"The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."
~James 5:15-16
MESSAGE FROM THE SPIRITUAL & PERSONAL WHOLENESS COMMITTEE
February 16, 2009
Who’s the Expert on You?
Margaret Marcuson
Do you know who you are? This is a question Christian disciples have been pondering from the beginning. The best ideas are not necessarily new. I’ve learned to appreciate the sayings of the Desert Fathers, Christian hermit monks of the fourth century. Some of them are startlingly relevant – even for Baptist preachers! I’ve been reflecting on this one: “A certain brother went to Abbott Moses in Scete, and asked him for a good word. And the elder said to him: Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.” (The Wisdom of the Desert, trans. by Thomas Merton, Shambala, 2004, p. 44)
What relevance does this have for ABC clergy? We don’t live in monk’s cells; we are constantly engaged with people and with the world at large. But in order to function well as leaders, we have to be comfortable with ourselves. Leadership means living in our own skin. No one else can tell us who we are or who we ought to be; that has to come from within—that’s what our “cell” can teach us. Plenty of folks will try to tell us, but becoming ourselves is an internal discernment process. It doesn’t happen overnight: in fact, it may take a lifetime to discover ourselves.
Second and related, we have to learn to trust ourselves and our own understanding. There is a barrage of information out there, some of which is useful and some of which is not. But if we think that the answer is out there somewhere, we are less likely to discover our own inner resources, the strengths and capabilities that are our birthright, unique to us. No one else can offer what we do, but a focus on outside answers can distract us from discovering our unique contribution to our leadership setting and to the world in general.
What might your “cell” be? I myself have found that visiting a monastery for a retreat has been a useful way to get the essential quiet time. One lay leader I knew found flying his plane was the only place he felt removed enough from the stress of his everyday life to reflect quietly on his calling. The answer may be as varied as the individual.
We will still find it useful to listen to outside wisdom. Sometimes we need another perspective, because we are too close to our problems. Often the pastors I coach say, “I never thought about it like that before.” But we cannot slavishly take the advice of others, assuming they know better about our lives than we do. The more we know who we are, the more we can evaluate the outside input. Frederick Buechner uses the phrase “listening to your life.” It is more important to listen to your life than to the advice of others, whether it is the latest guru or your best friend.
How are you taking time to develop yourself as a resource?
Where is your "cell," the quiet place where you can get to know yourself better?
What good ideas have you given yourself lately?
October 26, 2009
Brenda is most appreciative of our continued prayers for herself, her son and her circle of family friends. In the midst of her medical struggles she has felt the outpouring of love and has been spiritually strengthened by the knowledge that God has surrounded her with such a community of caring colleagues and co-workers. She praises God for God's great mercies and thanks God for us and the outpouring of love that is being shown to her and her family.
While Brenda's spirit is grounded in the knowledge that God is with her and is guiding each step, she is also cognizant of the fragile condition of her physical body. Therefore, Brenda is personally requesting that we refrain from visiting her over the next 4-6 weeks as she focuses her energy on her healing process. She has also requested discretion with respect to calls, either at the hospital or at home.
During this time of restricted visitation and calls, Brenda requests that we would continue lifting up prayers for her and her family and sending her cards.
If you have prayer requests you would like to have posted please email to: sue.sechrist@abc-usa.org.
Back to the Well; Refreshment for the Spirit - The Lord's Prayer