Learning to Live--and Love--FLAT

Should a pastor have to shovel snow off the sidewalks at his church?

 On Saturday night into Sunday morning we had a small snowfall preceding our much bigger one the next day. I came into church early because I thought the walks might need to be shoveled. They did. (Normally we have a service that does this, but since the snow was so slight, they hadn’t bothered. The bigger problem was that it was icy).

Of course as people came, they helped as they were able. A father got his teenage sons out of bed, and they joined the men already present and worked on it too. Several others teenager arrived and did their share as well. I was then able to go in and do our first service.

There is a philosophy that says senior pastors should be very clear about they will and will not do. They don’t have time for everything, so they shouldn’t visit people in the hospital, for instance. Leading is in itself time consuming work, so they should confine themselves to that task and leave the rest to the capable hands of the people in the congregation.

Part of the thinking behind this is that people should serve others according to their gifts, or what now are popularly referred to as their “strengths”. So if my gift is leadership, I should lead. If yours is to be helpful, you should shovel snow. We will each find joy in our respective tasks.

And actually, I do pretty much believe this. But I don’t believe that necessarily means priests or pastors should neither shovel snow nor visit the hospital. In fact, I think it’s important we do both—as long as there are other people helping us.

To me, it’s about having a flat organization. There really are no levels between our bottom and our top, no hierarchical layers. We all chip in as needed. I think a pastor gets to know his people shoveling snow beside them—and they him—in a way that might not happen in any other circumstances.

Just because I lead doesn’t mean I’m free not to care and refrain from visiting hospitals accordingly. It doesn’t mean I’m free to stop being helpful and no longer shovel snow or take out the garbage if need be. Despite what is so often taught today, leading in a church is not principally about getting people to follow. It’s about serving in such a way that we all follow God together.

There is a lot of joy for me in leading. But there is also a lot of joy in working hard with my people, whether shoveling snow in Virginia, mixing mortar in Belize, or all gathered in the church kitchen washing dishes and laughing late Saturday night after our Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance.

Comments

[Jan]

I figure the job belongs to the first one on the scene. Flat is good!

[Alex]

Hey Father Rob,
Seeing this reminded me that I had actually been meaning to thank you for a while about this very thing. It was always very encouraging to notice how you always chipped in on tasks that weren't necessarily yours to do, when you could. Thanks, and I'll see you in around 5 days.

[Coral]

Ian always says 'lead by example' - people are more likely to want to help out if you as a leader are willing to get stuck in yourself.

A truism that is not always noticed.