Lead with Love: Faith, Democracy & Servant Leadership
Dear Fellow Americans-
We give thanks for you always.
We see the good that you are doing like…
Using your voices
● Standing up
● Serving others
● Being mindful of the issues out there and confronting them
● Voting
We pray that God will bless you with….
● Open minds and open hearts
● A willingness to dialogue
● Wisdom and integrity
● Peaceful action
● Courage
● Hope for the future
We look forward to….
● A new day with
● Safety and respect for all people
● Peace in the world and in our hearts…
● An end to war
● Better outcomes than we can possibly imagine
● A Truly UNITED States in OUR America
The amazing grace of our Beloved God be with you, United States of America!
~ Members of the BeLoved Community
Sacred Practices Treasure Chest - Using St. Paul’s Format to Write a Letter… and Pray
The letter above was crafted during a recent BeLoved prayer service. Each Sunday morning service includes an opportunity to develop “Our Sacred Practices Treasure Chest.”
For this exercise, we used St. Paul’s format to offer a letter to our American siblings as we head to the polls… St. Paul followed a standard format in his letters - of acknowledging, praising, thanking, praying for, sharing wisdom and ending with a blessing!
As we head to the polls - so many people are feeling hopeless. In June as we prepared to celebrate our country’s 250th birthday, only 29% of Americans were satisfied with the way things were going in our country. Only 40% thought our best years were ahead of us. YIKES! We need some of the hope and gratitude that Paul wrote about. That is what we offered in the letter above. May it be so!
If you want info on the BeLoved community’s prayer services, just fill out this form. No obligation to come! You’ll receive a weekly notice about the topic of the service and the link!
Rev. AndreaGrace’s Prayerful Ponderings: The Way Continues Through Us - Servant Leaders Building the KinDom
Christianity Began in People's Homes
Truly, Christianity—the movement of Christ’s followers, known as The Way—began on the road of life, in people's homes, around their tables, and in their communities.
Think about the people who followed Jesus.
People like Andrew and his brother Peter, Peter’s wife, and his mother-in-law, who, after being healed by Jesus, got up and deaconed—served others.
People like Salome, Zebedee, and their sons, James and John.
And later, Paul and Timothy, who encountered Lydia, a businesswoman and woman of faith. She and her household were baptized, and she opened her home as a gathering place for a Christ-community.
We also know about Prisca and Aquila, a married couple who hosted a church in their home. And Junia, whom Paul recognized as outstanding among the apostles!
So, I wonder...
Who were the leaders in these communities? How did they emerge? How did they lead?
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Gifts
They were ordinary people, like you and me.
People doing what they could, sharing what they had, following Jesus’ example of LovingKindness, inclusion, and freedom.
They were servant-leaders, following Jesus the Christ, who knelt down and washed His disciples’ feet, who died on the cross for His radical beliefs.
Each person was anointed, baptized, graced with different gifts—just as our bodies have different parts, each with an important role to play.
Some were teachers, organizers, healers, or prophets. Others had homes to share, resources to offer, or the gift of bringing people together.
Leaders emerged because of their gifts, their vision, and their willingness to serve. Their callings were recognized by the communities around them.
And they were in communities - with companions - who shared the same values and vision - although they sometimes disagreed on how to bring about the vision.
On a very personal level, I remember at my priestly ordination, Michele offering a witness testimony about my call to serve. And then my bishop proclaiming, “We choose you!”
What a powerful moment!
In many ways, it was a formal recognition of what happened in those early Christ-communities—God calling someone, and the community recognizing and affirming that call.
And look what has emerged! Our own BeLoved Inclusive Catholic Community, where we gather in our homes, share our gifts, and follow Jesus’ Way of LovingKindness.
Leadership wasn't simply about holding a position of power. It was about answering a call to serve.
From Bunker Hill to Independence Hall
In some ways, we can see a parallel in the beginnings of our own country.
How did we get from Bunker Hill to Independence Hall?
People gathered in homes, churches, taverns, and meetinghouses. They questioned. They debated.
They organized. They took action.
And leaders emerged.
George Washington became a central leader, serving alongside soldiers on the battlefield.
And I'm certain Martha played an important role, too! After all, behind every great man is often an even greater woman!
We certainly know that was true of John and Abigail Adams. Abigail famously urged John to "remember the ladies."
Of course, our nation's beginnings were far from perfect. And the work of creating a more just and inclusive society continues today.
When Movements Become Institutions
Something similar happened in Christianity.
Those early Christ-communities gradually developed more formal structures. And in the fourth century, Christianity became closely connected with the Roman Empire.
Over time, the Church became increasingly hierarchical, with authority concentrated in the hands of a few. The KinDoms became kingdoms.
Our government, too, developed complex institutions and hierarchies. Our presidents no longer lead soldiers on the battlefield as Washington once did.
Now, structures aren't necessarily bad. Communities need organization and leadership.
But I wonder…
What happens when maintaining an institution becomes more important than serving people?
When power becomes more important than LovingKindness?
When rules become more important than relationships?
And perhaps the most important question is:
How are WE being called to lead?
Three Invitations to Live Our Faith
I offer three invitations.
First: Let us be servant-leaders right where we are.
On the ground, in our homes, our neighborhoods, and along the Main Streets of our country, we can choose to exemplify Jesus’ Way of LovingKindness.
We can be Christ for one another.
Our homes can become safe havens where people are welcomed, nurtured, empowered, and liberated.
We don't need a title or official position to lead.
We simply need to recognize the gifts God has given us and use them to serve others.
Just like Lydia. Just like Prisca and Aquila. Just like those first Christ-followers.
Second: Let us prayerfully participate in our democracy.
Let us learn about the questions on our ballots, consider the issues, and then vote.
May we reflect on the qualities Jesus modeled: humility, wisdom, compassion, courage, justice, and
LovingKindness.
May we seek for those qualities in the people on the ballots - looking beyond political party labels.
May we thoughtfully consider the words, actions, and records of those seeking to lead AND the people who surround them.
Our faith isn't something we practice only on Sunday mornings. It's something we're invited to live
every day!
Third: Let us ask God, "What is mine to do?"
We can pray for our country and our Church.
We can pray for our leaders and those whose voices are not being heard.
But let's not stop there.
Let's ask God:
Where am I being called to bring healing?
Whom am I being invited to welcome or stand beside?
What gifts have I been given that I have not yet fully shared?
And then—let's listen.
Not just with our ears, but with our hearts.
Because if we truly ask and listen, we may be surprised by what emerges!
The Way Continues Through Us
The Way didn't end with those first Christ-communities. The Way continues through us!
May we have the willingness to listen, the wisdom to discern, and the courage to do what God is asking us to do.
Amen.
On a much smaller, more personal level…
A few years ago, I felt a stirring, a gentle pull to join a community chorus.
So, I followed that nudge. I walked in, found a seat, and settled in.
The choir director welcomed us and pulled out the very first song we would sing:
“Lead with Love.”
My eyes filled with tears. What a God-wink!
In that moment, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.
Sometimes, when we listen to those gentle stirrings of the Spirit, God surprises us in the most beautiful ways.
And so, I invite you to listen to that same song, performed by our chorus at our concert.
May we each find our own way to Lead with Love.
Expanding Our Image of the Divine
Have you thought about
Jesus with the title Servant-Leaders OR
The Holy Spirit, as The One Who Inspires
Holy Wisdom
1) Isaiah 45:1, 4-8: The CCL explains: The reading from “Isaiah” likely dates from the Exilic or post Exilic period. This prophet is a prophet of hope. In verse 1, the prophet imagines the new emperor of Babylon, Cyrus, as the one who will release the Judeans from their captivity in Babylon and perhaps assist those who wish to return to Judah. Ironically, Cyrus was the son of an Iranian nobleman, who united the local tribes in Iran before founding the Neo-Babylonian Empire, the largest empire of his time. Cyrus came to be considered the father of the Iranian monarchy. Although a great military leader, Cyrus is remembered and celebrated for his unprecedented religious tolerance, cultural understanding, and benevolent attitude toward his defeated subjects.* Note that scholars concur that the prophet was speaking to their times, not to some extraordinarily distant future event. Cyrus, despite his non-Jewish religious views allowed the Judeans who wanted to leave Babylon and return to their homeland, to do so. After reading this passage from Isaiah, take a holy pause. - Reread the passage… and notice what God does for God’s anointed ones - which includes you and me!
2) The Psalms are all types of prayers that were meant to be sung. Our first reading compares justice to nature. We can explore that with the song Let Justice Roll like a River
3) Paul's 1st Letter to the Thessalonians 1:1-5ab: The CCL explains: The Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy begin a letter to the church at Thessalonica with words of joy, peace, and gratitude. They celebrate the church’s works of faith, labors of love and their “endurance in hope of Jesus the Christ, in the presence of our God.” Paul acknowledges that the gospel came to them not only through his words, but through the Holy Spirit and the authenticity of their response and conviction.
4) Matthew 20:17-28: The CCL explains: The gospel reading begins with the THIRD Passion Proclamation in which Jesus shares his impending suffering and death (as opposed to his installment as King of Judah). Anyone who truly heard and understood Jesus’ proclamation of the passion, would not ask to sit at his right hand or left. The request to sit at Jesus’ right hand or left – in Jesus’ time – assumes the disciples’ expectation that Jesus will become a “king” in the historical sense and rule as “king” over Judah. Even at this late stage of Jesus’ ministry, his closest associates still misunderstand the character of his mission.
Music to Lift our Spirits
Man in the Mirror - A beautiful rendition by One Voice Children’s Choir
How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin - an uplifting song to praise our God - with the image of God as King of people and nature!
Spiritual Companions - Teresa of Avila
October 15 is the Feast of St. Teresa of Avila. She lived in the 1500s in Spain. Theresa was a nun in the Carmelite order. She received visions that guided her to help lead reform in the Catholic Church. She may be most known for her sharings about the “interior castle” of the heart. As we explore leadership, to be most effective wherever we are called to lead it is important to cultivate our relationship with the Divine. When we retreat to the Interior Castle, the Divine fills us with vision, wisdom and grace to make effective decisions and communicate them clearly. St. Teresa of Avila is the first female Doctor of the Catholic Church - “doctor” meaning she advanced our understanding of God. May St. Theresa of Avila accompany us on our journeys.
A Blessing for Your Journey
Rev. AndreaGrace penned this blessing based onexcerpts of St Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, chapters 1
My BeLoved Siblings
Be blessed with knowing that it is our BeLoved God who
has called you by name
and grasps your hand to lead on the road of your life
Be blessed with antagonizers who are quickly disarmed
Be strengthened with each passing day, knowing God love’s more intimately
Be blessed in the light and the darkness, the joys and pains, the seasons of plenty and the disasters of life
May the Amazing Grace of our Beloved God be with you now and alwaysAmen.
PS –
Please forward this post to someone who has inspired you in their leadership OR someone who needs some hope!
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