Here’s me reading today’s poem (and the picture above, Mark Fletcher created at Greenbelt a couple of years ago, and sent to me knowing my love for all things Keep Calm)
Sally responds most days with abstract artwork that draws me in, and a new poem – I particularly chimed with this:
let me be centered,
mindful,
at peace,
not overwhelmed,
overawed,
overcome,
Inspired by what Natalie has said:
I know this is a luxury. If I had a job, or if the kids weren’t at school, I’d have to carry on, but by resting – if only for an hour or two – I’ll be back to full power by the time I’m actually needed.
Something I’m struggling with a lot. Inspired by this last week (but still v aspirational, rather than reality):
Maggi Dawn
Fascinating insights into the life of Marjoe Gortner, and somewhat of a challenge to the notion of ‘celebrity culture’ I think in Maggi’s thoughts today. Drawing on Matthew 4, and the temptation of Jesus, we are to think about how we facilitate temptation those in positions of leadership, and particularly the need to resist ‘hero worshipping’ those who have become ‘known’ in the ‘Christian circuit’.
On that night, time for bed! My to-do list remains undented tonight, something I want to see happen more!
2 replies on “#BIGRead14: Important Commission”
I wonder if we actually hero worship Christian leaders in the same way as perhaps sports or media stars? Perhaps the likes of Billy Graham, and those pastors of Mega Churches might be hero worshiped, but that actually gets in the way of any ministry that they have to offer.
They and we need to keep central to us that it’s not about them, but about Jesus, and that they hold their leadership position through God’s grace and in most cases by recognition by a quite tiny circle, that they are a suitable candidate to lead a Church, whether at parish or diocese or national level.
Humility means that they are the messenger, given the responsibility of passing it on, and their whole ministry is one of servant hood, not leadership. The temptation for anyone in a position of power or prominence is to take advantage of that position, resisting it is the decision that they’re called to make – self sacrificial service, not self promotion.
Indeed. And I’m watching with half-an-eye Francis Chan, who I understood had given up ‘megachurch leadership’ because he felt that people had taken their eyes off Jesus and were focusing on him … but he still seems to appear as a name on billings for various things. Curious, because ‘known names’ are useful if we understand that it says about the expertise/message/skills, but understand that all of that is ‘in service’ and not about the names themselves…