Gifted for Leadership: The Trouble with Excellence

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June 16, 2010

The Trouble with Excellence

by by Caryn Rivadeneira

In an ever-growing list of words that annoy the living daylights out of me, excellence has clawed its way to the top. It’s everywhere, and I’m sick of it.

Funny, because I used to love this word—when written in perfect grade-school-teacher cursive atop a worksheet or when my piano teacher (rarely) scrawled it on top of a page of a songbook. It meant something then because it didn’t always happen—because it recognized something rare and wonderful: achieving excellence.

And yet now in leadership circles this word has become synonymous with how we are to always be, how everything should look or feel or be perceived. While I’m sick of hearing about it in secular leadership circles, I’m actually troubled by how often I’m seeing it pop up among church-folk.

More and more I hear how churches strive to do everything with excellence or how Christian organizations seek excellence in all their products or services. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I think we should go out of our way to offer shoddy products or services or that churches should always eek out the bare minimum.

And I am familiar with the verses like Colossians 3:23 that say, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” I get why people use this to justify excellence. But I think we’ve got it backward. Because our view of excellence is different from God’s—many times, at least.

I’m troubled by excellence in churches because—at least in my middle-America leafy suburb—excellence tends to mean we spend a lot of money on it. That we get only the best and the brightest to work on something. Or that we don’t do something until it can be done excellently.

And that’s the biggest problem. We live in a world—even in smack dab in leafy suburbs—of need. Of people who need help. Now. Who can’t wait for things to be done excellently; they just need things done.

Take my friend: She founded a huge social service agency in Chicago, and she started the whole thing by serving spaghetti out of a big pot from the side door of her church. I’ve never had her spaghetti. It might not even be good. The big pot was probably pretty plain. That side door entrance nothing special, I bet.

But my friend saw a need in her community—hungry people!—and she met it. She fed them. Not with excellence, as we understand it. But she certainly did it as if she was working for the Lord, rather than people.

I think, in fact, that this is how Jesus operated. I don’t picture him sitting around with his disciples talking about how they had to do everything excellently (and they didn’t tell us he did). It seems to me, he just wanted them to do something. While of course he was perfect so therefore did do everything “excellently,” I suppose, his contemporaries mostly found him shocking. His sort of excellence wouldn’t have been appreciated.

Jesus’ allowing Mary to sit and listen instead of rush and cook? Not excellence in rabbi-ness. Jesus’ allowing a woman of ill-repute to wash his feet with perfume at a dinner party? Not excellence in etiquette. Jesus’ stopping for a chat and a drink with the Samaritan woman at the well? Not excellence in just about every possible way for a good Jewish boy.

And yet, in each of these things, lives were changed and God was glorified.

It’s the same thing we as church leaders should be after: changed lives and a glorified God.

I’m not meaning to say that we shouldn’t give things our all, that we shouldn’t seek out the right people with the right gifts for projects or programs, or that we shouldn’t make quality a prerogative.

But I worry about where a constant quest for excellence takes us. It seems we become more driven to work as though we were working for people, than working for God. Especially when work stalls or fails to happen because we can’t do something excellently.

Am I wrong? What do you think?

Comments

It's an interesting thought you bring up...kind of like: action is better than perfection. Better to meet a need right now, to do something right now, instead of waiting until you can execute it perfectly. I like the quote, "One today is worth two tomorrows."

While glitzy marketing goes too far, I don't think the pursuit of excellence in itself is a bad thing, however well-used. In the OT, God was worshipped in the precision: exact numbers of loaves on the showbread table. Exact procedures for the Day of Atonement. Precision. When the Temple was built, the blocks fit without chiseling. When Jesus rose from the dead, he took time to fold the bedding (...a Biblical case for making your bed!) I think this concept of excellence--"not sloppy, but precisely coordinated"-- is very good, and is indeed a manner of worship.

But professional church excellence? Like all of this cerebral stuff about "the best worship experiences take place in a rectangular and not fan-shaped room." I don't think this was the focus Christ intended us to have. Obedient action is better than good intentions that never quite happen.

That is a very good article.The scripture is wrong. I suggest that you use Colosssians 3:23 istead of Colossians 3:32 because that chapter doesn't have to 32 verses. Thanks

Indeed! It's the 23rd, not the 32 verse. I'll change that. Here's an example of the need for a little more editorial excellence.

And great points about areas where Christians NEED to be more excellent, as well as the precision with which God was worshipped in the OT.

There's all sorts of room for debate here. For sure.

Here are a few insights I have had about this issue. In my workplace, I have attended many many seminars over the past 2 decades about "excellence". Many of them have been extremely valuable for my career. However, the church is not a Fortune 20 company and its purpose for existing is completely different. Too often I have seen in the church excellence used for somone to drive a project, a hiring, a change to the service-etc all under the heading of moving to excellence. I fear we value excellence over loving each other. The songs and books Christian write/sing may NOT be as good as our secular counterparts and that is actually okay. The purpose for singing or writing is to glorify God-and I would go so far to say that God is greatly glorifed by a less than perfect song but a tendar worshipful heart. People are not producing sloppy work-many of them are producing only what they know how to create-and that is good enough. They do it because they love the Lord. I fear our worship services are all about appearence, our meals are all catered, the sermons must be perfect etc. My parents held very high standards-we were held accountable for doing the best they knew we could-but no more. And those things we were not good at-our effort is what brought them joy.

When I hear the word "excellence," I just want to go back to bed;it is the acceptable word for "perfection." Striving for perfection is bad; striving for excellence is good; I just want to be good enough. I strive for God's approval..not man's/woman's.

I agree. Obedience to the Holy Spirit is what we should strive for. If we put excellence first instead, the focus is on ourselves, not on Him.

A healthy pride in the quality of our work is important, but not if it locks us in a cycle of perfection and keeps us from reaching out to help those in need with any tool at hand. For example, I will try to make sure my spelling is correct and my sentences grammatical in this blog. But if doing that keeps me from getting the blog sent out, or it means that I spend too much time on it at the expense of other commitments in my life, it is wrong.

Likewise, it’s not wrong to strive for excellence in church “worship” but true worship has little to do with singing praise songs and we should be far more concerned about whether we are bearing excellent fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control).

Our priorities are backwards. When is the last time someone praised someone for showing excellence in patience, or recommended that we strive for excellence in joy?

I agree with the author. Pursuing excellence is to pursue an unobtainable state of being. We're fundamentally flawed as humans. We should be running the race laid out before us by Christ, bringing souls to him. I think what matters more to Him is endurance and faithfulness rather than superlatives. Thanks for making us all think about what our goal should be and our heart attitude.

I love what Betty Jean said! I want to praise someone for "excellent" character virtues this week, rather than noticing the big things they can "do" or achieve.

Ah, Caryn! I love your iconoclasm. And I am sure you do your work with more excellence than not.

For too long Christian churches have used this excuse about excellence for laziness. Look, is reaching people with the message of Christ the most important thing in the world or not? If it is, then excellence means thinking creatively and critically about how to do that better! Take your friend with the spaghetti pot. What a great idea! I'm sure that she reached a lot of people. But excellence would say then, "How can we make this happen on a larger scale and reach more people? How can we get those that come connected with a church body of some sort? What do we need to do to get them the Gospel while they are there?" We serve an excellent God who deserves our very best efforts. I believe the argument of excellence is actually an argument over truthful actualization of a stated belief.

Seth, You're right; no one is edified or drawn closer to the Lord by mediocre, unprepared music, teaching, etc.; sometimes it's downright embarrassing. However, when someone is making a sincere effort and is doing a good job, it is frustrating and spirit-crushing to say, "OK that's really good but you need to do more." Respectfully, it needs to be put in perspective. A steady message that I must do more and more and what I do must be good, better, best, excellent becomes like a battering ram. Sometimes small it OK.

Perfection is the goal, excellence will be tolerated!

I am totally over "excellence" as well! Even if you change the definition of excellence from perfection to "continuous improvement" I still find that it can bring condemnation and burdens on people rather than inspiring them to do well, particularly if they are already giving their best. It assumes people aren't good enough already and are choosing to not give their best and that your version of best is better.

I agree that excellence is a man made concept that is used by man to push others into doing what you want.

Jesus mostly told His disciples off for their lack of faith, not for what they did or didn't do or the quality of it.

Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God and love each other. In the end God will be asking us about the quality and "excellence" in our relationships with Him and with people, not in the quality of the work and things we do. And the key to quality relationships is accepting people as and where they are at, not in pressuring them to deliver perfection at the cost of family, peace and joy.

Let us stop crying about being able to use the gifts which Our Heavenly God and Father has given us. The pastgoa food was excellent to those who were hungry. Take it from one who knows.
Much chatter about the pride of the United States Marines. This pride is extremely good for those who benefit from that Pride: you and me.
Please study St. Paul, he did not apologize for being excellent above all others. He knew sorrow and he knew happiness and was able to work with both.
In combat, with word or sword, you have to believe in your excellent or you die without fulfilling your mission.

I was really blessed by your article and even more so by the reponses.Here is my contribution,excellence is a great word but love is greater than all. Remember what st Paul said in 1 Cor.13. If we strive for excellence it should be borne out our love for God and His people. There is a saying that goes thus:what is worth doing,is worth doing well but I would say,what is worth doing is worth starting some where until its done well.Excellence is not a destination but rather a journey.God bless you.

I agree with the feedback posted by RB on June 16, 2010. Well said!

I get what you are saying. At my Church "excellence" is everywhere. Perfection is always the goal. What makes me nervous about it is: Everyone is trying to look perfect instead of looking like they need Jesus. Excellence it seems, becomes a thing that we hide behind. When we excel our pride swells. We forget our need for humility. I'd rather we strive for our best....

I remember one story about a pastor in his study room one Saturday afternoon. He was so focused and committed to deliver an excellent sermon by tomorrow that when one elderly person (not necessarily a beggar) came to his office for help, the pastor was not willing to move out of his study room to meet the most demanding need of the hour. People are more precious than any measure of excellence we can ever dream of. JESUS CAME TO SAVE SOULS NOT TO RESTORE EXCELLENCE ON THE EARTH. Luke 19:10

Excellence like knowledge has the power to corrupt. 1 Cor 8:1; James 3:13

when I was a young Christian, we looked for annointing, to be evident in all we attempted to do...we sought Gods' Grace to enable us to do what we were called to do.
I always told my children "you do your best and God will do the rest" and the gifts and callings of God becoming evedent in everyones' life would guide them in the direction where they would be the best at what they did because God put them there.

Great points! Recently it has dawned on me that the Church has been organized as an "event" instead of an "encounter". Events need to be excelent as those that attend are "consuming spectators" but "enounters" with the Living God tend to have those that are "contributing partisipants"! In my opinion those that met Jesus were having "encounters" not just attending events. Blessings!

Excellence is still a good word. The NASU Bible sometimes uses it to translate the Greek word areteen, which the KJV usually translates virtue. The problem you are having is not just with this one word, but the constant abuse of superlatives in our society. This is especially true in radio and television ads. What has happened in society has spilled into religion. Pity. By the way, your article was very well done.

If excellence from the Christian perspective means non-comformity to the standards of the world, then I believe that should be the pursuit of every believer. However, if excellence is used as a basis for action in terms of what God calls us to do, I would argue that the level of "excellence " varies because our capabilities are very different. My excellence may be very different from others' excellence in spite of the fact that I am doing the very best with what God had endowed me with. I am, therefore, of the opinion that others' level of performance should not be the standard of excellence.

Here's a thought? If Jesus had our perception of "excellence" would He have chosen ANY of those guys to be His disciples and later apostles? Would He have thought they were "good enough" "talented enough" to be able to "handle" the work that was ahead? (Including Judas: He KNEW about Judas from He chose him.) How many times have we missed the mark of what God intended and what would have truly glorified Him in our individual lives and in our church communities because we have embraced, wholesale, the world's view of excellence?

Old Saying: If only the birds with the sweetest voices sang, the forest would be quiet indeed.

An old sem prof taught "Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly." i.e. how do you ever get good unless you do it poorly at first? Perfection or excellence can drive a person crazy quick. That doesn't exalt anyone, esp God. \
Who said: "It is better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all."
I totally agree that much of our pursuit of excellence really is about pride, caring more what people think than the Lord, and spending lots of money. I wonder what the persecuted and poor church (2/3 world) says about our western definition and demand for excellence.

I totally agree. I am sick of excellence as a core value. For that matter, I am sick of the whole concept as it applies to most evangelical churches. I was at a conference a few years ago and talked with Frank Tilapaugh. I can't remember what book he had written in which he warned us about excellence as a core value. He said we should take the word "excellence" out of all our church values. He said it disconnects people from becoming engaged.

Normal everyday people don't really feel like they do anything with excellence. Just ask them. When your church values say "we do everything with excellence, or we don't do them at all" then people just don't engage.

In my experience, the attractional/relevant model that values excellence and professionalism doesn't create disciples, it creates spectators and consumers. People come to be entertained for an hour each week and get their shot of religion to get them through the week.

Thanks for the article. It is very needed today.

Currently, I live in Charlotte, NC. There is a church building in SE Charlotte, a more upscale area, that glorifies itself so loudly through its appearance. The front side, which faces the corners at a busy intersection, stands tall and glamerous with an all glass exterior. It's as if they planned the construction of this church to exemplify "perfection"; "the perfect church".
From the moment I first saw this church, I have wanted to turn it into a homeless shelter. It would almost be as suitingly ironic for homeless men, women, and children to live in such a glorious estate. I am curious how many dollars they could have saved by erecting a more humble construction? I wonder how many homeless U.S. citicens we could have fed for a year with those savings? I wonder how many low-income individuals have mustered up the courage to go inside and try to experience worship? I wonder how many people have turned away from that church because it is intimidating exterior? I wonder if the core of the church glorifies the same?
I think these christians got it wrong, and I think it has to do somewhat with the "perfection" mentioned in the above article. My theory isn't perfect, but I sure wish I could turn that church into a homeless shelter. Because, to me, that would be the perfect plan.

Strangely it seems that Paul celebrated not being excellent in his speech/sermonizing, so that people knew what they were experiencing & embracing was the result of God's power and NOT excellence of man. I have seen many giving hearts in the church, hurt, demeaned and even ruined in the name of "ministry excellence". How sick must that make our Lord who died for spiritually excellent relationships - NOT ministry skill. A humbled heart will always produce the right result – godly excellence. I think we all need to know if it's God's Spirit who is drawing and keeping people connected to any ministry, or if it’s us. Maybe like Elijah we should pour water on all our Sunday morning efforts and see if God actually is showing up. Further, our gatherings are vital to being prepared for our mission, but until we understand that our calling & mission is not fulfilled in our gatherings - but in our going into the world - we will continue to be concerned over “excellence” in entirely the wrong arena. Time for a new paradigm?

Dr O.
I know the church you speak of and you ought to go inside sometime and listen to the pastor. He is a humble teacher of God's Word who had nothing to do with the building of that structure 20 years ago. The congregation does reach out to the homeless and supports many outreach projects in the Charlotte area.
As for its size, it is small in comparison to churches such as Saddleback in CA or Fellowship Church in Texas. Each of these spent far more on their facilities than the church you allude to in CLT.
As to the beauty or lack of it depending on one's view, why should our places of worship be used theaters or warehouses? Why can't a church be beautiful or magnificent? (Think of the cathedrals in Europe!) The building is paid for, and if the members desire to use it for God's glory who are you to judge? I think before you judge a church by its cover you ought to check out what is going on inside.

Satan truly is the most excellent deceiver. If he can't succeed in keeping the Church from saving souls one way he'll 'think outside the box' & try something new. Seems he's latched onto what so many Christians hear & relate to in their day-day work... or 'coporate speak'. I've recently retired or should I say had a 'paradigm shift'? In Corporate America we're 'striving for excellence' with such diligence that we forget about people; setting unattainable goals & expecting unrealistic results or 'doing more with less'.
I was happy to leave all that behind but it seems to have infiltrated into our Churches. My prayer is that our 'striving for excellence' in the Church truly means we're 'striving to be more like Christ'. Gail's (Jun 22)comments are bang-on. thx.

I was glad to read this article, as the "excellence" bit has been annoying me for a long time as well. I took part for a time in reworking the mission statement for our church's school, which claims to "develop excellent Christian leaders." I continue to insist that our focus is all wrong. God alone is excellent, while we, on the other hand, are called to be obedient. Big difference.

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