Tag Archives: Leadership

Ruled by Love

Eastertide

April 25, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Luke 24:13-35

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’ Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. –Luke 24:13-27

Jesus lived in a dangerous world where faith leaders and government rulers were willing to sell their souls to retain their power, prestige, privilege, and wealth. Sound familiar? I thought I was beyond shock from our country’s leadership. This morning while listening to the news, I was shocked beyond words. The President Pro Temp of the US Senate proposed allowing states hardest hit by COVID 19 to file for bankruptcy rather than help them, and the President suggested that we investigate injecting people with a disinfectant that kills the virus on external surfaces. They have crossed over the line of being able to process reality when it thwarts their primary focuses of amassing wealth and power. They do not know how to function when dealing with something they cannot control.

In the above scripture, Jesus explains to his companions God’s plan from Moses through the prophets, including Jesus’s death on the cross. Jesus attempts to help us understand that in God’s world: all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose*.  When we start following God’s plan of interdependence ruled by loving God and loving one another, we will see the path to addressing the challenges we face.

Prayer: Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind,
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise**. Amen.

*Romans 8:28
**First verse of Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by John Greenleaf Whittier. See at https://hymnary.org/text/dear_lord_and_father_of_mankind

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Servant-Leaders

Living in the Spirit
October 21, 2018

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:35-45

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’—Mark 10:41-45

Servanthood is a role of leadership. A leader’s task is to maximize the talents and skills of the people with whom the leader works whether it be in a business, a church, or the government. Jesus modeled the role of servant-leader well. I fear we have lost that role among leaders who are more concerned about their own aggrandizement or selfish gain. I fear the model of the self-serving leader is gaining ground.

When I was a child, granted I was a child a long time ago, we played a game called King off the Mountain. The goal of the game was for someone to climb onto some sort of risen area and have someone else try to push them off. If that person succeeded, he or she became King on the Mountain and the next persons attempted to push them off. The goal, of course, was to see how long one person could stay at the top. It is a game that can get violent and I hope it is no longer played. What it illustrates is important. People who invest most of their time in trying to be on the top of the Mountain rarely get anything of worth done and they may hurt a lot of other people in the process.

I do see the servant-leader in our world today sometimes in unusual places. People who play on sports teams to succeed must recognize the skills and help to grow everyone’s abilities if they wish to win games. Recently, we observed rescues from hurricane damage and floods that were totally dependent on highly skilled servant-leaders. Soldiers recognize the need for servant-leadership.

Most of us find ourselves in the role of leader at some point in life. Are we modeling the servant-leadership Jesus practiced? Do we support leaders who follow Jesus’ example or are we caught in the trap of seeking only what seems best for ourselves?

Prayer: Lord, help me be a servant-leader following in your footsteps. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Picking Leaders

Living in the Spirit
October 18, 2018

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
‘You are my Son,
   today I have begotten you’;
as he says also in another place,
‘You are a priest forever,
   according to the order of Melchizedek.’ –Hebrews 5:1-6

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.“*

Referring to the scripture above we might ask what is in a title? Christ as High Priest is an example to emulate as is Melchizedek. Other High Priests are not considered good role models**. The same could be said for the title “politician” in our times. Politician is not a derisive title. Having served many years as a politician does not mean one is corrupt. Listening to the adds on TV during this campaign season we are fed a negative opinion of politicians. Abraham Lincoln was a stealthy politician holding the USA together when it was nearly severed. Franklin Roosevelt too was a seasoned politician guiding our country out of the depression and World War II. They neither were perfect but they both dedicated their lives to the Common Good and moved our country forward despite its dire situations. Both men in very real ways gave their lives for our country. Lincoln was assassinated, and Roosevelt finally wore himself out.

Titles do not define people; people give credence to titles. Christ set a high standard for all who serve in the ministry he began with his life, death, and resurrection. Just as we desire that all who follow Christ add value to the coming of God’s Kingdom, we want all our political leaders to add value to the governance of our cities, counties, states, and nation. Christ is a reflection of God who sent him unto us to be our High Priest. Are our political leaders a reflection of us, since we are the ones who select them?

Prayers: Lord, guide our discernment as we select leaders for our country in our upcoming election?

*From Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) by William Shakespeare
**See Jeremiah 5:31 or Hosea 5:1

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Justice and Mercy

Living in the Spirit
July 3, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, ‘Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel.’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years…. David occupied the stronghold, and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inwards. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

While there are many great leaders in history, and David would rank among them, God is with all who lead righteously with justice and mercy because those characteristics are the very nature of God. We, being made in the image of God, are fully capable of practicing righteousness in all aspects of our lives. The better acquainted we become with doing justice and showing mercy the better we know God.

How do we know what is just and what is merciful? Often ethics classes or seminars require participants to deal with hard questions to strengthen our ability to think about how we react to various situations about which there are no easy answers. One of those questions is: Who should have been saved on the Titanic?

One of the most gut-wrenching scenes in the movie Schindler’s List showed a father holding a tiny baby with several Jews huddled together hiding in an underground sewer to avoid being taken to a concentration camp. The baby started to cry and the father muffling its face with some piece of clothing smothers the baby to save the group.

There are no easy answers to our immigration problem in the world today. Refugees are fleeing certain death and need our help. That help must come in many forms from offering asylum to working to make their homelands livable. Allowing people to work without legal papers is not just. In some instances, they are filling jobs that legal residents could do but would have to be paid appropriate wages and benefits. On the other hand, there is a shortage of people to do work in some areas. Work visas for people seeking employment for these jobs when there are no legal residents available need to be processed efficiently and effectively. Drug and human trafficking need to be ended. Denigrating any of the people involved, treating them less than the children of God that they are, will not make the process easier and will in most instances make it worse.

Prayer: God of Justice and Mercy, open our hearts and minds to find the righteous solutions to the problems in our world today. Strengthen our abilities to practice your justice and mercy. Amen

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

The Wisdom of Experience

Living in the Spirit
July 2, 2018

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, ‘Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel.’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years…. David occupied the stronghold, and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inwards. And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

CBS Morning News has a segment, Notes to Self* where successful adults write a message to their younger selves giving them the advice that experience provides. As I read the story of David’s ascension as King of Israel, I flashed forward to 2 Kings 23 where David’s parting words to Israel are recorded and are like the Notes to Self which in many instances are wise advice for the rest of us. Such as verses 3 and 4:

3 The God of Israel has spoken,
   the Rock of Israel has said to me:
One who rules over people justly,
   ruling in the fear of God,
4 is like the light of morning,
   like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
   gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.

While David did a few knuckleheaded things for which he paid dearly, overall, he cared about being righteous in the sight of God and worked at maintaining the relationship. Justice in politics is born out of righteousness in our personal lives.  I like Amos’ example of righteousness as being like a plumb line used to assure that building bricks are laid straight. Today we might think about righteousness as being in sync with God.

Remaining in sync with God requires an intentionally of effort to build our relationship with God through the practice of spiritual disciplines and being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We must make ourselves vulnerable letting go of preconceived notions and trusting that we will not be led astray. It is hard work that we must accomplish in a chaotic world where we can easily fall into the trap of creating and following a god in an image the world wants rather than the God of love that God is. The test of righteousness and ultimately of justice is: if something is not built on the foundation of love (benevolence, good will, esteem*) it is not of God.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I move away from your ways. Trust is a rare trait in our world today. Undergird us with your love so that our trust relationship with you spreads among all people until love rules the world. Amen.

*Some of the notes have been compiled and published in book form by the same title by Gayle King.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Leadership

Lent
March 21, 2017

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the Lord chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from t1hat day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. –1 Samuel 16:6-13

David was handsome as was Saul, perhaps not as tall. Also, both men’s stories are told with the knowledge of hindsight. David succeeded far beyond expectations so his childhood stories become the source of legend while Saul remains forever on the rubble pile of lost causes. Identifying the right person at the right time matters as does training and experience which David gained as Saul’s general. I learned how to supervise from some very good supervisors and how not to supervise from some poor ones. Although I have a degree in social work administration including classes well taught, I learned the good side of supervision first hand from working for and observing the manager of the restaurant in which I worked in high school and college.

Little is written about Saul’s relationship with God. David’s is well documented and very true to human experience. It runs the gamut from total ecstasy to total shame, turning a blind eye to some behavior, experiencing the freeing nature of forgiveness, and knowing the comfort of resting in the arms of God at life’s transitions.

There is nothing that is more important than our building and growing and nurturing our relationship with God. Nothing. Everything else we touch in the world when we are in sync with God is influenced by the love of God. We may not see these positive outcomes. Keeping account of our successes takes time away from more important duties. Now learning from our mistakes is a different matter altogether.

Prayer: God who is love, abide with us as we worked toward creating a world ruled by your love. Help us learn from both our successes and failures and help us enable one another to be our best. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Houses Divided

Lent
March 20, 2017

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.” Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.’ Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ He said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. –1 Samuel 16:1-5

How does a group recover from leadership mistakes? 1 Samuel 9:1 seems to indicate that Saul’s credentials for being king were that he was tall and handsome. Granted that was written with hindsight, but it speaks to the panic running through the Hebrews regarding all their neighbors having kings when they did not. Find a king, any king, and all will be well. Of course, it was not. The paradigm shift being experienced in the Middle East at that time required far more skills than Saul possessed.

Good leaders rise to the top when people have a common vision worth pursuing. Jesus noted in Mark 3:25, if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. Abraham Lincoln took that scripture to heart when he strived to keep the United States together during the Civil War. Defining commonly held values is important. Turning those values into a vision and goals creates the framework for progress. Working together to make the vision a reality should follow.  Treating all sides with respect matters too.

A lot of innocent people were hurt as Saul blundered through being king. Eventually his own son was killed. A lot more were negatively impacted as David led the way to peace through bloody war.

Many reading this follow a risen Savior, Jesus Christ. His vision of creating a Kingdom of Love stretching to the ends of the earth is still very real. We need to get about the business of identifying the things we can and do agree on, and work with all are hearts to implement them, while letting the things that divide us lie fallow. When we fully love God, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves, we may be surprised by how easily those thorny issues that separate us now, melt away.

Prayer: Lord forgive us for getting so caught up in the world that we forget your purpose for us. Guide us to find the work you have already laid out for us and strengthen us to do it with all our love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Leaning on God

Lent
March 14, 2017

Scripture Reading: Exodus 17:1-7

So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ –Exodus 17:4-7

My child welfare work began in a town of about 25,000 people and thus I knew most of the police force within a few months. Later I became the supervisor and my home telephone number appeared on their contact sheet as the first to call in an emergency. I was sound asleep one night when the phone next to my head jarred me awake about 1:00 am. The police had stopped a woman for a DUI who was going to jail and she had her four very young children with her. The caller said, “We have a serious situation here.” The first thing I said in my drowsy half-awake state was my hair looks awful. To this day, I have no idea why I said that. (I never lived it down) While I hope, I am presentable most of the time my looks have never been a primary concern ever and particularly not in an emergency. With a few choice words edited out, the police officer, with whom I had worked many times, said, “I do not care what your hair looks like you get yourself out of that bed and get down here.” I did.

In my experience, the police are amazing with little kids. Children pick up their calm reassuring manner. They sense the safety in their presence.   A few minutes later when I arrived, I found four little cuties all dirty and inappropriately dressed, playing on the floor with some makeshift toys snacking on treats from a vending machine. I arranged for emergency foster care and enlisted the aid of another social worker as we took the children to their temporary home.

I like the phrase cooler heads will prevail. Moses had to fall back on his gift of patience dealing with the fear and panic the Israelites were experiencing. Walking into unknown territory even out of slavery is daunting. It takes great courage to lead in times like these. Moses succeeded by leaning on the everlasting arms of God*. As we face the challenges of our world we can take comfort from those same everlasting arms.

Prayer: God we long for the shelter of your wings as we deal with life situations that seem beyond our abilities to address. Give us the courage to face whatever confronts us with the support of your loving grace and power. Amen.

*From the hymn, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms by Elisha A. Hoffman.  See at http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Leaning_on_the_Everlasting_Arms/

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Who Do We Trust?

Epiphany
February 17, 2017

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

 Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,
‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’,
and again,
‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
   that they are futile.’
So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. –1 Corinthians 3:18-23

Who do we trust? Several years ago, when I was obese, I participated in a mandatory ropes course with my fellow executives to develop our teamwork skills. One of the tasks was to pick up and pass each participant through a steel web of randomly sized holes each of which could only be used once. It also had to be accomplished without the person being transferred touching the ground until they were completely on the other side. I was not sure I could fit through any of the holes and I was not too thrilled with being picked up by several people and handed over to the receivers. My transfer occurred in the middle of the process along with those who would require more than one person on each side to complete the hand off. While I hated the process, and would never choose to do it again, it did teach a vital lesson. We live in a diverse world including people with varying needs. We live in a diverse world with people of varying skills and talents. Our task is to find wholeness for all by meshing needs with appropriate skills and talents. Every human has needs as well as the ability to help others.

To be a part of God’s team working to bring about God’s Kingdom, we the people must thoughtfully consider the best and most productive ways to meet the Common Good and find or become the leadership that can and will implement them. Such actions require us to work with peoples of other faiths and people of no faith at all. It may require us to identify the practical and pragmatic sense of what it means to love our neighbors as we love ourselves so that the people with whom we are building this nation can feel comfortable working with us without concern that we are forcing our faith on them. God, it seems, is pragmatic so are God’s ways. In searching for openings too explain our values we may find that some of them are not of God at all. Likewise, if we can explain our vision in God’s universal terms, we may help others see the virtue of God who we love.

Prayer: God help us put our trust in you to guide our actions. Enable us to grow closer to you so that we readily recognize you in everything we do. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Productive Participation

Samuel anointing David King of IsraelLiving in the Spirit
June 29, 2015

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, ‘Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The Lord said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel.’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel.
–2 Samuel 5:1-3

Laurence J. Peter author of the book, The Peter Principle, is also the source of the quote, lead, follow, or get out of the way. I have found that to be good advice over the years, although I have sometimes found it hard to practice. In its purest form, it probably does go too far for often quality change comes at the edges or fringes of practice. I have always, however, believed there are as many ways to do something as there are people doing it and, therefore, if the only issue at hand is the practical stages of implementation then the advice has relevance. We all need to be mindful of this as leadership changes occur in our lives.

Our scripture today is remarkably free of the chirping of “we have never done it this way before” or the other side, everything Saul ever did was bad. Saul is given credit for what he did do and David is recognized as the leader for what will be done. Leadership changes are rarely that clean. My guess is that David set the tone for this description.

I have found it meaningful to listen to what I just called chirping because while it might not be pertinent to progress, it most likely is a measure of the feelings, fears, and dreams of the group’s membership. Those feelings, fears, and dreams are the stuff of positive or negative participation.

Change in leadership is a routine part of life in the Body of Christ. We as members of the Body need to take stock of our own feelings, fears, and dreams at such times and with God’s help turn them into productive participation.

Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. –St. Francis of Assisi.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.