…promises, not concrete successes, are the basis of Christian leadership. Many ministers, priests and Christian laymen have become disillusioned, bitter and even hostile when years of hard work bear no fruit, when little change is accomplished. Building a vocation on the expectations of concrete results, however conceived, is like building a house on sand instead of on solid rock, and even takes away the ability to accept successes as free gifts.Another hard thing for the likes of me, serving in a declining denomination with the annual meeting looming, to embrace.
And along with this today, 1 Corinthians 1.26-31, on not many of us called being wise or powerful but rather foolish and weak by worldly standards. Nouwen makes it sound like concrete results and success are the exception rather than the rule. When they do happen, there is an implicit challenge to discern very carefully whether it is a free gift or something we've wrought by our own strength.
I have just discovered your blog and am enjoying it - as a huge fan of Henri Nouwen - is he still very popular in the States I wonder?
ReplyDeleteBut your comment re decling congregations? Are they?
Our local parish (church of England) of which I am verger has a very healthy and growing congregation - has been growing since last priest came 12 years ago - All Age worship we attract say 175 with lots of young families and all ages! And congregations are pretty good at all times, all spare seats in the place come into use at the main festivals of Church year - standing room only at midnight mass. Our cathedral congregations are also growing - the main websites for the various denominations paint a much rosier picture than the media which loves to talk down the church in very negative fashion.
Eleanor
Thanks, Gene, for this post. It's been many years since I've read Nouwen's The Wounded Healer. I think his point is bang on. We clergy all want some measure of "success" and "results," while Jesus calls us to follow, deny self, and bear our cross, that's our success and results in his eyes--a scandal and stumbling block to most folks, ourselves included!
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