Weekly Word for September 16th

1 Peter 5:1-6
5Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you 2to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it—not for sordid gain but eagerly. 3Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. 4And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. 5In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for‘ God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time.
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
Leadership has been in the spotlight in recent weeks. Whether it is the Presidential campaigns which are heating up or the leadership seen in light of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, we have seen leaders in a variety of areas of life. Our own denominational publications are not different. This month Presbyterians Today and The Presbyterian Outlook have both published journals whose lead stories are about leaders in the church.

Hundreds of books have been written on leadership with titles such as Who Moved My Cheese?, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader , and Leadership Without Easy Answers, written by the likes of Spencer Johnson, John Maxwell, and Ronald Heifetz. The articles printed in Presbyterians Today and The Presbyterian Outlook speaks to the need for leaders to improvise like jazz musicians and for “Dangerous elders to be alive in their faith and fully empowered to be spiritual leaders in their church.”

Regardless of the leaders we see on television, I am drawn back to an assignment from the leadership class I took while in seminary. We were given a list of biblical figures that were seen as leaders, Moses, Joseph, Deborah, David, Esther, and my personal favorite Peter.

They all had gifts that were needed and they were all called by God, but Peter is my favorite as we can see a change in him as we move through the New Testament. In the gospels we see a younger, brasher Peter. The one who in one breath says “You are the Christ,” and in the next is rebuking Jesus only to hear “Get behind me Satan!” Peter with faith to get out of the boat, but not enough to stay dry. Peter who denies Christ three times, but is asked three times to feed Christ’s sheep. This is the man who is one of the great leaders of the early church.

Peter is one of my favorites because he is so very human. Faithful and loyal but full of fear. Peter needed to be reassured and needed help as he learned from his mistakes. As his ministry draws to a close we find the text quoted above. We are invited to lead willingly as God would have us do, to humble ourselves before God.

I invite you to read the articles “Like Jazz Musicians Effective Church Leaders have the ability to Improvise,” and “Dangerous Elders, Dynamic Deacons.” I also invite you to spend time getting to know Simon Peter in the Gospels, Acts and the Epistles of Peter. If his leadership style doesn’t match yours look at Moses, Deborah, David, Esther, Paul or find another leadership style in the Bible. Then look at where and how you might use your leadership skills. Where is God calling you to step out in faith and lead?

Grace, Mercy, and Peace,
Karen