Forging paths

[Brent Kipfer]

As a child on our family dairy farm, I was sometimes puzzled by the well-worn paths that our cows trod through the pasture. Although they had plenty of space to forge other routes, the cows usually stuck to their habitual paths on their way to and from the barn. Once in the field to graze, they spread out to find tender green grass – returning to the path for the walk back to the yard. Occasionally, however, they would seek adventure far from their tested paths. There was never any danger of falling off a cliff on our southern Ontario farm – but from time to time they would break through the fence and end up on the road as a traffic hazard.

Unlike a shepherd who lives with his flock, leaders in the church need to work within the limited confines of time that we have with our people, teaching, coaching and modelling the wisdom and joy of walking on “righteous ruts." At times, I have walked with some whose wounds are so deep – and whose spiritual and relational orientation was so distorted - that I longed to find some way to incorporate them into a 24/7 Christian community. It can take a lot of energy to lead sheep on the right path when they have not trod that way before – even when there is a desire to follow Jesus.

Within the past few years, our church leadership team has been helping the congregation develop righteous ruts in response to conflict. Biblical teaching (with help from Ken Sande’s material on the Peacemaking Church), coaching, experimenting with “circles of healing,” modeling from leadership (and the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of many!) has been shaping a congregational culture that more naturally follows the way of Jesus when faced with disagreements and decisions.