Listening for the Kingdom
The Sound of Leadership: Kingdom Notes to Fine Tune Your Life and Influence, by Jules Glanzer, presents a pause from the intense readings of the past few weeks. The title of the book grabbed my attention immediately as it hinted at further insights to the importance of listening, a thread I’m following throughout our readings. However, it was the words at the end of the Prelude, “Sound is the interface between heaven and earth”[1] that not only sparked my imagination about the relationship between leadership and the kingdom of God but took me back to a vivid memory of a morning walk with my husband at Lithia Park in Ashland, Oregon, during the summer of 2019.
“…the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Luke 17:21
We attended a production at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival the previous evening. I remember little of the event… a modern twist on a familiar play now forgotten. The next morning my husband and I went for a walk through nearby Lithia park. We enjoyed an especially sweet conversation, the focus of which was listening for and seeing God in all things. I had been sharing insights from my spiritual direction training, enjoying connection with God through nature, and our time together. I was in a rather contemplative mood and had a heightened sense of God’s presence which surprised me as it was so unexpected.
We had just fallen silent as we turned to head back down the hill towards the entrance of the park when we heard the faint strands of delicate, ethereal music echoing through the trees. It felt like a thin place, an “interface between heaven and earth,” as Dr. Glanzer phrased it. The music beckoned us forward as we followed the wooded path and the musical trail until we arrived at the source. There a gentleman sat playing the cello. The lush greenness of God’s creation his backdrop. By this point tears were forming behind my eyes. Something was pulling on my heartstrings, as if the song had a story. We sat on a bench across from the cellist to listen and linger in the moment. When he finished playing, I asked about the song. He told us that he had written it for a woman as a gift for her 75th birthday. He interviewed her and the people who knew her well in preparation for composing the instrumental piece. He listened to her story and created a musical portrait of her life! His gift offered the liminal space in which I sensed heaven and earth met, connecting her story to God’s.
The entire experience left me feeling as though I had been touched by God’s kingdom bursting on the scene. Afterall, God’s kingdom is here! Right now, in our midst. Are we listening for it? I left the park that morning with a deep appreciation for God’s gift within this man and the gift of listening he gave to others. It was also an invitation to consider how God is not only writing a story but a song for each beautiful soul he has created. It moved me to consider God’s attention to the details of my life, the high notes and the low notes, that make up my story. It reminded me of God’s kingdom breaking through in my life.
The Sound of Leadership and God’s Symphony
Dr. Glanzer similarly noted German composer Robert Schumann’s gift for composing music based on real and imagined characters. His question sparked my imagination. What is the sound of leadership within my story?[2] Dr. Will Foster impressed upon me that, “All leadership is autobiographical.”[3] The sound of our leadership and our story merge creatively to bring God’s kingdom to earth. Glanzer writes, “The mission of God in the world is carried out by individuals who allow the Lord to shape their lives, preparing them for meaningful leadership service. Like the sound of a beautiful symphony, their lives inspire those around them bringing hope, peace, and fulfillment.”[4] What a lovely image to hold before us as leaders. Glanzer asserts, “Every direction we set, every strategy we implement, and every decision we make is a stewardship entrusted to us to fulfill God’s purposes on earth.”[5] Is that literally and figuratively what I experienced at Lithia Park? I am inspired to think of our leadership songs as part of God’s larger symphony to be nurtured and stewarded for His glory.
Holy Partnership
Visions of our NPO’s spring to mind. I know that my NPO is interwoven with my personal story. Have you noticed connections to your personal story? How is it part of your unique expression of bringing God’s kingdom to earth? The passion and creativity we are pouring into our projects are filled with holy imagination and holy hope. While we are composing our own unique leadership song we are also participating in bringing forth God’s kingdom to earth, in “holy partnership” with Him and others.[6] Our imagination, creativity, talents, skills, and personal stories are all woven together by God and represent opportunities for engaging the world with God’s message of love and redemption. That is a beautiful symphony I long to hear. Where will our imagination and creativity as leaders take us and those we lead as we listen for the kingdom?
In case you are wondering about the cellist here is his website:
https://www.danielaustinsperry.com/
I have forgotten the name of the song I heard that morning. I believe it is the piece below as it had a similar effect on me as I listened to several of Daniel Austin Sperry’s pieces before writing this post. I hope you will take a moment to experience the song or reflect upon times when sound and senses felt like a liminal space where heaven and earth met for you.
https://danielaustinsperry.bandcamp.com/track/ground-song-a-blessing-for-debbie
[1] Jules Glanzer, The Sound of Leadership, (Plano, TX: Invite Press, 2023), xxvi.
[2] Glanzer, The Sound of Leadership, 52.
[3] Will Foster, Oxford Advance presentation to doctoral students, September 25, 2023.
[4] Glanzer, 42.
[5] Ibid., 82.
[6] Ibid.
About the Author
Jenny Dooley
Jenny served as a missionary in Southeast Asia for 28 years. She currently resides in Gig Harbor, Washington, where she works as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Spiritual Director in private practice with her husband, Eric. Jenny loves to listen and behold the image of God in others. She enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family which include 5 amazing adult children, 3 awesome sons-in-law, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and 8 delightful grandchildren.8 responses to “Listening for the Kingdom”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hi Jenny,
You wrote, “The passion and creativity we are pouring into our projects are filled with holy imagination and holy hope.”
So true. I had not quite grasped that we were banging out our version of HIS song in our projects, but then again this book makes clear that we are his instruments on Earth.
The whole book slows me down to “listen” something that I rarely do. Nice…be still and know I am God. AWESOME.
Shalom…
Hi Russell,
It is great to hear your thoughts about how the book is creating space for you to slow down and be still. What is growing in your holy imagination as you visualize your NPO completed?
Jenny,
Oh my. What an incredible experience! I am taking note of this musician. Even more, I love the quote you mentioned…”The sound of our leadership and our story merge creatively to bring God’s kingdom to earth.” One of the aspects of my NPO is the thought that at midlife there is a need to reminisce over one’s life narrative. It is a time to accept what needs to be accepted, reframe what needs to be reframed, mourn what needs to be mourned, and celebrate what needs to celebrated. It requires listening more deeply as to what the Holy Spirit is saying about it all.
Your question of “Where will our imagination and creativity as leaders take us and those we lead as we listen for the kingdom?” is a beautiful question to think about. Only in heaven will we know how far-reaching the effects will be.
Hi Esther,
Thank you for your comments. I appreciated everything about Dr. Glanzer’s book, especially his five words: Listen, See, Learn, Do, Love and with the addition of the Golden Rule-Be kind, he basically sums up my life values. The quote you mentioned, ”The sound of our leadership and our story merge creatively to bring God’s kingdom to earth,” also summed up the book for me. I’m basically wanting to ask everyone the same question, Where is your holy imagination leading you? You mentioned the idea of giving space to those in mid-life to process their stories. I love that! It delights me to imagine how music might be part of that process.
Hi Jenny!
I’m intrigued by your post, especially when you mention about “thin place.”
Based on your ministry experience, to what extent “thin place experience/moment” will bring impact to our leadership style?
Hi Dinka,
I am intrigued by your question. When I think of thin places two things come to mind. Meyer and Land talked about and defined threshold spaces of learning, “A threshold concept can be considered as akin to a portal, opening up a new and previously inaccessible way of thinking about something. It represents a transformed way of understanding, or interpreting, or viewing something without which the learner cannot progress.” Learning is a threshold space for leaders as we continue to engage with needs, problems, and opportunities. Considering them as thin places adds a spiritual dimension by listening for God’s voice in both the problem and within our experience of the problem. Spiritually speaking, according to author Julianne Stanz, “Thin places are places you feel the heartbeat of God.” They are places between the now and the not yet in which we sense God’s presence in locations, events, nature, music, or even within our own experience. God seems especially close and that space is sacred to us. I think leaders benefit greatly by slowing down to notice and linger in those places. I think it is at least part of what Glanzer is saying about listening for the Voice of One. His voice speaks in many ways and I believe always in those threshold spaces of life when new learning, experiences, and challenges appear. I don’t know if I answered your question. What comes to mind for you?
Meyer & Land, Overcoming Student Barrier to Student Learning, 3.
Julianne Stanz, Braving the Thin Places, xi.
Hey Jenny I really loved reading your post! It’s amazing how your story in Lithia Park shows us the power of listening and its connection to leadership. It just goes to show that Gods kingdom can work its magic in ways when we truly open ourselves up. I found it so interesting how you compared leadership to a symphony highlighting the importance of being genuine and self aware in leadership roles. Your reflection on how your personal story intertwines with your NPO is truly inspiring showing us the potential for impactful and purpose driven leadership.
Okay – so this is a bit sidewise from your post but I’m curious how you think we can intentionally cultivate and guide our leadership abilities within the context of organizations? How can we motivate others to acknowledge and embrace the expression of their leadership in their personal narratives?
Hi Mathieu,
Thanks for your response and questions. I’m not sure I have great answers. These are just some thoughts that come to mind.
In terms of cultivating and guiding our own leadership abilities in the context of organizations I do think it has something to do with being self-aware, knowing what we know and being honest about what we don’t, and creating safe spaces for collaboration. It might also look like honing our skills, seeking out mentors or others who can guide us or give us honest feedback, and sharing what we learn with those we lead.
Which gets into my thoughts about your second question about how we motivate others in their expression of leadership. I think knowing those we lead, taking an active role in creating connections, listening, acknowledging the gifting and skills of others (which come from their personal narratives), coming along side them, and releasing them into things they are passionate about whenever possible. Actually, Todd in his response to my question on his post gave an incredible and inspiring answer about how he does this in his organization.