"Nothing punctures brilliance like stubbornness."
Collin Cowherd on ESPNRadio December 22nd, 2009. Talking the inability to be flexible about former NCAA basketball coach and legend Bobby Knight.
Could it be that some of our churches and ministers are doing brilliant ministries, but are so trapped in the realm of tradition that it stifles the brilliance of the ministry?
Flexibility is the key to doing Church. I am not saying abandon tradition, but I am also saying we are not to be enslaved by it. Tradition is a wonderful thing as it allows us to see how people were flexible in past situations and how they used innovation to move forward.
Part of the brilliance of John Wesley was his ability to recognize that he might be the heart of the Methodist movement, he was not the person for the job in America. He was flexible and stepped aside and innovated by sending different people.
In the beginning of his ministry Jesus thought he came only for the Jews. But after an encounter with a woman who was not Jewish who still had faith in him and God, Jesus innovated and realized God's message was for all people. What if Jesus was stubborn and kept his message only for the Jewish people? Fortunately for me, Jesus was flexible.
Perhaps part of a measure of our brilliance is to measure how flexible we are.
How flexible are you?