The latest reading group at the Pastor's Academy was on Monday. We tackled Mark Meynell's book on depression in ministry. There were about six of us, including a new recruit from south of the river. I was chairing. We were generally happy with the book although we thought some of it was strange and found it difficult to think who exactly we might pass it on to. Depression is a difficult subject, of course, and the good thing is that someone has bravely tacked the subject in relation to ministry. I liked this quotation on Pages 178, 179
The people who scare me most are the leaders who admit no weakness. They are either living in a super-spiritual fog without self-awareness ... or they wish they could admit it, but are too scared of the repercussions in over-critical and graceless church cultures, and so, perhaps, over-compensate by polishing the facade of ‘sortedness’... or they are plain old hypocrites. As someone once put it, never trust a leader without a limp. How else can any of us be brought to the end of ourselves enough to be forced to throw ourselves on God’s mercy? We’re all too proud ... by nature. But a limp is hard to hide - and, in fact, does not need to be hidden ... leaders who limp are those who are weak and know it, but are not threatened by it. They have no alternative but to trust God. They know they cannot manage on their own; they simply don’t have it in them. And yet still they lead, and even thrive. For that only God can take credit. That is how it was always meant to be for anyone in Christian ministry.
We meet again in the Autumn to look at F V Fesko's Last things first.
The people who scare me most are the leaders who admit no weakness. They are either living in a super-spiritual fog without self-awareness ... or they wish they could admit it, but are too scared of the repercussions in over-critical and graceless church cultures, and so, perhaps, over-compensate by polishing the facade of ‘sortedness’... or they are plain old hypocrites. As someone once put it, never trust a leader without a limp. How else can any of us be brought to the end of ourselves enough to be forced to throw ourselves on God’s mercy? We’re all too proud ... by nature. But a limp is hard to hide - and, in fact, does not need to be hidden ... leaders who limp are those who are weak and know it, but are not threatened by it. They have no alternative but to trust God. They know they cannot manage on their own; they simply don’t have it in them. And yet still they lead, and even thrive. For that only God can take credit. That is how it was always meant to be for anyone in Christian ministry.
We meet again in the Autumn to look at F V Fesko's Last things first.
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