Leaving a Legacy

Wow, I was just doing some searching on line trying to find the blog of an author that I'm reading right now. Over the last few weeks, I've been digesting [Re]understanding Prayer by Kyle Lake. He was the Pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, TX where David Crowder leads worship. While I was looking I came across a Wikipedia article about Kyle. It seems that in 2005 Kyle died tragically during a baptism at his church. He reached out to adjust the microphone and was electrocuted. I was speechless. I mean, I didn't know the guy or anything, but after spending several days reading someone's words you seem to make some kind of connection with them. I know that sounds kinda corny, but whatever.

Anyway, it got me thinking about what kind of legacy I'm leaving in my wake. You see, Kyle left a legacy at his church. He made a significant mark there even to the point where at the end of every service they repeat the words he used to close every service..."Love God, Embrace Beauty, and Live Life to the Fullest."

So what am I leaving in my wake? My friend, Shawn Wiebers (Lead Pastor at Crosspointe Church in Ada, OK) has often voiced this question in the context of Church involvement in the community; "If our church disappeared today, would our community even know it? Would they realize that we were gone?"

And I want to take that a step further and say: If I died today (or disappeared) would my community, those I influence everyday, even know that I was gone? Have I left enough of an impact so people can say that my everyday world was changed because I was in it?

Jesus said that we Christfollowers are to be light to the world. When light shows up in a dark place, there is a definite change. The atmosphere is no longer the same. And I really have felt challenged today and the question I have to ask myself is...If I'm really a Christ follower am I making the kind of impact that Jesus intended for me or am I just going through the motions from week to week?