I was having lunch recently with a pastor named Dave who had participated in our most recent Imagine Learning Community. He shared with me a catchy phrase that his wife likes to say:
“Curiosity is the new humility.”
It’s a great line, for sure. What I really appreciated, however, was that it’s not just a slogan for Dave. Rather, he is actively seeking to live out this principle in his pastoral ministry. For example, he recently invited members of his congregation over to his house for a special occasion. More than 20 people came, and Dave began by asking a great question:
“What is God doing in our church?”
What followed was a wonderful discussion, an eye-opener to everyone present of the myriad of ways that God was working in and through them—both as a gathered church, and as a scattered church. He took notes, and when he sent a thank you email to everyone who had participated, he listed out 45 specific items they had shared!
There are many things to appreciate about this story, but for me what really stands out is Dave’s posture of curiosity. He was genuinely interested in learning what God was doing in all of their lives, both individually and corporately. Moreover, by inviting them over to his place and starting with a really powerful question, he created an environment where they could listen and learn from one another about how God was working in their midst. As they did, it became clear that the Holy Spirit was up to more than any one of them could have seen on their own.
So as we enter 2017, I pray that we all would also carry this posture of curiosity as we seek to minister to the people God brings into our everyday lives.
Chris Lake co-founded the Vere Institute (Oct 2014 – May 2021) to empower Christians to integrate their faith into everyday life, their “frontlines.” Chris continues to serve pastors through offering transitional coaching. You can find him on LinkedIn. The Vere Institute’s legacy lives on through our Vere Library, a republishing of many of their written works.