When Pastor Hannah started September’s Leadership Board meeting with recitation of 1 Kings 19, I asked myself, “Hmm… wonder where she’s going with this?” By the time Hannah got halfway through the chapter, I thought to myself, “I really don’t understand this Bible passage.” I admit, I’m not an Old Testament afficionado. In fact, I’ve never read Kings or most of the books in the Old Testament, but I set aside my ignorance and decided to listen intently. At the very least, I figured I’d learn something about the Prophet Elijah, and at most, gain insight into Hannah’s leadership capabilities as she neatly coincided 1 Kings 19 with the purpose of our meeting. That she did.
Practicing what she preaches about Sophia wisdom, Hannah discerned astutely that the Board was feeling the gravity of the Capital Campaign and struggling over a roster of projects and costs that had increased by fifty percent over the past few months. The list of SUMC’s needs, which was clear and finite when the Board initiated the Capital Campaign, escalated in a mere matter of months with collapsed drainpipes and a lightning strike. By the time the Board branded the Campaign and presented Look Up Lift Up (LULU) to the congregation on September 13th, the stress over money and making ends meet was overwhelming. The Board was feeling frustrated, short-tempered (speaking for myself), and uncertain.
I guess our combined doubt was obvious, or Hannah’s connection to the Holy Spirit was finely tuned, or both, because she came to the meeting expecting our mood. She delivered a course on 1 Kings 19 and its main character, the Prophet Elijah, to remind us God knows that the weight of responsibility can be exhausting. In fact, God knows we are feeling discomfort. Heck, that’s likely right where God wants us to be… in the struggle, with a challenge, at a crossroad. And Hannah encouraged us, if we filter out the noise and share a collective calm, we will feel God’s power, hear God’s voice, and know God will lead us through this crusade.
Despite the heaviness of September’s Board meeting, I had to chuckle. Our human flaws are funny… that devout Jesus followers must be reminded about faith and the power of the mighty, mighty God of the universe. We’ve all experienced tough situations like Elijah who was exhausted yet weathered wind, an earthquake, and fire. But still, we need constant reminders that this is where God wants us to be, renewed with purpose and unwavering faith.
I’ll end with this. The four hours that the Board spent during that meeting analyzing numbers and costs and budgets and contributions and spreadsheets and schedules and sequencing and priorities were grueling. But ultimately, we realize this stuff pales in comparison to life struggles that some of you are currently going through. So, I’m here to promise you that 1 Kings 19 resonated with the Board and reinforced our commitment to being good and faithful stewards of the church, the people, and the money with which God has entrusted us.
I’m here to tell you we got this. ALL of this.
Our next Leadership Board meeting is Wednesday, October 21st at 6:30 pm in The Patton Library. As always, you are welcome to attend!
Lynn Colosi
Board Member