In the Parable of the Yeast (Matthew 13:33), Jesus tells us a little something about ourselves that we don’t always like to admit – we aren’t perfect. I know I’m not the only one bothered by that concept, but as a pastor I need to grasp onto this idea and allow myself to be transparent and vulnerable in that transparency, for those are key items in living a life of integrity.

 Madeleine L’Engle said, “When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability . . . . To be alive is to be vulnerable.” This really is the essence of walking in Christ-like leadership – transparency and vulnerability. Only when we lack integrity and character will we close our lives to the view of people, not allowing them to see us for who we really are.

I believe that for too many years some church leaders (my self included) have taught or implied that being “perfect in Christ” meant “without moral error” or “sinless.” In doing so, we have presented ourselves as perfect models of Christ and expected our people to live up to the same standard. This wasn’t based on anything that even remotely looked like reality, but it was the image of the church that we promoted all the same. Continue Reading