10 Lessons from "In The Name of Jesus"

I recently had to read In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen in advance of a pastoral identity retreat some of the seminary students are going on. I thought I would share with you some of the key points from that book: 

1. The first temptation that Jesus faced (and those who are in ministry face) is the temptation to be relevant (17). Those in ministry are tempted with the idea of being relevant, in the eyes of the world, as opposed to faithful in the eyes of God. Pastors and church leaders who allow the pursuit of relevance to consume them will be driven from ministry when they begin to feel less relevant.
2. Contemplative prayer is one useful tool to combat the ever present desire to be relevant as the world understands it. That is, a type of prayer that sincerely and often dwells in the presence of God, allowing him to speak to us and replace our questions of, "Am I relevant?" with "Do I love Jesus?" (28-30)
3. We must put off a way of thinking that is overly pragmatic and instead ask the most important question of ministry, "Are you in love with Jesus?... [or, otherwise put] Do you know the incarnate God?" (24)
4. There is first love and second love. First love is love that is rooted in the first love of God, "We love because [God] first loved us" (1 John 4:19). This is the love that saw God send his Son to die the death we should have died. Second love is "the affirmation, affection, sympathy, encouragement, and support that we receive from our parents, teachers, spouses, and friends... Behind the many expressions of this second love there is always the chance of rejection, withdrawal, punishment, blackmail, violence, and even hatred" (25-26). First love is the unchanging love of God; second love, always exists with the possibility that we might be betrayed or hurt as that love changes or is withdrawn. So often, that possibility becomes reality. This is why it is crucial that Christians (and particularly to Nouwen's audience of Christian leaders) it is important to know and experience the first love. 
5. Christian leaders must be more than well-informed, they must be well-connected. A seminary education, a nightstand with theology books piled up high, or extraordinary intellect are secondary to being well-connected to the love of God. When we are operating on an informational basis only, we risk becoming caught up in a particular issue or opinion. Our identity becomes about our position or information. Our identity in Christ is obscured or forgotten (31-32). 
6. The second temptation Jesus faced was the temptation to be spectacular, to be a star (38). The ability to stand out, to be an exceptional individual, continues to threaten us and hinders our ability to do ministry in the name of Jesus. 
7. Confession and forgiveness are disciplines that can be used to combat the temptation to stand out as an individual. Through the acts of confession and forgiveness, we recognize that ministry is mutual. Sinners are ministering to sinners (note: Nouwen recognizes that mutual ministry does not mean that the pastor exchanges confession for confession with those he is leading. This would not be servant-leadership) (44-46). 
8. The third temptation that Jesus faced was the opportunity to be powerful (57). In ministry (and in all of life for that matter), it is easier to exhibit power and control those under our care than to love them. Control is safer than love (59). Pastors and church leaders must not pursue power, but humility. 
9. Theological reflection, "reflecting on the painful and joyful realities of every day with the mind of Jesus and thereby raising human consciousness to the knowledge of God's gentle guidance" (68), serves to combat the quest for power. Theological reflection combats our desire to be powerful by reflecting upon how and where we are being led. In draws attention to the fact that we are never the BIG leader-- Jesus is. 
10. An indicator as to whether growing older is bringing you closer to Jesus is whether you are able to embrace a vision of maturity that lets Jesus dictate the terms of your life. On page 10, Nouwen asks, "Did becoming older bring me closer to Jesus?" Christian maturity, growing closer to Jesus, is "the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go" (62). It is the gradual process whereby your will comes to more closely resemble Jesus' will.

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership by Henri Nouwen

Published: 1989 by Crossroad Publishing Company

Length: 81 pages

Thesis Statement: "[Jesus] asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadership in which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people" (Nouwen 72). 

Difficulty: One (out of five)

Rating: Seven (out of ten)

Recommended For: those interested in Christian leadership

Cheapest Place to Buy: $9.49 at Christianbooks