Smile gently on you in this place
This place of Blessed hope.
Though deep are shadows, and dark the way
He is evey my one hope and stay
When doubt draws near and when I fear
I cannot trust myself to stand
I will rest in His unflinching hand.
Now death’s dark angel is denied
Its sting is now removed
For now I live death and death has died
Christ’s life in me is proved.
The valley of the shadow deep
Is the very place where Christ will keep
My life my movement and my being
In Him by grace His grace I’m seeing.
Anthony Foster
August 8, 2007
On Hope, Blessed Hope…
I went with Mom to the funeral of a little child today. The Mom, Dad,
all the grandparents and one set of great grandparents were there. It
was a blessed event, in no small measure, as within this group there
are three pastors- both grandfathers and the great grandfather and the
Dad himself is a Bible college student. I relate all this to say that
this event was particularly uplifting- though there was sorrow, it was
not the despair of the lost who have no hope. There was even a real
sense of rejoicing in the midst of the sorrow. What a blessed hope,
and what a witness to the world of the difference the Lord makes.
Heard from a dear friend who called to check on me. What a blessing!
Sometimes just hearing a familiar voice of a beloved brother makes your
day. Encouragement of this type is priceless.
