"Recalculating" Versus "We Don't Have Time For That"

Do you have one of those GPS systems in your car?  What does it say when you take a wrong turn or try to take a short cut to save five minutes?  It does not scream, "YOU IDIOT, can't you even follow basic directions."  No, it simply says, "recalculating," and patiently gives you new directions toward your destination.  Give it a try next time you are in your car.  In fact try making three or four wrong turns.  Every time it will patiently respond, "recalculating."  

The beautiful part of this is that you can now explore other routes to your destination more freely.  Why?  Because you know the destination is the same, but how you get there is more flexible.  There are now new opportunities for self-discovery.   I have found many locally owned coffee shops, independent bookstores, or even quiet roads to travel on a fall day, just by taking a wrong turn (even by choice) and later recalculating to my destination.  

Imagine if you will, a community-focused GPS box that could assist you in leading your small group to its desired destination.  How nice would that be?  How do you think that GPS assistant would react to the weekly distractions that plague you?  Would it say, "I'm sorry, but we don't have time for that just now” or "thank you for that interesting opinion, but now back to the original question."  Or, would it patiently respond with "recalculating.” 

Sometimes we approach our small groups with the question, "what do they need to learn?"  What we really mean is "what knowledge do I need to impart to them?"  We then build our lesson plan like it was a chapter from Wikipedia, packed full of information:  what does this word mean in Hebrew or Greek, what commentary source do I need to read to really understand the deeper meanings, what was going on culturally during the time of this passage of scripture.  And when someone then asks "a wrong question" that threatens to derail our perfect five-point lesson plan, we grab the steering wheel with both hands like we are trying to navigate a speeding car as it races down a highway plagued with icy patches.  

Try this little experiment:  during your next group session, when someone introduces a question that threatens to be a rabbit trail going far off course, just whisper to yourself, "recalculating - what is my real destination and how does this new information guide me to that point."  Chances are if one person is asking an unexpected question, others may be thinking similar questions.  And remember that learning happens in the moment - not when we are just learning new facts, but when those new facts are introduced in our present day situations.  

So, take that right turn and let the group go down an occasional rabbit trail.  It's not a sign of loosing control or throwing out the directions.  It just means your responsibility as a leader includes "recalculating."

Side note:  why do we call them rabbit trails and not rabbit to-no-where?  The answer:  because they do in fact lead somewhere.  All roads were once trails, and all trails were once unexplored brush that only a rabbit had the sense to explore.  

Follow the rabbit!