“Those are our former clerks of session” he said. “Most of them get so burned out that they leave the church when their term is over. Sometimes they come back and sometimes not.” The memories of these former elders were like ghosts floating around the church, silently reminding us that being an active elder can be dangerous to our spiritual health.
There are many things congregations and pastors can do to create a positive, sustaining climate for the spiritual leadership of elders. But what about the elders themselves? How can they take responsibility for their own spiritual health and welfare while serving on session?
Claim their dependence on God
Elders are spiritual leaders, and spiritual leaders are called to bear fruit. They look for results from what they do that changes people’s lives, the world, and their church for the better. Where does such fruit come from? Does it come from their efforts or does God do it?
Jesus’ words about vines and branches point beyond the “who does what” question to a vital organic relationship between believer and God, disciple and Lord. If this relationship is close, believers will bear fruit. If it is not close enough to be life giving, there will be no fruit, or at least not fruit that will last (John 15:16). The relationship itself empowers elders and others to bear fruit.
How do we get this kind of relationship? Jesus tells us that it is ours for the asking. Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me (Rev. 3:20). We do not have to create the relationship or earn it. It is all about receiving and being grateful to the One who has called us. The empowering Holy Spirit is also ours for the asking. Jesus promises that God will give us what we need to be faithful when he says, If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13) The Holy Spirit is the living presence of Christ in our world today. As elders open themselves to receive that presence, they will bear fruit. Remember why they do what they do
Many who give their time and effort in church leadership seldom stop to remember why they do it. The joy of their call and ordination can fade, leaving them ruing the day they said yes to the nominating committee. To keep the spiritual focus sharp, it is good for them to pause regularly to get back in touch with their deepest motivation for the work of spiritual leadership.
One way to do this is to go back and remember their history with God — reflect on how God blessed them in their 20s, 40s, 60s, or as a child, a teenager, young adult, etc. One helpful exercise is to write down major events for each stage or age, how they experienced God’s presence in their lives during that time, the people God used to bless them, and how they can see God’s good providence at work during that period of life. Remembering their call and ordination, what it meant to be chosen to serve, what it felt like to have the elder’s hands on their head — this simple exercise can help them regain their perspective and can open up an energizing well of gratitude in their hearts and minds.
In trying times it is also good to stop and be grasped anew by the truth that they are not simply doing volunteer work. They have answered a call to serve the Lord and head of the church, Jesus Christ. The ultimate responsibility is to Christ, not to the members of the church. Remember: wearing his yoke is the way to freedom. Wearing the yoke of the congregation is the way to burnout.
Gather the manna daily
Exodus 16 tells how God nourished the children of Israel while they were traveling through the desert. A fine, flaky substance fell upon the ground and the people were told to gather it, cook it, and eat it. This was manna, their “bread,” and it would strengthen them for the journey. God still provides what we need to be God’s faithful people and to serve God. God has provided all kinds of nourishments for us including worship, prayer, Bible study, and meditation, groups for support, conferences, classes, and sacraments. Spiritual nourishment is always available to us. It is our responsibility to gather the manna day by day.
It would be nice if we could gather it every now and then and live on that experience without making the regular effort. However, this plan is about as practical as someone who decides to eat physical food only once a month or once a year. When the Israelites tried to gather several days’ worth of manna at a time, they found it spoiled by the next day.
So it is with that glow from the church conference you attended or the message of the wonderful book you read last month. These will soon lose their power and become a vague memory. The best thing is to find your most effective way to gather spiritual nourishment and to do it as often as you can. This regular communion with God will transform your life and give you the resources to be fruitful.
There is no infallible formula for making sure that elders will end their terms on session feeling more energized and deeply connected to God and their churches than when they started. These practices, however, tend in that direction, and as they open themselves to the provision that comes from Christ through the Holy Spirit, they will be sustained, encouraged, and empowered.
Joan S. Gray is a minister-at-large in the Greater Atlanta Presbytery. She recently concluded a two-year term as moderator of the 217th General Assembly. She is co-author of Presbyterian Polity for Church Officers. This article was adapted from the book, “Spiritual Leadership for Church Officers” to be published by Westminster John Knox Press in fall 2009.
