We looked on Wednesday at the work of Robert Greenleaf and his ideas on the servant as leader. Obviously I have reservations about the idea of the servant leader serving the perceived highest priority of the person being served. However, there is one part of Greenleaf’s idea that I think is challenging and wonderful. For Greenleaf, leadership is not about the leader being (somehow) above the person being led. It is about the leader being with the person that they serve.
Greenleaf turns the world of leadership theory upside down. Quite simply, you can’t serve someone unless you are at their level, walking with them and breathing their air. This idea could be termed as incarnational: the idea that, like Jesus coming and living among us (John.1.14), Christians need to be among those that they seek to serve. You can’t do servant leadership at long range. I find this idea wonderful because I love the idea of the church as a community: a family sharing life with each other through the week. A family joining in with each other’s pain and joys. A family caring for and helping each other in practical ways; involved in and enriching each other’s everyday life. I love that idea. But I find it challenging too because it will involve me entering into the pain of my brothers and sisters in Christ. It will involve me opening myself up to them too. It may be costly to me too and it may mean big changes in my life. For example, helping my brothers and sisters may mean Jesus asking me to move house and be nearer to those that he has placed in my life. Being the slave of Christ for my brothers and sisters could be costly for me….. But then again, serving me cost Jesus everything.
For prayer…
Read Philippians 2 and pray that Jesus will make you a good servant leader.
Some lovely music to listen to as you pray : Brother sister let me serve you.
It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, Matthew 20: 26 [NRSV]
John Martin-Jones
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