I mentioned earlier that I’m starting to dig hard into Reggie McNeal’s A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders. Right off the bat, Reggie tells a couple of stories to illustrate the point and purpose of his book…
I could hear it in his voice. He wanted out. After only a year in his new pastorate, Frank was ready to throw in the towel. In fact, he was not sure he even wanted to remain in the ministry. This was his third church. At first, it had seemed to be a fresh opportunity. Now it felt all too familiar. He had been here before – but in another location. The names, faces and scenery had changed but not the plot. The people were good people. They treated him well, but they differed in ministry values and agenda. Frank wanted to reach out to the community; the church seemed content to look after its own. The knowledge that it would take three to five years to shift thier thinking, accompanied by resistance and pain, further discouraged him. He could not stay at it that long, he said. His emotional reserves were depleted. Now, in his mid-forties, Frank questioned whether he wanted to do this the rest of his life. In short, he had lost heart. The lesson: when a leader loses heart, he loses. (p. ix)
I wonder if Frank’s story resonates with anyone else? I wonder if you could insert other names in place of Frank’s…Bob, Tom, Dave, Randy, Joe…Charlie?
