January 2025 - Transforming Mission

Courage, Engage Your Community, Follow Jesus, leadership, Relate to One Another

Leading Through Violence

There has been another school shooting. My response (reaction) is how much longer are we, as the people of the United States of America, going to allow these acts of violence against our children to continue? I know there are no easy answers, but I also know that little has been done to address the disease of violence in our culture.

Startling Statistics

According to Education Week, there were 39 school shootings in 2024 compared to 38 in 2023 and 51 in 2022. You don’t need me quoting statistics and you don’t need me to say that one school shooting is too many. I am writing to ask the question, what kind of leadership is needed to address the disease of mass shootings and specifically school shootings in our country? Are our thoughts and prayers enough? Is saying someone needs to do something making a difference?

Since Sandy Hook, twelve years ago when 20 children and 6 adults were murdered in their classrooms, mass shootings in schools have become part of who we are. I hope I am wrong, but the feeling is, we have normalized school shootings. The shootings are just part of the statistics for the 586 mass shootings in 2024. They are just a part of the 711 people killed and the 2,375 people wounded. With that said, what kind of leadership is needed to be effective?

Public Health Crisis

In recent years, even when someone stepped forward to do something, a group of people grew indignant. “We have our rights.” “You can’t take away our rights.” And nothing changed. I remember thinking when I saw President Obama in tears as he addressed the country after Sandy Hook, that we would surely do something positive in the name of the children murdered. I thought that would lead to public outrage and there would never be another mass shooting in our country again.

The outrage faded until another act of horrible violence, like the shooting last Wednesday, January 22, shocked us back into the reality of our inactivity. The truth is, we do have our rights. But to address the public health crisis of mass shootings does not take away anyone’s rights. In fact, it takes seriously the rights of others, particularly children.

“Someone Do Something”

So, let me ask again, are our words enough to be effective? Are our broken hearts, whether rooted in compassion or outrage enough? Has standing in the pulpit and declaring, “In the name of Jesus, someone do something” been sufficient? Oh, there have been some changes. The Sandy Hook Promise has made significant progress in getting federal laws passed during divisive government. Congress has passed mental health and school safety laws. I want to applaud those changes. I also want to applaud the work of the teenagers from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. But the changes made are not enough. So again, what kind of leadership is needed to make the difference?

To answer that question, let me start with this story.

Telemachus

There is a story of a monk, Telemachus, from southern France, who went to Rome to take in the splendors of the Holy City. When he arrived, he was caught up in the crowd going to the Coliseum. He wasn’t aware of all that was involved in the entertainment of the day. Soon, however, he realized what was going to happen when the gladiators took their places on the field. They drew their weapons, waved them at Caesar, then called out, “We who are about to die salute thee!”

At that moment, the young monk realized that the gladiators were about to fight each other to their death. He called out in the middle of the roaring crowd, “Stop! Stop! In the name of Jesus, stop!”

His voice could not be heard above the roar of the crowd. He rushed down the aisle to the barrier that separated the cheering crowd from the strutting gladiators. Again, he yelled, “In the name of Jesus, stop!” Still, no one noticed him nor heard his pleas.

He jumped over the barrier and ran out into the middle of the Coliseum floor. He stood between two of the gladiators and yelled at each of them, “In the name of Jesus, stop!”

The two gladiators ignored his words. The spectators of the gladiator fighting grew indignant with the monk for interrupting their sport. So, they stoned him to death.

Caesar was informed of the death of Telemachus. When he learned that Telemachus was now numbered among the victorious martyrs, Caesar put an end to the sport. ¹

From that day on, there would be no more gladiator fights in Rome’s Coliseum. An end to the brutality and the death all took place because one person was willing to pay the price and give his life.

There is a price to be paid if we are to stop the mass shootings and the violence.

What Kind of Leadership?

Let’s face it, no one wants the violence that has taken place at Antioch High School in Nashville, or The Covenant Presbyterian School in Nashville, Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, or at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Connecticut, or at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, or Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado or the hundreds of other mass shootings over the years. Yet, we have gotten to a point where we can no longer live our lives without the fear that every time we say goodbye to our children, spouses, and friends, it could be the last. The question is, what kind of leadership will it take to stop it from happening again?

As I think about it, there is a need for some fundamental changes in the way we view human beings.

You are God’s Beloved

Human life is sacred. Each person is a beloved child of God. As a Christ centered leader, teach and model the sacredness of human life. Then advocate for courses in our public schools that teach the sacredness of human life. These courses need to include the understanding and care for persons of mental illness as well as the care for all persons who might be different. As we teach the sacredness of human life, we will begin to live the sacredness of each person.

Work for the well-being of others. As Christ-centered leaders, teach and model what it means to love with the love of God. Then advocate for courses in public schools that teach how to work for the well-being of all people, especially those who are vulnerable or marginalized. As we teach how to work for the well-being of all people, we will begin to model what it means to work for the well-being of others.

I know that for some this seems simplistic, but these are ways we have not tried in recent history if at all. The problem with violence, especially in our schools, is not guns but how we view people and how we work for the good of all people.

There are other things we can do to make a difference.

Courage to Change

It will take courageous leaders to step out and risk who they are and the positions they hold to make the difference. It will take courageous United States Senators and Representatives to risk re-election. The time has come to stop politicizing such acts of violence and to step up and advocate for the rights of children, teenagers, and adults who have become vulnerable in places assumed to be safe. Whether it be schools, concerts, or grocery stores, courageous leaders need to protect the rights of all of us regarding public safety. These leaders must shift from thoughts and prayers to policy and change.

It will take courageous governors and state legislatures to do the same. As our country moves more to state rights, it is imperative that state and local leaders think first of the people they serve before thinking of position or prestige. Courageous leaders are vulnerable leaders. They take the risk of being authentic and trustworthy. These leaders too must shift from aspirational rhetoric to real action.

Action and Policy

It will take courageous spiritual leaders to risk popularity and acceptance. Your leadership helps to shape the thinking and the action of the policymakers. You have the opportunity to model responsibility and accountability, not only for governmental leaders but for people who vote. Through your word and action, you will find a way to assist people to contact their United States senators and congresswomen/men to address mass shootings. You will find a way to contact the governor, state representatives, and local authorities to address the violence. You have the opportunity to step up and lead in an effort to hold the sanctity of life before policymakers as well as those who vote.

Needed Change

It will take courageous voters to risk voting for candidates who might not be members of their own political party. If there is to be any positive change, you, as a leader, must take advantage of the opportunity to assist people to vote and elect the leaders who will step up to make the changes needed. Help people be an educated electorate so that they will understand who they are electing and what each person stands for. Help people elect leaders who will have the courage to develop and deliver the policies needed to put an end to children being killed in our schools, racial hatred, and the availability of guns without appropriate laws and guidelines.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

Jesus taught, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.” In leading through this crisis, you will be living as a true peacemaker.

Leading at this time is not easy. But you were created and gifted for this time in history. You have everything you need to step up and provide the leadership to change our accepted culture of violence.

Below are several resources from Transforming Mission to help respond to violence. Even though these resources were produced several years ago, the need remains the same.

There are 11 Reflections on Responding to Violence

The Transforming Mission Podcast also provides several episodes as resources: Episode 201: The Intersection of Immigration, Faith and the Future Church with Scott Hicks

What kind of leadership is needed to address the mass shootings in our country? Courageous and grace-filled leadership which takes the initiative will make the difference.

Know of my prayers as you become the leader needed for this time.

Story adapted from Let Me Tell You a Story: Life Lessons from Unexpected Places and Unlikely People, by Tony Campolo and Favorite Monks: Telemachus: The Monk Who Ended the Coliseum Games, by Monk Preston.

Courage, Disciple-Making, Engage Your Community, Follow Jesus, leadership, Missional, Relate to One Another

Leading through Racism

Monday is Martin Luther King Day. Although you are reading this a few days afterward, it is important that we do not lose the values of justice, equality, nonviolence, love, and service to others. Dr. King said, “A man that hasn’t discovered what he’s willing to die for, isn’t fit to live.” He put his life on the line for the dream that “one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

The Dream

Over the past several years, months, weeks, I have had a hard time ignoring the racially charged rhetoric against immigrants seeking the same dream of Dr. King, the derogatory comments against an African American elected official seeking to live out her dream, and the racist language to describe and demean people seeking to find a peaceful existence in the country they see as safe for themselves and their families.

Although, at this time in history, we hear the words of hatred and contempt, you and I have the opportunity to shape a future without racism. To fight this disease that threatens the lives and dignity of so many people around us, it is time to become the courageous leaders we have been gifted to be. Antiracist work is hard and exhausting, but you have been created to lead for such a time as this. As a Christ centered leader, you have the opportunity to literally change the world.

We Can Do Better

Our country, our communities, our churches need leaders who are willing to help, not only face the reality of systemic racism that is rooted in the soul and fabric of our culture, but to speak out against the racist rhetoric that is becoming normalized in our culture.

I confess that I have grown weary of the words “this is not who we are.” The truth is, it is exactly who we are, and it is time for us to wake up and recognize that we can do better. The question is, will we?

Irrational Basis of Prejudice

Jane Elliot, a third-grade teacher from Iowa, who on the day after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, felt compelled to teach her students about discrimination. She told the children that brown-eyed people were superior to blue-eyed people. She watched as the students turned on each other. Then, the next day, she reversed the script. The exercise highlighted the arbitrary and irrational basis of prejudice, an issue that we, in the United States, continue to grapple with 57 years later.

Since that day, Elliot has worked to fight racist ideas, challenged textbooks that teach false or incomplete history, and has emphasized the common ancestry of all human beings that makes us members of the same race, the human race.

This is what she says, “Human beings created racism. Anything you create you can destroy. We can destroy racism.” (Jane Elliot)

Like no other time in our history, we have the opportunity to address and put an end to the evil of racism. The question is, “Will we?”

The Evil of White Supremacy

While I was a student at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, I was introduced to Dr James Cone and his book, God of the Oppressed. Over the years I have read several of his books like, A Black Theology of Liberation, The Spirituals and the Blues, and The Cross and the Lynching Tree.

In his book, The Cross and the Lynching Tree, he tells the story of a white mob in Valdosta, Georgia, in 1918 that lynched an innocent man named Haynes Turner. Turner’s wife, Mary, promised to seek justice for the people who murdered his husband. The sheriff responded by arresting her and then turning her over to the mob. As the story is told, Mary was “stripped, hung upside down by the ankles, soaked with gasoline, and roasted to death.”

I have difficulty in writing the story, but that is the evil of white supremacy that results in dehumanization, inhumanity, and murder. The acceptance of this kind of action nearly destroyed our nation. It proved that generations of Christians were hypocrites. It turned normal people into morally bankrupt participants if not by their action, by their silence.

Divisiveness Expanding

The divisiveness seems to be getting worse. The rationalization that deep down we are not racists seems to be overshadowed by the truth of who really are. Those who play down, or excuse, or try to walk past the offenses that are taking place are enablers of racism.

Michael Gerson, chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush, wrote, “Racism is not just another wrong. The Antietam battlefield is not just another plot of ground. The Edmund Pettus Bridge is not just another bridge. The balcony outside Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel is not just another balcony. As U.S. history hallows some causes, it magnifies some crimes.”

He continued to write, “Some political choices are not just stupid or crude. They represent the return of our country’s cruelest, most dangerous passion…Treating racism as a typical or minor matter indicts us.”

Shape the Future Without Racism

Let me go back to what I wrote earlier, “Like no other time in history, you have the opportunity to shape a future without racism.”

If you are ready and willing to put an end to racism, then join me in getting a clearer understanding of racism and our participation in and benefit from it. The following is for you and your reflection. You need to be honest with your thoughts and own your feelings. Your reflection is a necessary step in gaining a clear understanding of how your life has been shaped by racist ideas and policies. This is for you and you only. All I ask is that you be honest with yourself.

Racism Makes People the Problem

Unapologetically admit that you are ignorant and complicit in the racist ideas, power and policies of our culture and country.

Racist ideas make people of color think less of themselves, which makes them more vulnerable to racist ideas. Racist ideas make white people think more of themselves, which makes racist ideas more attractive.

This kind of racism has us seeing people as the problem. To protect ourselves and our beliefs, we design and participate in policies that elevate White people and degrade Black people. Although it is true that “All Lives Matter,” it is in our uninformed dehumanizing of Black men and women that we deflect and redirect our awareness regarding “Black Lives Matter.”

We are Complicit

We are complicit when we dismiss violent crimes as “black on black” crime without addressing the systems that give birth to such crimes.

It is easier to blame people than it is to design systems.

It is easier to reject people than it is to actively develop policies that help people out of poverty or homelessness.

It is easier to offer “thoughts and prayers” than it is to tackle the root causes of drug addiction, unemployment, and violent crime.

It is easier to feel blessed than it is to provide the blessing of health care and human development.

Of course, the systems in place to address such issues are designed to get the results they are getting. Are you aware that you participate in such systems?

Time to End Racist Ideas and Policies

Now, if you are feeling offended by what I have written, then multiply that feeling by 400+ years of hatred and dehumanizing treatment and you might begin to feel a little of the pain our Black sisters and brothers continually experience. Don’t you agree that it is time to put an end to racist ideas and policies?

White Privilege

Learn what it means to benefit from “white privilege.”

Most people I know are offended by the term “white privilege.” It is the word “privilege” that gets in the way. Privilege is usually associated with affluence. Although affluence might be part of it, privilege refers to being protected by laws, benefiting from systems, having an advantage, which means you don’t have to look over your shoulder.

Missy Elliot writes, “Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because it is not a problem to you personally.”

Consider This…

I think of it this way. I don’t worry about being stopped, questioned, or shot while jogging through the neighborhoods around my house. I have never worried for my life when I have been stopped for a traffic violation. The one time I unknowingly used a counterfeit $10 bill, I did not worry about being arrested, handcuffed, or even questioned by police. It never crossed my mind to have the “talk” with my son regarding being stopped and questioned by police for any reason.

I have never had anything other than a credit check when buying a car or a house. Since I was 20 years old, I have had health care, a pension to look forward to, and a salary to meet my needs. I grew up with both parents present in my life while living in the same house. As a teenager, I worked to have my own spending money and never thought I needed to give money to my mother, grandmother, or my aunt to pay monthly bills. I never questioned whether I should or could get a quality college education.

I did relatively little to bring about what I listed above. I was born into a system, participated in a system, and benefitted from a system that was designed for my advantage. I don’t feel guilty about it, but I now understand that I have been complicit in my participation in a system that has elevated White people and degraded Black people. Are you aware that you have benefitted from such systems?

Confronting Racism

When we are confronted with our racist ideas or with racist policies, we usually deny that we are racist. Denial is the heartbeat of racism. Now, this might not be how it works with you, but for most of us it works this way. Even when we point out racist ideas or identify racist systems, we usually deny that we perpetuate such ideas or participate in such systems. We become defensive and deflect or redirect.

Part of our racism is revealed in our understanding of the word “racist” as a derogatory term. The truth is the word “racist” is a descriptive term. When we see it as a derogatory term, we seek to protect ourselves by being neutral. So, we self-identify as “not racist.” When it comes to racism, there is no neutral ground. Racist is a descriptive term. If you are not antiracist, then you are racist.

Racism Interwoven into Our Lives

Racism is so interwoven into the fabric of our lives we have been taught not to see color. The problem of not seeing color is that we don’t see the discrimination or the injustice of our systems. Because we aren’t having a problem with things the way things are, we don’t understand why others are having problems. So, we justify ourselves by saying “they bring it on themselves.”

Racism is so interwoven into the fabric of our lives, we become timid and afraid to even use the word racism. I recently read a post on social media where the person referred to racism as the “r” word. The comment was something like this: “The “r” word is a problem…How about teaching the words of Jesus?”

One response to the post was: “This comment is exactly why we need to hear the r word from our pulpits, study it together, and prepare to take action. Jesus commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We cannot do that if we continue to be part of the problem by not even being open to studying how racism applies to us.”

The response continued, “I believe pastors of predominantly white churches are at the fork in the road. Will they lead our congregations toward a path of action, or will they enable us to continue to believe the r word has nothing to do with us or Jesus’ commandment to love? What an opportunity for all of us.”

You Can Help Put an End to Racism

Friends, if you can’t name it, then you don’t see it. And if you don’t see it, then you are part of the problem. Are you able to see that you can help put an end to racism?

My point is not to shame you, make you feel guilty, make you angry, or put you on the defensive. My point is, until we face the reality of our participation in racist ideas and policies, we will not take action to change them.

We are way past the time to educate ourselves and to address the complex, emotional, and significant evil of racism. It is time to step up and lead like you have never had to lead before. The time is right, the opportunity is now, for open conversation, education, and transformation.

As a leader, you have the responsibility to do the hard work of questioning our history of racism and to name the reality and ramifications of our sin. You have the opportunity to engage people in open conversation. The very conversations that once were held behind closed doors are now public conversations.

Transformation

I know that ultimately, the transformation needed in our lives, in our country, and in our churches will come when we truly live as God created us to live. I believe that comes through God’s love in Jesus Christ. I am committed to that transformation.

But let me be clear. I’m not talking about a shallow, “What the world needs now is love sweet love.” That is a good song, but it is not about putting an end to racism. I am talking about what Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of and for which he gave his life, love, and justice. What the world needs now is people who treat one another justly, as human beings, as God’s beloved children. Until we love our neighbors as ourselves, we will not have justice. And, until we work for restorative justice, bathed in God’s mercy and grace, we will not love our neighbors as ourselves. To have a loving society we need a just society.

Putting an End to Racism

I am grateful that you have come this far with me on this journey. Because you are still with me means you are ready to put an end to racism. There is more to come in future blogs, but here is what you can do now:

Pray – Stay connected to God and grounded in who God has created you to be and who has created the people around you to be. We are all God’s beloved children.
Read – Racists are not stupid. Racists are ignorant. I posted a list of resources in previous blogs where you might start.

In the blog “Overcoming Racism” I listed children’s books to help design a future without racism. In the blog “Putting an End to Racism” I listed books for adults to help design a future without racism.

You might start with these resources. There are more than enough to make a difference.

The truth is, we have the opportunity to educate ourselves and to take the steps to address the evils that are again raising their heads to be noticed and normalized.

3. Commit – Engage in a conversation with a Black man or woman. Develop a relationship of trust. Be honest with yourself and with them. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Ask him or her to help you become an antiracist.

The Influence of Dr. King

Well, you have just discovered what has been stirring in my heart and mind. I’ll blame it on the influence of Dr. King and then I will confess that being a follower of Jesus has led me to the place of loving my neighbor. No apologies for being a Jesus follower. He has transformed by life, and I am praying that Jesus transforms your life as well.

It is past time to get started. As a Christ-centered leader, take the next step toward changing the world and putting an end to racism.

Bible Study, Follow Jesus, leadership, Prayer, Relate to One Another

Leading Through Epiphany: Awaken to God’s Love

Welcome to the year of 2025. As the seasons of the church go, the first six weeks of the new year is an interesting time. We call it the Season of Epiphany. At a fundamental level, an epiphany is “a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you.” In other words, you are awakened to the truth or the reality of a truth.

Several years ago, I had an epiphany. I was sent, by my doctor, to the hospital emergency room with an irregular heartbeat, an arrhythmia. It was serious enough that I had to stay several days. During my hospital stay, I had a procedure called “cardioversion” to shock my heart back into rhythm.

It was in preparation for the procedure I had my epiphany. The doctor and nurses were explaining to me what was going to happen, how long it would take, and that I had nothing to worry about. As the anesthesiologist began to explain what she was going to do, “I said, “So, you are the one who will put me to sleep.”

She smiled politely and said, “Actually, I am here to wake you up.”

Her words were the last thing I remember as I awakened to her saying, “Time to wake up. How are you feeling?” What an epiphany!

The Season of Epiphany is a time to wake up to who Jesus is and to who we are in relationship with Jesus.

One of the first scriptures used to help us wake up to who Jesus is Luke 3:21-22.

Read Luke 3:21-22

Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Reflect on Luke 3:21-22

For a detailed explanation of the scripture refer to the blog “Be Who You Are As A Leader.”

The part I want to reflect upon is, “when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened…”

It was while he was praying that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in bodily form like a dove. It was while he was praying that a voice from heaven brought clarity and affirmation of who Jesus was. It was an epiphany.

“You are my son, the beloved.” In other words, “You are my beloved child.” Jesus received affirmation that he is God’s love in human form. He is the human touch of divine love in the world. An epiphany!

Beloved Child of God

As a follower of Jesus, you, too, are a beloved child of God. The question is, what does that mean for you as a leader?

As a beloved child of God, you have received power to be the human touch of God’s love in your church, your community, and in the world. Through your baptism, you have received power to be a witness to God’s love in the places you live, work, and play.

During this Season of Epiphany, you have the opportunity and responsibility to help those entrusted to your care awaken to God’s love, first for themselves, and second for the people around them. You have the opportunity and responsibility to help them experience God’s love in and through Jesus and to share the love they have experienced with the people they meet each day. That is what it means to be a beloved child of God.

Respond to Luke 3:21-22

Epiphany gives us an opportunity to think differently. What would happen if this new year, you and I begin to become more aware of God’s presence and invite people to participate in God’s presence. Imagine what could happen.

During this Season of Epiphany, wake up to who Jesus is and who you are in relationship with Jesus. As a follower of Jesus, awaken to God’s love in your life and to being a human touch of God’s love.

In what places will you be God’s love with a human touch today?
In Jesus, God is with us. How will you recognize God’s presence and invite the people around you into God’ presence today?
As a part of the baptized community called the church, how will you and your church be witnesses to God’s love in your community and in the world?

Return

Give God thanks for the people you met today. How did you express God’s love in human form today? In what ways did you help someone know he or she was a “beloved child of God”? How did prayer shape your thoughts and actions? Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to love others as you have been loved.

Prayer

O God, I give you thanks for the assurance that I am your child. By your grace, continue to use me as an instrument of your love and peace so others might know of your love and acceptance. Thank you for the opportunity to be one of your leaders at this point and time. I do believe you created me and gifted me to lead at such a time as this. I offer myself to you in the name of Jesus. Amen

Bible Study, Follow Jesus, Gospel, leadership, Prayer, Relate to One Another

Be Who You Are As A Leader

Every new year brings fresh challenges and opportunities. This new year, let me offer you a challenge that can and will shape you as a leader. Instead of making a resolution to be a better leader, resolve to be the leader God created you to be.

Integrate Work and Life as a Faith-Based Leader

For example, most of us have heard we need to move toward a “work-life balance.” Over the years, I have attended workshops and seminars on how to split my days into equal parts of work and life. It all sounds good in theory, but after 50 years in ministry, I’m telling you it is not realistic.

What I have experienced is an unnecessary pressure to fit into a plan that created more anxiety than health. I have often found myself messing up the plan because what I was experiencing did not fit the plan. That is why I am challenging you to become more the leader God created you to be by integrating work and life.

Developing Healthy Leadership Through Prayer

I believe from God’s perspective, there is no difference. When you and I are healthy, we transition easily between activities that bring fulfillment, regardless of what category those activities might fall. The integration of work and life is about feeling energized by what you are doing in all parts of your life, thus becoming more who God created you to be.

Let me offer another example. When considering the most fundamental traits of leaders, we usually talk about vision, relationships, communication, character, and even charisma. We seldom consider prayer as a key characteristic. But prayer is who we are as Christ-centered leaders.

Jesus and a Life of Prayer

When we look at Jesus, one of the defining qualities of his leadership was prayer. Whether he was withdrawing to a lonely place (Luke 5:15), making critical decisions (Luke 6:12-13), or navigating a crisis (Luke 22:40-42), Jesus looked upward for wisdom and strength in every situation and circumstance he faced.

Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest wrote, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” So, prayer is not something you add to your work and life, prayer is your work and life.

When prayer is as natural as breathing, you will not only strengthen your life, but you will strengthen your leadership. As you model prayer you assist others in experiencing God’s love through acts of compassion and hope.

So, in this new year, let me challenge you to become who God created you to be through a life of prayer. Let’s look at how prayer shaped the life and work of Jesus.

Read Luke 3:21-22

Reflect on Luke 3:21-22

From Luke’s perspective, this is the first reference to prayer in the life of Jesus. It comes in relation to his baptism. The image is that Jesus is in line waiting for his turn to be baptized. “When everyone was being baptized, Jesus also was baptized.”

Unlike Matthew and Mark, who give a description of Jesus’ baptism, Luke does not give us a description. The baptism itself is an “also” event. The focus for Luke is upon Jesus praying. “While he was praying, heaven was opened.”

Prayer Shapes Christian Leaders

The baptism is over. The attention is not on the baptism but on Jesus praying. “While he was praying, heaven was opened… “And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

The words, “…heaven was opened…” come from Isaiah 64. The splitting of the heavens was a prophetic sign of the beginning of a new age. The Holy Spirit descends like a dove upon Jesus. The words, “voice from heaven: You are my Son…” come from Psalm 27. The words are used in relation to the coronation of a king. And the words, “with whom I am pleased” come from Isaiah 42. The words refer to the suffering servant of God.

While Jesus was praying there was a moment of clarification and affirmation of his identity in relationship to God. It was while he was praying that God laid claim to his life. After he was baptized, while he was praying, Jesus received confirmation of his call and direction for his ministry.

Prayer and Power in Luke’s Gospel

In Luke’s gospel, the Holy Spirit brings power. For Luke, there is a connection between prayer and power. There is a connection between Jesus praying and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. “Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.”

This is the moment Jesus receives clarity regarding who he is and his role. He is crowned king, recognized as a suffering servant, and anointed for God’s work. This is the coming of the power of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus. This also points ahead to Jesus’ ministry, which will be characterized by prayer at significant junctures in his life and in the life of the church.

Developing Healthy Leadership Through Prayer

Prayer brings confirmation and clarification of who you are. Prayer forms your identity as a follower of Jesus. It shapes who you are as a leader. Whether lay or clergy, the confirmation, and power for living out God’s plan and purpose do not come through position or office, the confirmation and power come through prayer.

Leadership Lessons from Jesus & Prayer – Respond

Prayer is the foundation for Christ-centered leadership. It is a regular practice for those who want to lead well. It is essential for developing healthy relationships and growing communities. It is vital in developing decision-making skills.

Through prayer, you cultivate the leadership needed to navigate moments of crisis. Character is not built in crisis; it is revealed in crisis. So, in this new year, let me challenge you to become who God created you to be through a life of prayer.

Fred Craddock once told a parable about a man who moved into a cottage equipped with a stove and simple furnishings. As the sharp edge of winter cut across the landscape, the cottage grew cold as did its occupant. He went out back and pulled a few boards off the house to kindle the fire. The fire was warm, but the house seemed as cold as before. More boards came off for a larger fire to warm the now even colder house, which in return required an even larger fire, demanding more boards. In a few days the man cursed the weather, cursed the house, cursed the stove, and moved away.

The futility that man felt is the futility of those who try to live the Christian life without Christ. It is the futility of trying to lead without connection to the One who has created you and gifted you to lead at this time in history. Your work and life depend upon your connection with the living God you know in Jesus.

This new year, be who God created you to be because who you are is how you lead.

Return to Luke 3:21-22

Give God thanks for the people you met today. How did your work and life come together? In what ways did you help someone know he or she was a “beloved child of God”? How did prayer shape your thoughts and actions? Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to love others as you have been loved.