CHURCH CHAT #26

 

MOTHER GOOSE'S BABIES ARRIVED - AN UPDATE FROM APRIL 16

 
Six of the seven eggs hatched the night of the April 27th storm! The mother, father and six goslings are doing great and were up eating the morning of my birthday on April 28th. Here they are - all enjoying some stale bread I served them for breakfast. 

At first I panicked when I opened the blinds and saw the empty nest with one unhatched egg. I thought mother goose was scared away from her nest by the storm and downfall of rain and some animal had snacked on the other eggs. 

I looked out a couple of times to see if the mother had returned to the nest only to see her and her new family looking up at me with a hungry look in their eyes! I was relieved and I could not believe that her six goslings were up eating just a day after they were born during a storm! 

Even though nature is fun to watch, the last thing we needed on our condo pond was another six geese relieving themselves on the grass. Last fall, I counted at least twenty-two of them at one time! Thank God that the condo association mows the grass for us! 

I THOUGHT BEING 82 YEARS OLD WAS JUST FOR OLD PEOPLE!

REFLECTIONS ON MY 82nd BIRTHDAY

Aging is a bit like riding a roller coaster called "the Beast." When you are young, getting to the top is very slow and you grow impatient as you wait to get older and older, but once you get to the top of the highest hill (middle age) and go over the top, you start going down hill with more and more speed until you finally get to the end and have to get off! 

For some, the whole ride is fiercely scary, filled with mostly screaming and a white-knuckled hanging on for dear life!  For others, the ride is mostly fun - one screaming white-knuckled hanging on thrill-ride after another! Some are happy that it's over, while others want to do it all over again! While being very grateful for the many wonderful experiences, I am certainly not pushing to repeat it. However, I am content to coast a while toward the exit, savoring what I have just been through, without any hurry to get off this ride. 

However, I am more than happy with myself that I got up enough courage to take on "The Beast" a few times in the first place. I am more than happy to have had the many intense experiences of its ups and downs, but rather than wanting to repeat another round of "The Beast," I am hoping to try a few more different "rides" that are not so steep and body-whipping - maybe a few age-appropriate "rides" like the "Merry-Go-Round" or the "Tea-Cup?" 

Finally, when the time comes, I am looking forward to experiencing the next "thrill ride" waiting to be tried in the "great beyond" after I have had a few years to reflect on, and savor, my last great "thrill ride" called "The Beast!"   

NOT JUST ABOUT BEING "GOOD," BUT ALSO BEING "GOOD AT IT"

 

Whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,

as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

John 10:1-10

Today, we hear that familiar passage where Jesus compares sheep herding to spiritual leadership. In both the Old Testament and New Testament, God is often pictured as a shepherd and the people as his flock. Here Jesus refers to a sheepfold and its door.

At night, Palestinian shepherds co-mingled their flocks of sheep into a walled enclosure for protection. It was called a sheepfold. A sheepfold had only one door for entry in and out. In the mornings, shepherds would take turns calling their sheep and they would separate into different flocks behind their own shepherd. They would follow their own shepherd just by hearing his voice because they had spent so much time with him and he knew them each by name. They would not follow a strange voice.  Jesus compares himself to a “good” shepherd who knows his sheep by name, knows where the grass and water is located, has the skill to keep the flock safe from wandering off and knows how to protect the sheep from wolves and from thieves.

This idea is confirmed in Jesus’ teaching on “the Good Shepherd.” In that Greek text, there are at least two possible words for “good,” agathos and kalos. Agathos means “good” as in “morally good,” while kalos means “good”  as in “good at” or “effective at” something. The “Good Shepherd,” in the gospel” is said to be kalos, “good at shepherding.”

When it comes to spiritual leadership, Jesus implies in this teaching that personal holiness and goodwill alone in a designated spiritual leader are not enough. A designated spiritual leader must also be effective if he or she is to be a real spiritual leader.  In other words, today’s “good shepherds,” must not only be personally holy, they must be personally effective in their leadership roles. They must not only appreciate and value green grass and flowing water, and have their own supply of it, they must be able to seek and find it for others and be able to lead their flocks to it!

Back when I was teaching soon-to-be priests about "spiritual leadership," I realized that there were no Catholic text books readily available to use in class, so I decided to write one. It is called "The Spiritual Leadership of a Parish Priest: On Being Good and Good at It." Using this gospel, the main point of the book is that one's own personal piety is not enough for being a pastor. One needs to be "good at" leading others to holiness. I am still selling a few copies on Amazon Books. 

I was watching TV one night when it dawned on me that there are at least two very different ways to herd sheep - the Palestinian way and the Australian way. The Palestinian way, as we see in today’s gospel, is to walk in front of the sheep, gently calling them with a convincing voice, while the sheep willingly follow the shepherd to where they need to go. The Australian way is to bark and snap from behind like sheep dogs, chasing and intimidating the sheep into going where they need to go. Good shepherds lead their flocks by invitation. Sheepdogs lead their flocks by intimidation. 

It is no surprise to me, that in a time when we are losing more and more credibility as spiritual leaders, the barking and snapping style of leadership seems to be growing louder and louder and gaining more popularity, especially among those newest to spiritual leadership. I heard this from a woman just last week who complained about her young pastor always preaching about sin and damnation! Whenever we cannot influence people, with convincing voices that our people want to follow in the style of the Good Shepherd, we end up becoming barking sheepdogs. Sheepdogs may be able to drive some sheep into the pen, but more and more will, no doubt, run away from us or simply become more irritated by our barking and snapping, as was that woman who complained about her young pastor's spiritual leadership style.

I define “spiritual leadership” as the ability to influence people to move from where they are to where God wants them to be through invitation, persuasion and example.  The focus of “spiritual leadership” is on an internal movement to deeper discipleship. A good pastor must certainly be “good at” that! Along with “spiritual leadership” abilities, a good pastor must be “good at” “pastoral leadership”- the skillful use of the Church’s external rites, rituals and rules, as well as the ability to coordinate the charisms within the community.

Spiritual leadership, the ability to influence people to move where they are to where God wants them to be, is critical today. Surely, there is no doubt that organized religion has lost its ability to impose unquestioned rules of behavior on our people and that one of the most pressing needs facing Catholicism today is the quality of its priestly leadership. No amount of ranting and raving about how we ought to be listened to will change this situation. We simply must get better at our ability to influence and persuade instead of blaming the sheep for their lack of faith and the culture for its secularism and moral relativism. Nor can we merely create good tools (write new editions of the rule books), we must be able to use those tools effectively to influence people to want to follow those rules.

 

 

 

 

 

CHURCH CHAT #25

 

CHANGE: A BASIC TRUTH WE WOULD BE WISE TO ACCEPT

Heraclitus (500 BC), the ancient Greek philosopher, once famously proclaimed, "There is nothing permanent except change." This cryptic statement holds profound meaning and immense importance in our lives and the world we inhabit. Simply put, Heraclitus suggests that change is the only constant in existence, alluding to the ever-evolving nature of the universe and every aspect within it. This perspective not only challenges our perception of stability but also encourages us to embrace change rather than resist it.

In our daily lives, we often find ourselves seeking permanence and stability, yearning for certainty and security. Yet, Heraclitus reminds us that such desires may be futile. The world we live in is in a perpetual state of transformation - from the changing of seasons to the growth and decay of life itself. Everything we encounter, from the natural world to our personal experiences, is subject to change.

Understanding the impermanence of things can be both liberating and humbling. It offers a fresh perspective, allowing us to let go of our attachment to material possessions and external circumstances that we often believe define our happiness. Recognizing the transitory nature of life teaches us to find joy and meaning within ourselves, rather than relying on external factors that are subject to change.

However, delving deeper into Heraclitus' quote reveals an unexpected philosophical concept that adds richness and intrigue to the discussion. This concept is the existence of a universal pattern amidst the ever-changing chaos.

The ancient Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang beautifully illustrates this idea. Yin and Yang symbolize the duality of life, representing opposing but interconnected forces that exist in harmony and constant motion. Yin represents the receptive, feminine, and stable aspects, while Yang embodies the active, masculine, and transformative qualities. Together, they create a harmonious balance within the world, emphasizing the cyclical and interconnected nature of existence. When we contemplate the notion of change through the lens of Yin and Yang, we begin to appreciate that there is both permanence and impermanence within the larger context of the whole.

While individual aspects may change, the underlying pattern remains constant. This understanding provides a sense of comfort amidst the chaos and fosters a broader perspective, allowing us to embrace change while finding stability within the broader universal order. By grasping the concept of Yin and Yang, we can better navigate the ups and downs of life.

Understanding that change is an integral part of our existence, and that there is an underlying harmony within the chaos, empowers us to approach change with curiosity and openness. We can learn to adapt, grow, and expand our horizons with the knowledge that change is not something to be feared but embraced as an opportunity for personal and collective evolution.

In conclusion, Heraclitus' quote, "There is nothing permanent except change," serves as a profound reminder that everything in life is subject to constant transformation. While this truth can be unsettling, it also provides an incredible opportunity for growth and transformation.

Furthermore, when paired with the philosophical concept of Yin and Yang, we glimpse the underlying order within the chaos, allowing us to find stability and meaning in the ever-changing landscape of our lives. Embracing change becomes an invitation to explore our infinite potential and to participate fully in the dance of existence. So let us embrace change, with open hearts and minds, and embark on a journey of continual transformation and discovery.