Sunday, June 14, 2009

Holding Self Accountable

That's a hard one, but I hope to blog my way through. How to begin...

What: Reading the 3 (very different) books on leadership that I just bought at a conference this weekend.

How: In bits and pieces, of course! With you, dear Dragon Blog, as my companion and conversation partner (thus the accountability).

Why: Exhaustion. Not taking time out between one caring commitment and the next. Putting out fires. Listening to the need to feed (me).

When:  Now. No time better than the present, right?
~~~
So, these 3 (very different) books on leading well. 

William Carter's Each One a Minister: Using God's Gifts for Ministry helps leaders talk to members of their faith communities about the ways they are/can be ministers for the service of God's Shalom (that is: the Kin-dom of God, God's Realm, the New Earth, etc). I'd like to keep on top of this one for my own biblical studies - its emphasis is Paul's letter to the Ephesians - and for how I might continue to encourage others to take leadership roles (so I don't have to "put out fires", but can call on others to care for others). What a concept.

What a GREAT title (that's actually why I bought it: I can't resist marketing - I'm a product of my culture). Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musings on Leadership  by Tony Morgan offers mini, blog-size tidbits on doing what is urgent (no-no) versus doing what is important (yes-yes) by encouraging others to take on a sense of their own gifted leadership. I hereby solemnly swear to stop running to stomp on all the cockroaches I see (at least, I'll try - I've already not answered email for a couple of weeks, and I feel that counts!).


And perhaps the one with which I will begin: Leaders Who Last: Sustaining Yourself and Your Ministry (Margaret J. Marcuson). I don't write any of this for pity - although prayers are more than welcome! But I believe it is important for people to understand that ministers are people ... people who need to refresh ourselves in order to continue serving God and others; people who must learn to balance family and church, play and study, self and God and faith community and town and world. Gone are the days when clergy are to be seen as something "other" (some of us drink, some of us swear, all of us pee and poop). And if this is what I preach to my congregation - "observe sabbath time" - then I need to practice/model it myself. 

End of self-sermon.

1 comment:

Laurie Gudim and Rosean Amaral said...

Good plan! Looking forward to hearing how it is unfolding!