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Story
A Leader's Impact
by Brian Cavanaugh, T.O.R., “The Sower's Seeds”
In September of 1862, the civil war tilted decisively in favor of the south. The morale of the northern army dipped to its lowest point of the war. Large numbers of Union troops were in full retreat in Virginia. Northern leaders began to fear the worst. They saw no way to reverse the situation and turn the beaten, exhausted troops into a useful army again.
There was only one general with the ability to work such a miracle. That was General George McClellan. He had trained the men for combat and they admired him. But neither the war department nor the rest of the cabinet members saw this connection. Only president Abraham Lincoln recognized Gen. McClellan’s leadership skills.
Fortunately, Lincoln ignored the protests of his advisors and reinstated McClellan back in command. He told the general to go down to Virginia and give those soldiers something no other man on earth could give them: enthusiasm, strength and hope. McClellan accepted the command. He mounted his great black horse and cantered down the dusty Virginia roads.
What happened next is hard to describe. Northern leaders couldn't explain it. Union soldiers couldn't explain it either. Even McClellan couldn't quite explain what happened. Gen. McClellan met the retreating Union columns, waved his cap in the air and shouted words of encouragement. When the worn out men saw their beloved teacher and leader, they began to take heart once again. They were moved with an unshakeable felling that now things could be different, that finally things could be all right again.
Bruce Catton, the great civil war historian, describes this excitement that grew when word spread that McClellan was back in command. "Down mile after mile of Virginia roads the stumbling column came alive. Men threw their caps and knapsacks into the air, and yelled until they could yell no more... because they saw this dapper little rider outlined against the purple starlight.
"And this, in a way, was the turning point of the war. ... No one could ever quite explain how it happened. But whatever it was, it gave [P]resident Lincoln and the north what was needed. And history was forever changed because of it."
The story of Gen. McClellan illustrates dramatically the impact a leader can have on the human spirit.
Scripture: I Thessalonians 5
12Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. 13Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because of their work. And remember to live peaceably with each other. (NLT)
Comments
A recent denominational leader looked at me, while we were discussing how difficult my present pastoral appointment had been and matters pertaining to a new pastorate I am preparing to enter. He noted, essentially, “Serving as a pastor is the most difficult job you can have.” Such a comment made me wonder, “Wow, is this what I want till retirement?” Maybe some might think I am crazy, but I am delighted to be a pastor. The difficulty and oft resistance does not take away the rightful pride I have in such a noble and godly vocation.
St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), a Spanish Carmelite nun, wrote, “Our prayer for those who give us light should be unceasing. With the storms that rage in the Church today, what would we do without them? If some have gone bad, the good ones shine more brilliantly. May it please the Lord to keep them under his care. God help them that they might help us”
(Bernard Bangley, Ed., Near to the Heart of God: Daily Readings from the Spiritual Classics).
The Contemplative life, rooted in monastic values, honors the authorities placed over us in the Church and churches. A sense of direct contact with the Holy Spirit does not mean that the mediation of leadership through human authorities is annulled; rather, the sense of contact with the Holy Spirit magnifies how the Spirit leads us through human leaders. One cannot rightly follow the Inner Spirit while disrespecting sacral leadership in spiritual communion. The Spirit as leader and human persons as spiritual leaders are not antithetical, they are complementary. Contemplatives need to set an example both as leaders and those under the leadership of leaders.
The opening story illustrates the capacity of leadership to focus and inspire followers. However, persons must be open to the giftedness of the leader and show what St. Paul calls “honor.” St. Paul teaches to give spiritual leadership “wholehearted love” due to their work. St. Paul seems to link such respect for leaders in the faith communion with unity among members, for he advises, immediately upon the previous injunction, “… live peaceably with each other.”
St. Bernard, in his great Rule, advised on the principle of obedience in community. This obedience is a respect that transcends personal preference. He writes, “In the monastery no one is to follow their own heart’s desire, nor shall anyone presume to contend … defiantly” (3:8; Lonni Collins Pratt, Father David Homan, OSB, Benedict’s Way). Likewise, “The first step of humility is unhesitating obedience” (5:1). “This obedience … is free from any grumbling or any reaction of unwillingness” (5:14).
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How foreign such advice sounds to our postmodern ears and, thus, we find a root problem of lack of honoring proper authorities in spiritual community. Indeed, some of us might even question the use of the words authority and authorities in speaking of spiritual community. Again, this would demonstrate how far we are removed from the contemplative values of humility in community and biblical teaching on leadership authority and responsibility in communion.
Being a contemplative means living a life of spiritual discipline within human institutions, including the institutional expression of the Church. This will test the contemplative. She, if a leader, will have to work and pray to be an example of Christ in her leadership. She, if a member of the laity, will have to work and pray to honor her leaders, even though the leaders will prove, unlike the Spirit, to be imperfect and inconsistent human beings.
The leader is called to lead, to be faithful to her task, even though many church members are unappreciative of her sincere and diligent efforts for their good: and it seems more and more persons are highly disrespectful toward pastoral leadership. Thus, the leader sets the example of faithfulness to the work.
St. Teresa said centuries ago, “With the storms that rage in the Church today, what would we do without them?” There are storms raging in the Church today, and in my communion, or denomination, many of those storms pertain to unhealthy and malevolent conflict around leadership in the local church. That has not changed, neither has the need for faithful and diligent leaders. We need leaders who do not place priority on pleasing persons, but priority on truly helping persons to fulfill their potential as persons and congregations to serve Christ and those in need of experiencing the Love in Christ. We need laity who do not place priority on leaders keeping them where they are, but challenging them and leading them to see what they have not seen and go where they have not gone. Leaders cannot do this without a reciprocated commitment of persons to respect them and love them wholeheartedly, as well as pray for them and consistently.
To conclude, affirming the vocation to the pastorate…. A spiritual leader cannot get her sense of dignity of calling from the response of those among the laity. The calling arises from the Spirit; the dignity is in the vocation itself. This commitment to the Spirit, Who calls, and celebration of the dignity of the calling allows a true spiritual leader to rejoice in the vocation in itself, rather than simply treating vocation as a means to a goal. The leader will rejoice in the calling itself, and she might find that God will use her even more outside the institutional communion than in it. If so, that is where Jesus did most of his ministry and persons where most receptive to Him.
Reflections
What encouraged you in the writing today? Explain.
What did you not agree with in the writing today? Explain.
Do you believe we have a crisis of leadership in the churches? Explain your response.
Does the spiritual communion you worship and serve in honor its pastoral leadership? Other staff leaders? Explain.
Does your pastoral leadership set an example of honor by honoring members of the fellowship? Explain.
Do you pray for vocational leaders in the faith community? Do you show love to such leaders? How?
Does the faith communion you are part of live peaceably together? If not, is this linked in any way to unhealthy patterns of pastoral-church relationships over the years? If so, how could that be addressed in a loving way? Explain.
Spiritual Exercise
Write a letter of gratitude to a present or past spiritual leader of your faith community. Note to her or him ways his or her leadership has blessed you.
Commit to pray daily for your pastoral and other staff leadership?
Plan a yearly celebration, on the anniversary of the beginning of the ministry of your pastor at the church, for the entire church to celebrate together the relationship. At this time, gather stories and testimonies to read about how the ministry of the pastor has been a blessing over the last year.
If your congregation has a history of conflictual patterns of relating to the pastor or other staff, discuss this with appropriate lay leadership. Request the matter be addressed in a context and way that will help the congregation move beyond the pattern.
Seek a means for your congregation to write a letter of apology and request for forgiveness to any staff member and his or her family that the church treated disrespectfully in the history of the church.
Make sure you have a sacred space in your home for time alone in prayer and spiritual reading.
Make sure you are in a covenant group. For more information on covenant groups, write me at the address below.
Consider, if you are not already, sponsoring a child through Compassion International. You can find out more about Compassion International by going to www.compassion.net to read about sponsoring, in the name of Jesus, children living in poverty. Thanks! Brian K. Wilcox
Brian’s book An Ache For Union can be purchased at major book dealers.
To contact Brian, write briankwilcox@comcast.net .
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