Leadership Lessons: From Precarious to Courageous, Part 2

© Lifeontheside

In Part 1 of this blog, we discussed how the call to ministry, particularly a call to a new position, can leave us feeling as though we’re in a precarious position. It’s as though we were navigating a tightrope and having to keep everything in balance. But this unhealthy perspective is far from biblical. So what does God ask us to do instead?

‘I Chose You’ 

There is no possible way to carry out true ministry with the kind of joy Christ intends for you unless you know that “You have not chosen me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last” (John 15:16a-b).   

There will be times when you will sing with joy because God is pouring into you all that you need to be able to genuinely make a difference in a time of genuine difficulty. And there are other times when you will be in your car, and if you had the capacity to do so and keep both hands on the wheel, you’d be saying, “God, why did you put me in this mess to begin with? It was your idea; it wasn’t mine.” 

And that’s true. Your ministry was God’s idea. Henri Nouwen, in a phenomenal book that still holds true for me called “In the Name of Jesus,” tells the story of moving from the faculty of Harvard University to live among the mentally challenged people of l’Arche Community in Toronto. He quickly realized that all of his successes were irrelevant to that group of people. 

Nouwen said, “I realized that none of the books I had written impressed anyone because they didn’t know how to read them. I realized that my years at Notre Dame, Harvard, Yale, meant nothing because they’d never been to college, and my ecumenical experience meant nothing. 

“When I was sitting at dinner,” he said, “I offered some meat to one of the assistants at the dinner table. And one of the residents spoke up and said, ‘Oh, don’t give him any meat. He doesn’t eat meat; he’s Presbyterian.’

He said, “This experience was in some ways, and still is the most important experience of my life. Because it forced me to rediscover my true identity.”

‘Do You Love Me?’

And stepping into a new position of ministry should, if it does anything, shake you out of living in your precedents, as helpful as they can be from time to time. And again, to literally stand naked before God and say, “All I’ve got is you.” And to still step forward, and step forward courageously.

Nouwen writes these words: “The only way one can live this life [of Christian leadership] is a life anchored in the knowledge of God’s first love. And to be by his mercy a person whose identity is deeply rooted in this first love. If there is any focus that the Christian leader will need, it is the discipline of dwelling in the presence of the one who continues to ask, ‘Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?’

“It is this that actually fuels the discipline of prayer. It is through prayer we keep ourselves from being pulled from one urgent issue to another, from becoming strangers to our own heart because of the demands that surround us, as well as being strangers to the heart of God. It is prayer that keeps us home, rooted, and safe, even when we are on the road, moving from one place to another.” 

‘Abide in My Love’

Nouwen continues, “It is not enough for priests and ministers to be moral people, well trained, eager to help their fellow humans, able to respond creatively to the burning issues of their time. All of that is valuable and important, but it is not the heart of Christian leadership. The central question of leadership is, are the leaders truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God’s presence, to listen to God’s voice, to look at God’s beauty, to touch God’s incarnate word and to taste fully God’s infinite goodness?” 

The gift of being able to lead well arises from the willingness to be formed from within by the Spirit of Christ.

That, it seems to me, is what it means to live out the second pillar of the Gospel reading, which is “Abide in my love.” You have to know that you’re there by divine appointment. Otherwise, you’ll have no courage whatsoever, and you’ll just try to make the best of a difficult situation. But more importantly, to live in that precarious place where you are called upon to be a leader of courage and humility simultaneously, not one versus the other, can only happen when your heart is rooted in the kind of love that only can come from God. And that no matter what happens, in terms of the consequences of the things that you say and do, you are still secure in a place that God provides for you, because he never promises success. 

He does promise the gift of faithfulness. And it is that that you need to do this above all else. So whether you need to put these on the bathroom mirror or tape them with a sticky note to your dashboard, keep these words close: “You did not choose me. I chose you.” “Abide in my love.”

They will be the ground beneath your feet and provide for you, even in the worst of circumstances, the courage to laugh, sing, speak with compassion and keep being yourself. 

(This post is an adaption of Bishop Brewer’s sermon on October 13, 2019, at the Cathedral of St. Luke, Orlando.) 

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.