When I sat down to outline a public address for Tribe of Judah's 13th anniversary, I produced something that was part confession, part mission statement, and part celebration. I'm using that outline tonight to build my post and will make every reasonable effort to be concise.
Recently, I was listening to a sermon by Alistair Begg and was convicted when Begg highlighted Elijah's poor attitude: In 1 Kings 19, Elijah told God that he was the only one still serving Him. I found myself suddenly and painfully recalling a similar attitude in my work leading Tribe of Judah.
One of the dangers in leading an online Christian organization is the natural drift toward isolation. The limitations of online communication quickly become apparent when trying to work with staff and share one's passion for online ministry. Members and staff have varying schedules and silence that may only mean that others are focused first on their family and local church instead feeds fears of being the only person sincerely interested in fulfilling the group's potential to minister to others.
When I have given voice to those fears, I have been blessed by other believers who have confirmed my hope and spoke words of encouragement in a time when they are most needed.
In another sermon by Begg, he quotes the Westminster Shorter Catechism: "Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever." While I admit to not having read all 107 questions and answers in the document, the opening point provided much-needed clarity regarding the role of Tribe of Judah and my role as President: To glorify God through gaming.
Ultimately, it is God who brings lasting success, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7:
"What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."
So that God may receive the glory for any spiritually profitable work accomplished through Tribe of Judah, I confess my sin of pride and seeking glory that rightly belongs to God. It is a disturbingly strong temptation to take credit for a group's accomplishments as that group's leader, even when Scripture states that it is "only God who gives the growth."
Past experience proves the point. Many of the "secular" projects (that is, those projects not based on a shared faith in Christ) I started eventually fizzled: a collaborative StarCraft fan fiction that ran from 1998-2000, trying to establish a local group of anime enthusiasts, and efforts to organize a local LAN party all failed to see nearly the success that Tribe of Judah has seen.
When I founded Tribe of Judah, I was not prompted by a booming voice from heaven. My own negative experiences on Battle.net sought me to seek out other Christians with whom to play StarCraft: Brood War. I am amazed that God could use such motives, selfish in part, to start a Christian gaming community that would span so many years and games and touch so many lives.
I have often thought that God could easily have found someone with better social skills, more patience, and greater discipline to handle the task. My past church experiences have inspired a great hesitation to ever say, "God told me to do this," for fear of dishonoring God and His name. Nevertheless, I believe God has used Tribe of Judah to glorify His name despite my leadership.
Rather than try to "make" Tribe of Judah succeed through my own insufficient wisdom and flawed efforts, I choose instead to publicly rely on God for our success as a community of believers. I will strive to not "suffer in silence," but instead share my doubts and frustrations with other Christians. Discernment and prudence will likely prevent me from sharing all such matters publicly, but I have been blessed with Christian friends in Tribe of Judah with whom I can share my difficulties.
These decisions and proclamations run completely counter to my experience and tendencies, so if I achieve any semblance of success in the effort, then it must be God who receives glory. To quote 2 Corinthians 12:9: "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me."
I ask that you would pray I learn to rest in the Lord, since my own nature so violently resists such rest. More importantly, I ask that you join me in praying that God would continue to use Tribe of Judah to bring glory to His name in our 13th year and beyond.
Recently, I was listening to a sermon by Alistair Begg and was convicted when Begg highlighted Elijah's poor attitude: In 1 Kings 19, Elijah told God that he was the only one still serving Him. I found myself suddenly and painfully recalling a similar attitude in my work leading Tribe of Judah.
One of the dangers in leading an online Christian organization is the natural drift toward isolation. The limitations of online communication quickly become apparent when trying to work with staff and share one's passion for online ministry. Members and staff have varying schedules and silence that may only mean that others are focused first on their family and local church instead feeds fears of being the only person sincerely interested in fulfilling the group's potential to minister to others.
When I have given voice to those fears, I have been blessed by other believers who have confirmed my hope and spoke words of encouragement in a time when they are most needed.
In another sermon by Begg, he quotes the Westminster Shorter Catechism: "Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever." While I admit to not having read all 107 questions and answers in the document, the opening point provided much-needed clarity regarding the role of Tribe of Judah and my role as President: To glorify God through gaming.
Ultimately, it is God who brings lasting success, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7:
"What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."
So that God may receive the glory for any spiritually profitable work accomplished through Tribe of Judah, I confess my sin of pride and seeking glory that rightly belongs to God. It is a disturbingly strong temptation to take credit for a group's accomplishments as that group's leader, even when Scripture states that it is "only God who gives the growth."
Past experience proves the point. Many of the "secular" projects (that is, those projects not based on a shared faith in Christ) I started eventually fizzled: a collaborative StarCraft fan fiction that ran from 1998-2000, trying to establish a local group of anime enthusiasts, and efforts to organize a local LAN party all failed to see nearly the success that Tribe of Judah has seen.
When I founded Tribe of Judah, I was not prompted by a booming voice from heaven. My own negative experiences on Battle.net sought me to seek out other Christians with whom to play StarCraft: Brood War. I am amazed that God could use such motives, selfish in part, to start a Christian gaming community that would span so many years and games and touch so many lives.
I have often thought that God could easily have found someone with better social skills, more patience, and greater discipline to handle the task. My past church experiences have inspired a great hesitation to ever say, "God told me to do this," for fear of dishonoring God and His name. Nevertheless, I believe God has used Tribe of Judah to glorify His name despite my leadership.
Rather than try to "make" Tribe of Judah succeed through my own insufficient wisdom and flawed efforts, I choose instead to publicly rely on God for our success as a community of believers. I will strive to not "suffer in silence," but instead share my doubts and frustrations with other Christians. Discernment and prudence will likely prevent me from sharing all such matters publicly, but I have been blessed with Christian friends in Tribe of Judah with whom I can share my difficulties.
These decisions and proclamations run completely counter to my experience and tendencies, so if I achieve any semblance of success in the effort, then it must be God who receives glory. To quote 2 Corinthians 12:9: "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me."
I ask that you would pray I learn to rest in the Lord, since my own nature so violently resists such rest. More importantly, I ask that you join me in praying that God would continue to use Tribe of Judah to bring glory to His name in our 13th year and beyond.
