Dan's Thoughts

Pastor Hardwick #2 - July 19th, 2005

This morning I was reading Donald Miller's book, Searching For God Knows What, a slightly irreverent, Gen X take on faith. (Michael Sykes recommended it; so if the book offends you, please blame him!)

Anyway, in one place Miller writes about the "lifeboat game." That's where you pretend (usually in a sociology class) that you are on a lifeboat with eight other people. Unfortunately, there are only enough provisions on the boat for seven people. So, you have to decide who gets thrown overboard and why. Miller claims that we all play that game everyday - that we are constantly "throwing people overboard," by making cruel comments, by ignoring some individuals as though they don't exist and so forth. He goes on to say that the Bible makes a big deal about Jesus not being handsome and about him hanging out with people whom had been "tossed overboard" by the cool people. He said that Jesus had a way of looking into a person's eyes and really seeing that they were there. By seeing them and honoring them, Jesus refused to empower the social pecking order that leaves a lot of people out of the boat.

It made me think about something people have asked me through the years.

For over twenty years now, church leaders have asked me, "How does Hardwick do it? What's his method of leadership? "How does he operate?"

Most of the time I just say, "Well, I don't know; he's a really good person ..."

It has always been obvious to me that our pastor mystifies church leaders. He doesn't stride into a room like he owns it. He doesn't demand first class. He doesn't manipulate things to get top billing. He laughs when someone tries to make him out to be some deep, holy person. He doesn't come into the offices barking out orders to all his subordinates. (I'm not even sure he knows he has subordinates.) He just doesn't come across the way so many of us were taught a great leader should act. So how does he do it? I mean, this is a pretty impressive church. It sure looks successful to most church leaders. How did he get here with the leadership style he has?

Maybe this is it -- Pastor Hardwick sees people. He appreciates people. And people appreciate him.

I mean, this is a guy with a political stance just slightly less conservative than Attila the Hun. Nonetheless, he is genuinely delighted to spend an hour or so conversing with someone who has a completely opposite viewpoint. Put him on the plane next to Bill Clinton and the two of them would have a blast. (Catfish would be involved!) Furthermore, he listens. If an adversary makes a good point, he will say, "Well, that's a good point. I will have to think about it." If a person uses a word he hasn't heard before, he will stop and say, "Now, I'm just a country boy from Finley, I need you to tell me what that word means." Then, the next time he sees that person, even if it's years later, he'll say, "thank you for teaching me that word. I have been thinking about it and here's what I have decided ..."

Some years ago, he and I were at a meeting for evangelical leaders. Suddenly, the coffee and water got to us and we had to go search for the men's room. We looked for a few minutes and finally found one down some obscure hall. When we went in, to our surprise, there was Edwin Meece, the Attorney General of the United States!

"Goodness, gracious, aren't you the Attorney General" our pastor asked?

Mr. Meece, looking kind of grumpy (probably wondering how we had got past the security guards) said, "Yeah. We use the toilet too!"

"Ha," the pastor replied, "I guess we are all created equal!

Just the other day, before he left town, he told me to be sure to visit a lady was really sick. He called her name and said he was worried about her. He hated to go on vacation without seeing her, would I make sure not to forget? "Sure," I said. A few days later, when he called to check up on things, it was the first question he asked, "Did you see about Mrs. Davenport?" Fortunately, I had.

That is the quality that built this church. Through the years, various experts on church management have told him to quit doing so much of the hospital calls and the home visits. He always promises them that he will. That yes, he realizes that this is a big church and that he has much more important things to do. He is an old dog that needs to learn new tricks; they are absolutely right. But they are no sooner gone than he is off to see about someone no one else remembers. When he gets there, he calls their name and tells them some old story.

He realizes the most powerful leaders of the world go to the bathroom like everyone else. If they need him, he is glad to talk to them. But on the way, he will run by the hospital to check on someone.

Our pastor is not perfect. He will be the first to tell you that. But there is one attribute he has which pleases God and which endears him to Democrats, Republicans, White, Black, and Latino, Catholic, Protestant and Jew -- he won't throw anyone overboard. "We'll make it somehow, " he says.

And we always have.
Dan