History shows that culture changing movements are often led by those willing to go first. That, of course, was the foundation of the New Testament Church. It was made up of those who were willing to go first. However, they were simply the first to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself was always ready to go first.  

Jesus goes first. That’s who He is. His was a life and ministry of going first. He went first from eternity in Heaven to time here on earth. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, so He could save us. To rescue sinners, Jesus goes first.

He didn’t wait for the apostles to find Him. Jesus went first and called them to follow Him. Jesus didn’t wait for lepers to heal themselves. He went first and healed them.

Jesus didn’t wait for the outcasts and marginalized to overcome their oppressors. He went first and spoke a word of hope to them. He didn’t wait for the tax collectors and sinners to first straighten out. He went first and loved them. Jesus goes first.

He goes first for you, too. He didn’t wait for you to get your life in order before loving you. He went first to the cross to pay for your sins and to show you the depth of His love.

He didn’t wait for you to get your theology straight before He justified you. Jesus went first to the Heavenly Father to intercede for you with His shed blood.

He didn’t wait for you to comprehend His greatness before extending you His grace. He went first by sending His Holy Spirit to call you by the Gospel, enlighten you with His gifts, sanctify you, and keep you in the true faith.

Jesus didn’t wait for you to plumb the depths of His magnificence before giving you hope. He goes first to the tomb and then destroys death to bring you the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Jesus didn’t wait for you to comprehend the vastness of Heaven before offering it to you. He went first to prepare a place for you so that when He comes again, He will take you to Himself, so that where He is you may be also.  

Jesus goes first! I’d like this to be the foundation for our work together in our district for this coming triennium. I call it the Go First! Initiative. Since our Lord goes first, we can trust Him. And because we trust Him, He inspires us to go first. We go first to Him in prayer. We go first to Him in repentance. We go first to Him because He first loved us.

Then He points us to our neighbor, to our life with one another, to love people, including unbelievers, where we also go first. This is based upon the Christ centered principle of Trust and Inspire, where we trust Jesus to inspire us to action, which in turn allows us to trust others and inspire them to action.

The goal is to unleash the potential of our congregations in the name of Jesus. Going first means we want to bless, not to impress; like Gloria Dei Lutheran of Minneapolis who went first to offer their building as a place to meet for the Royal Family multiethnic church plant.

Going first means we want to grow and not simply show: like Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran of Eagan, who went first to enter into a facility agreement with our Ethiopian immigrant church plant, Penial Evangelical Lutheran Church. Trinity’s leaders and pastors went first by attending, praying for, and blessing this church plant at their initial launch service. 

Going first means to want to complete each other rather than compete against each other: like Emmaus Lutheran Church of St. Paul and Bethel Lutheran of St. Paul, who went first to begin a cooperative and collaborative youth ministry together.

My desire is for us to be a fellowship of Trust and Inspire rather than of Command and Control; to stress the power of the Gospel rather than the compulsion of the Law; to collaborate on how to inspire rather than to require. It goes past the idea of asking each other what I can do for you and what you can do for me. Rather, as a district we ask one another, what can I do with you for the sake of God’s kingdom? And that begins by being willing to GO FIRST.

Like Glory of Christ Lutheran in Plymouth, whose Sr. Pastor and layman (a lawyer) went first to help one of our new immigrant church plants develop their constitution and understand the Lutheran Service Book. Like Cross View, Edina, who went first to create a Community Light School of Discipleship open to all. Like St. John’s Lutheran Church and School of Wycoff, who went first and opened a summer academic and recreational program to their whole community.

Going first helps us unleash the potential of our congregations and schools in the name of Jesus. Yet, each of us can also go first individually.

If you have a disagreement with someone, go first to talk to them and work it out. Trust the Lord and His Word to lead you. If you want a doctrinal practice addressed, go first and model collegiality and inspire fraternal dialogue about why we love our Lutheran theology and practice. Trust the Lord’s Word to lead you. If you have a dream of serving the community in the name of Jesus, go first and set the tone for others to follow. Model in your behavior that which you want to inspire others to do. Go first!

In the months ahead, more will be coming about this initiative and how we in the MN South District can GO FIRST! In the meantime, let’s trust one another and inspire one another by outdoing one another with kindness and going first, all in the name of Jesus! He is our inspiration. Jesus goes first.

Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor Woodford