"I ain't no Moses but I ain't no clown"

I thought I should provide a bit of commentary on the song I posted last night. Though it made for a great title for my first blog entry in several months, I DO enjoy stories of the sort described, and I tend to follow the "Esther S. Cape School of Conflict Management" (as I spoofed in a skit for the Young Peacemaker's curriculum a couple years ago), the verse that really caught my attention was the one involving Joshua. I don't typically see myself as a Joshua-type figure (partly due to the lack of Moseses in my life), but I find myself in leadership roles and I feel I need someone telling me, "Be strong and courageous" (Josh. 1:6-9). I don't feel like a leader, I don't want to be a leader, I've not always had good relationships with leaders. Part of it, I'm sure, has to do with growing up in the anti-authoritarian 60's, when everyone in leadership roles was thought to be evil or corrupt, part of it has to do with failed father-figures. Whatever contributes to it, I have this dislike/distrust/dishonoring attitude towards authority. And yet--as Pogo observed all those years ago--"we have met the enemy and it is us!" I can't say older white men in positions of leadership are all bad because I am one (unless I just want to be bad and make an excuse for it). Whatever my father or step-father did to me, I AM a father now, and it's up to me to be the best father I can be. I've been appointed as the Director of Christian Formation at my church, and people are counting on me to be a disciple of Jesus and a discipler of others (which I should be anyways, just be virtue of being a Christian, but having that title really clinches the deal!). I ain't no Moses, but that's no excuse to be a clown. There's work to be done and "Christ is counting on me."