2 Comments

  1. Victoria Nimmo-Walters
    June 28, 2018 @ 1:10 PM

    “Winding them up to watch them go!” What great imagery! I can’t think of anything that’s more personally rewarding to a leader than to watch their team take ownership of “the lesson” and put it to work in their lives.

    As a leader of small groups I delight in throwing out an idea and sitting back to watch what my peeps will do with it. Sometimes it’s a project (like one of our Women’s Guild annual events: Breakfast with Santa, Baby Shower for Charity, or Trunk-or-Treat,) other times it’s a question designed to foster one to internal scrutiny as a means of learning more about oneself.

    On the project front, it can seem ‘disorganized’ as the ladies form themselves into committees, each committee taking on its role as though that ‘little part’ is the only one of significance – but when it all comes together, the end result proves greater than the sum of its parts. Then there are accolades, and I get much more of the ‘credit’ than I actually deserve. Whereas with the probing questions (something I employ regularly on my ‘second level’ grief recovery group for widows and widowers) each person works alone in their scrutiny–and then some choose to bring what they’ve learned about themselves for group discussion, while others choose not to. In either case, my role remains in the background, secondary to their work.

    I think Paul’s focus here–as in much of his writings–is to incite that kind of self-scrutiny; the kind of inner examination that leads to a deeper faith formation; that encourages his readers to quantify their belief into the reality of their very existence. As he sees the results of them doing that, I think you captured very well how elated he must have felt watching them GO! after he had wound them up.

    • Annette Vincent
      July 1, 2018 @ 3:39 AM

      I’m so grateful to hear your experience with this message! I enjoy hearing what God brings out of our time together. I’ve been missing the feedback too. 🙂