Reflection from Seasons of the Spirit Weekly Tips
Being called to leadership: leadership is a concept we often resist. It seems immodest, even self-aggrandizing, to think of ourselves as leaders. But if it is true that we are made for community, then leadership is everyone’s vocation, and it can be an evasion to insist that it is not. When we live in the close-knit ecosystem called community, everyone follows and everyone leads. From Go Deep: Spiritual Practices for Youth Ministry by Doris e. Kizinna.
In this week’s Old Testament passage we read of a time when the leader, Moses, reaches the point of declaring, “This matters to me!” and speaks out to God on behalf of the people. Moses’ courageous and forthright speech, grounded in his relationship with God, changed both his community and Moses himself.
When Derek Evans became the Deputy Secretary of Amnesty International, he identified ten practices that he would follow as he gave leadership in the tense and sometimes global organization. These ten “Operational Guidelines” still set a standard for him as he gives executive leadership at an organization that places volunteers overseas:
- stay present
- speak the truth
- ask for what you want
- be accountable
- keep your agreements
- speak ill on no one
- seek the positive potential in all situations
- celebrate what you have
- maintain the will to live
- pray and exercise everyday
This week, as we read the story of Moses and the golden calf, we explore and question it through the lens of leadership, peer pressure, and the reciprocal relationship that God and we desire. When we do so, we assert that our actions matter to God and that our being matters to God. How might the story of Moses, one of God’s great chosen leaders, give you the courage to approach God forthrightly and give voice to what really matters? (from Seasons of the Spirit – [email protected])
Blessings
Rev Shan