Day Forty Three

July 1st - the first day of a new month, and of a new regimen.  Awoke at 6am and after my personal routine, I read for an hour - reading both from Discovery and from my sabbatical readings.  Pastoral leadership was the topic of my reading this morning, what a calling and what a task.  I am blessed to be engaged in shared leadership at St. John's - shared with Pastor Adam and with our lay leaders. 

I witnessed an aspect of leading by example and humility yesterday.  My mother took Lynne and I to a local restaurant for brunch after our time of worship.  The place was owned and operated by a woman, who had established the place decades earlier.  In listening to our waitress and my mother, I learned that the owner was sitting at a table near by.  I learned what a generous person she was in her community.  Then I notice at one point how she got up from her meal to go close the swinging door to the kitchen - she could of had the waitress do it, she could have called out, for all to hear, but instead she quietly got up and closed the door, both to minimize noise of and sight into the kitchen.  Maybe only I saw her do that, but as I read about leadership this morning, the Lord enabled me to recall her leadership by example and in humility.

I will be preparing notes on leadership for my personal growth and for future sermons.

After my reading, I spent time in prayer, praying for my own spiritual health, for the spiritual growth of my family, and for the spiritual health of the congregation of St. John's.  Relying upon God's direction and patience, let us each devote ourselves to the Lord that we would be His sheep as we growth in faith and devote ourselves to serving people in His ministry.

Psalm 121 - our help comes from the Lord

Erich