{"id":38431,"date":"2024-09-13T11:07:04","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T18:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=38431"},"modified":"2024-09-13T11:07:04","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T18:07:04","slug":"leadership-as-practice-of-abiding-in-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/leadership-as-practice-of-abiding-in-christ\/","title":{"rendered":"Leadership as Practice of Abiding in Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"

When asked to choose a book about leadership that has been in print for at least 300 years, it was interesting to search and not find anything that was explicitly stated as a leadership book. It got me thinking about how, in the Christian tradition that I\u2019m familiar with, there was much more emphasis placed on spiritual formation and discipleship that on leadership in any particular way. This naturally caused me to reflect on texts I had come across in my seminary studies or in pastoral ministry that I had never focused in and actually read. On the bookshelf in our pastoral study was a short book by Brother Lawrence titled, \u201cPracticing the Presence of God<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brother Lawrence was a Carmelite monk from France in the early 1600s. As a young man, he fought as a solider and sustained an injury that left him with chronic pain for the remainder of his life. Lawrence was drawn to the spiritual life of faith and a desire to \u201cwalk continually in God\u2019s presence.\u201d He worked in a monastery in Paris as a cook, at it was there that he learned to go about his daily routines and activities \u201cin the presence of God.\u201d It was in the consistent practice over a period of many years that Brother Lawrence learned how to be in constant communion with God, enjoying His presence and impacting people around him so greatly that it caused a man named Joseph de Beaufort to interview Lawrence near the end of his life. The writings we have in \u201cPracticing the Presence of God\u201d are recordings of these interviews as well as some letters that Lawrence wrote to various recipients discussing this spiritual discipline of abiding always with a God who is love.<\/p>\n

So much about leadership today is about action and influence, transforming organizations, empowering people and \u201cmoving things around\u201d as Dr. Clark likes to say. But what I\u2019ve been reminded of as I\u2019ve read this text are the words of Jesus in John 15:5: \u201cAbide in me and you will bear much fruit\u2026apart from me you can do nothing.\u201d[1]<\/a> Leadership in the Christian tradition has focused over the centuries more on imitating Christ and reflecting God\u2019s love than techniques or tips for organizational success. \u201cPracticing the Presence of God\u201d falls very much in this tradition. Brother Lawrence reminds us that, \u201cWe ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Doing little things for God and abiding continually in His presence are often not the first thing one comes across when reading leadership books from the past one hundred years. The emphasis is on doing big things, not little things and of being independent, set apart, unique, one of a kind and commanding. This contrast causes me to evaluate my own style of leadership and the narratives that I have lived into that a leader is someone who has all the answers or who can perform the best under pressure. This \u201cDefining Ego\u201d that Walker expresses in his book \u201cUndefended Leader\u201d continues to be the shadow of the true self and leader that God is working to develop in me. I desire to be the type of leader that Lawrence describes, \u201cnever hasty nor loitering, uninterrupted composure.\u201d[3]<\/a> The only way, it seems this is possible, is to become an apprentice of Jesus, instead of a leader. John Mark Comer in his book \u201cPracticing the Way\u201d[4]<\/a> reminds us that leadership is following Jesus. When we \u201capprentice\u201d ourselves to Jesus to be with him, become like him and does as he did, we become the type of people, and therefore, the type of leaders, that God has created us to be. I found a lot of similarities between Comer\u2019s book and Brother Lawrence\u2019s words, and it reminds me again that leadership in the kingdom of God is one of serving, resting and trusting in the presence of Christ, in order that we will bear much fruit.<\/p>\n

As I continue to learn how to practice<\/em> leadership in the contexts God leads me in, I want to remember the essential nature of Christian leadership: abiding in Christ. Brother Lawrence reminds us:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u201cI cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of GOD. For my part I keep myself retired with Him in the depth of centre of my soul as much as I can; and while I am so with Him I fear nothing; but the least turning from Him is insupportable.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

May it be so of me. May it be so of us.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> John 15:5, NIV<\/em>.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Brother Lawrence, Practicing the Presence of God<\/em>.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Brother Lawrence, Practicing the Presence of God<\/em><\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way<\/em><\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Brother Lawrence, Practicing the Presence of God<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When asked to choose a book about leadership that has been in print for at least 300 years, it was interesting to search and not find anything that was explicitly stated as a leadership book. It got me thinking about how, in the Christian tradition that I\u2019m familiar with, there was much more emphasis placed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38431"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38431\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38432,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38431\/revisions\/38432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}