Eyes Wide Open

Hebrews 13:17 (NRSV)
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing–for that would be harmful to you.

I recently co-conducted a Memorial Service for a 97 year-old man and it was the first I’ve done since being ordained in September. I had visited this dear gentleman in the hospital while making a weekly visit just prior to his death; his lovely wife was at his side, as she had been for over 67 years. It was quite remarkable.

My friend and fellow laborer, Elaine, was so gracious in walking me through her “best practices” when it comes to crafting a Memorial Service. But here’s where being an unoriginal original really sticks for me: When we sat with this family to share stories, when we prayed with them prior to the service, when we stood by them at the graveside, she not only shared with me the nuances you won’t find in a text book, she modeled them for me.

Why is this so important, this “do what I do” and “say what I say” encouragement that comes from mentors and leaders? For one, this was how Jesus did life with the disciples. The whole follow me notion is really quite remarkable. But why?

It seems the “default” mode for most people when faced with any number of tasks, problems, or circumstances, is to simply do the same thing you did last time. So…people get busy, life happens, and in a time crunch something always gets pinched from the process. For example, when I conduct the next Memorial Service, I will first look back and see what I did the last time. Unless it was an absolute train-wreck, I will probably use the very same template. So maybe the last time wasn’t a train-wreck, but maybe it wasn’t anything substantive and transformational either. In order to conduct weddings, funerals, or even baptisms that are very bit as formative the 100th time as they were the first, then the first ones must be carefully and prayerfully crafted (this is not to say that these things won’t evolve through time, but the initial building blocks will always be in place).

So, whether you are preparing a forecast, trying a court case, interviewing for a job, or training for a marathon, ever think that maybe God has put in your way certain people in leadership positions? Perhaps, if you pay attention, you might somehow learn from their very best practices as you are make your way in becoming a tool in the hand of the Master Craftsman…