Team Mission

I had decided to quit golfing. That was it. I do enough stupid things that I don't need others to know about without actually going out with three other people to demonstrate yet another area of inadequacy. "It's about the fellowship," say some. I say no. It's about competing and winning. The last time I won at golf, well I haven't.

So one day, as I was driving home, I decided to quit golfing. I called my wife to give her the news, but before I could say anything she said, "Steve, we need to buy the boys golf clubs." I almost said, "Well, they can have mine now, before I die" but I didn't. I said, "Well, okay." Maybe I shouldn't give up yet.

The boys can hit the ball about like I hit the ball. If I were a baseball player I would be hitting about .300. That would put me in All-Star territory. We all would be in All-Star territory. But in golf hitting .300 is a bad day. Some days better. Most days worse. In a rare moment, the last for many years I'm sure, my two sons and I were together in Borger. So we went golfing. (Go figure.)

I suggested that instead of playing against each other, we play against the course. We played best ball. So here you have three players, all able to hit about .300 (.300 translates into a score of 110 or so) competing not against each other but against that nasty golf course. Game on. At the end of it our score was 78! I couldn't believe it. And everyone contributed.

To start out there was some competition within the team with everyone trying to keep track of whose ball was "best" most of the time. That element of competition evaporated completely within about six holes. We can all mess up pretty well on our own. As a team we could do great things that as individuals would be impossible.

Translating this into other areas of life is not difficult. Where we try to go through difficulties alone, we find ourselves inadequate and unfulfilled. But linking to a team and relying on the gifts and abilities of others actually develops three critical areas:

1) humble fellowship;
2) recognition of others;
3) fulfillment of mission.

Humble Fellowship is something you learn when a team is working well together. Arrogance does not advance the mission. Paul says this in Philippians 2 when he exhorts the congregation not to consider themselves better than the other person. Instead, humble yourself as Christ humbled Himself.

There is also a necessary Recognition of Others on the team. One of the lessons that I have learned as a leader is to make room for personalities that I don't prefer. My role is not one of exclusion but rather of discovery and facilitation for contribution. A person may not think the way that I do, but that does not allow me to preclude their contribution in the pursuit of the mission. God has gifted them as He has gifted you.

Fulfillment of the Mission is the goal, but such is not done in isolation. Even Paul, who seemed to be the individual who just moved ahead, needed support and companionship to the end of his involvement in the Great Commission. I would remind you also that Great Golfers, even though they golf alone, have great caddies who encourage, coach, and rejoice with the one they serve.

I enjoyed golfing with my boys that day. Truth be known, we were disappointed that we shot a 78. We wanted it to be lower, but that is a man thing. Still, given there are not many super-heros in the church, it was a great lesson to learn again; we need each other as we move out with the Gospel to a world that is lost. And as we move together, the task is not as much labor as it is delight.

Maybe I'll continue golfing. Only God knows what else I can learn.