We Are Sheep
For Reflection Roundup each week, we gather news stories, notable pieces, and other important items for Christian leaders today. As always, listening broadly draws together differing perspectives from which we can learn but may not concur. Here are 10 things worth sharing this week.
—
Sheep respond to nurture, and we are sheep according to John’s Gospel. Thus, we know our master’s voice of grace, which causes us to turn our heads and assent to follow.
1. The other night, I was with a group of college students sharing the high points of our snow days last week here in Abilene, Texas. My highlight, a three-hour nap, was quite different from most of what I heard. I’m test-driving Carey Nieuwhof’s suggestion in “Sleep: The Secret Leadership Weapon No One’s Talking About.” Despite our awareness of the research, many of us have trouble shedding the stigma associated with loving ourselves by ensuring we have enough restful sleep. Nieuwhof suggests several ways to observe our own behaviors and patterns; what we see could indicate we need some rest. All of us have likely seen these things at one time or another. Grace for ourselves equals grace for others, which sounds to me like following the gospel.
2. Strangely, I’m already looking forward to Lent this year. Nelson Cowan is leaning in as well, offering “Lent: The Original Quarantine” for Ministry Matters. In his own preparation, he spent some time in a book on historical Lent practices, one being a 40-day “pre-paschal” quarantine! Cowan self-describes his piece as demonstrating the “pluriformity rather than the uniformity” of Lenten observances, as they vary almost as much as individuals do. If the blessed lengthening of the days fills you with anticipation, give Cowan a read. Maybe it seems odd to think of a dark time of reflection as an adventure, but Lent is a time that holds mystery. As we seek intentional practices that differ from the balance of the year, God works in and through what we offer. The mystery of the season connects with the mysteries of our faith in an unknowing way that can thin the space between heaven and earth, comforting the Christian.
3. Ann A. Michel presents “7 Strategies to Engage New Givers” for the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, offering a “judgment-free zone” for those new to giving practices and other levels of involvement that accompany becoming a mature member of a faith community. Michel suggests language and frames of thinking about participation that are fresh and full of truth.
4. In “Re-thinking Success,” Ruth Haley Barton paraphrases Henri Nouwen as she reminds readers of the Transforming Center’s blog that the Christian’s identity remains seated in the identity of the beloved. Barton continues to follow Nouwen’s line of thinking toward a Christian’s actions in the world. Missional success or failure may not be readily apparent, because growing the fruit sown in our lives is God’s work alone.
5. Barna reports that 38% of pastors are ready to walk away from ministry after the increased stressors of the last two years. “All of this has injected a paralyzing degree of complexity and controversy into every single situation I face, every decision I make. And to make things worse, it feels as if everyone is on a hair trigger,” shares Peter Chin in “I’ve reached my breaking point as a pastor,” for Christianity Today. Chin goes on to offer ministers a much-needed reminder of the truth of God’s unfailing love, hesed. Rather than take decisive action, Chin admonishes we stop and reflect on the truth of God’s hesed.
6. Capitalizing on micro-moments is the opposite of having a scarcity mentality, or so suggests Maggie Sass in “Using Emotional Intelligence to Be Intentional” for TalentSmartEQ. During 2020 and 2021, we found ourselves in situations that often left us with very little choice. In 2022, some circumstances are different while some are not, but we’ve been “at this” long enough to know we must learn to be responsive rather than reactive. Sass posits that we can actually bank our resilience, building a little each day by choosing a few moments of indulgence, mental stimulation, or reflection, depending on what we need and enjoy. Banking resilience benefits us as individuals and benefits the communities in which we work and serve.
7. Grit is a muscle that can be exercised and grown, it turns out! TalentSmartEQ presents “9 Ways to Improve Your Grit.” Reading about these traits and tendencies is inspiring, and they align nicely with the topic of resilience. We are not “enough,” and we know this, but somehow God takes our best and makes it enough. God meets us in the stretch and the crunch of continual growth, thanksgiving, and praise!
8. Registration is live for Spring 2022 Summit at Abilene Christian University! Come with a heart for “Seeking Hope, Finding Joy” and stay for the two-day event on March 31 - April 1. While you’re here, meet new Summit director, Jennifer Schroeder, and be a part of her welcome transition to ACU. Remember, those who registered for the Fall 2021 event receive a discounted rate. Summit will return again this coming fall as a part of ACU Homecoming weekend.
9. “Yes in God’s Back Yard wants to build homes for those most in need of them,” writes Kate Morrissey for Duke Divinity’s Faith & Leadership site. In this piece, the senior pastor of a San Diego church speaks out about the gospel conviction people in his area feel about their responsibility for “vulnerable populations,” and what they’ve decided to do about it. Discovering that California churches owned parcels of land equal to the size of the town of Stockton, they’re figuring out how to put it to use for those who need it most. Instead of saying, “Not in my back yard,” they’re saying, “Yes!”
10. Finally, loneliness and solitude. These two words carry different freight, although we could describe any given minute, hour, day, or season as either lonely or solitary, depending on how we personally frame meaning. The Henri Nouwen Society offers a daily meditation worth considering. Their recent post, “From Loneliness to Solitude,” suggests a path we all must take on our common journey to spiritual maturity. We each have the opportunity to travel from restlessness to peace, from resistance to playful courage.
