Wisdom for Leadership IN TURBULENT TIMES

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Wisdom for Leadership IN TURBULENT TIMES
Clergy Leadership Programme
Vocation, Values Purpose
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Second Discipline - CONVERSION
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THE CONTEMPLATIVE LIFE
In the Wilderness
growth in discipleship for CHARACTER FORMATION
You are the Beloved
Waiting for the Kairos
In the morning
They brought - Jesus Healed
Come and I will make
Wisdom in Public Leadership for COMMUNITY
FORMATION
I know who you are
THE ACTIVE LIFE
A Framework for Leadership
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INNER FORMATION
Vocation
Conversion of Life
Stability
Obedient Listening
Renewal
Trust (Integrity, Competence, Credibility)?
Team-building
Common Values Purpose
COMMUNITY FORMATION
A Framework for Leadership
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The Importance of Direction

• Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to
  go from here?That depends a good deal on
  where you want to get to, said the Cat.I
  dont much care where, said Alice, so long as
  I get somewhere.Then it doesnt matter which
  way you go, said the Cat.
• Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carol

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Baptism and Vocation
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Temptation and Vocation

• And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the
  wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days,
  tempted by Satan and he was with the wild
  beastsand the angels waited on him.
  Mark 112-13

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Talk Time

• The greatest reason for NO
• is a greater YES
• How has this principle been upheld in your
  experience?
• When has it been most tested?

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Temptation and Vocation
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Temptation Points tothe Nature of Jesus Work

• By this point, the sonship of Jesus has been
  confirmed.
• But what would that be like? Expectations varied.
• A royal Davidic Messiah?
• A priestly Messiah...?
• A prophet like Moses...?
• Something else entirely...?

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The Three Temptations

• Selfishness
• command this stone to become a loaf of bread.
• Compromise
• if you will worship me, it will all be yours.
• Security
• throw yourself down.

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Second Discipline - Metanoia

• The second discipline continues the process of
  inner formation of character through metanoia
  i.e. turning away from.
• In the case of Jesus, a turning away from
• selfishness
• compromise
• security
• This is the Benedictine conversion of life.
• The leader subordinates Self to higher
  principles

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Vocation

• The word vocation comes from the Latin
  vocare which means to call.
• We are called by someone to do something.
• Each one of us has already been called by God
  into ministry and leadership
• but we need to go on discerning our vocation
• and listening to Gods call.

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Three Levels of VocationFrancis Dewar speaks of
three levels of vocation

• A general sense
• conversion to faith / following Christ
• To fulfil our various roles
• family / friends / church / workplace / community
• these roles may be picked up and put down
• Unique personal vocation
• this will be special and particular to you

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Knowing Your Vocation Matters

• It is important to know our personal vocation.
• Just as there were for Jesus, there may be tough
  demands ahead of us ...
• so we need to be clear why were living with
  such demands.

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Vocation and the Right VoiceWe listen for our
vocation abovethe clamour of competing voices

• In the wilderness, Jesus struggled with the voice
  of the tempter who offers another kind of
  sonship, other priorities and other choices.
• How often we try to please other people - family,
  congregations, culture or social class - and to
  live up to their expectation of even fantasies.
• What matters above all else is Gods judgement on
  our life.

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Four Steps towards Your Vocation

• Vocation is discovered, not invented.
• Vocation is willingly chosen.
• Vocation is also tested.
• Vocation is for service.

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Vocation and Service

• Fredereick Buechner defines vocation as
• the place where your deep gladnessmeets the
  worlds deep need.
• We need to listen to the needs of the world as
  well as to ourselves.

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The Example of Moses

• Who am I?
• Whose am I?
• What then shall I do?

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Source of Identity and Vocation
Whose am I? Discipleship
What shall I do? Vocation Mission
Who am I? Identity
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Where do we go from here?
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A little task

• Please take a handout

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Putting this all Into PracticeRemember that this
is a calling we hearso take time to listen.

• Listen to God and the world.
• Listen to your history and your future.
• Listen to others and yourself.

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Listening to God

• What kind of God do you believe in?
• merciful / loving / just / judgmental / holy ?
• In Jesus second temptation - it will all be
  yours - the question is really about what kind
  of Father Jesus believes in.

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Listening to the World

• You need to be well-informed about the worlds
  needs and pain.
• What prevents the world from flourishing?
• Can you think of a specific example?

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Listening to Your History

• God has always been calling us.
• How did you get to where you are now? What has
  inspired, motivated and led you in the past?
• When did you feel as if you were doing what you
  were meant to be doing? Or making a great
  contribution?
• When did you feel most useless? Or making the
  least contribution?

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Listening to Your FutureSuppose you could look
back from the end of your life

• What would you most like to see?
• What kind of person would you have been?
• How would you have lived?
• What would you have spent your time doing? This
  may not be what you are actually doing e.g.
  working a 60 hour week!

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Listening to OthersThink of people you admire or
who have influenced you -family, friends, famous
people, historical figures ...

• How have these people led their lives?
• What do you most admire about them?
• What appeals to you?
• But remember the aim is to find your personal
  vocation and not just to become a clone of your
  hero.

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Listening to Yourself

• What gifts has God given you? What gifts do you
  have that not many other people have?
• How can you use these gifts (especially in the
  service of others)?
• You might also like to consider what you wounds
  are. What are your weaknesses? How have you
  suffered? Can God use these, too?

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Conclusion - A Mission Statement

• Ultimately, what really matters to you?
• How would you express this in a short, succinct
  mission statement?

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Check

• Is this something youve discovered, not
  invented?
• Is this something youve chosen? Are you prepared
  to sacrifice lesser vocations? Are you clear
  about the cost?
• Is this something youve tested with others?
• Is this something that will serve others, and not
  just yourself?

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Or put another way ....

• Discovering your God-given SHAPE
• S Spiritual Gifts
• H Heart's Desire
• A Abilities
• P Personality
• E Experience
• From Rick Warren Purpose Driven Life
• Purpose 4 Day 29-32
• You were shaped for serving God

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