The idea for this inspirational piece was birthed recently at a sporting event. Sports have been an important part of my life for a long time. There are many aspects of sports that I would claim have made my life better and happier. I don’t want to talk about that, however. Instead I want to take the time to reflect on and develop an insight that came to me. I would not claim it is original, but it is original to me.
I attended a sports event where the action was intense and high contested. The play was at a consistently high level. The outcome was in doubt. My own college team was involved, so I felt invested and certainly had my favorite. But the play was so good, I would have felt ok even if “we” lost. But we didn’t, which made the experience that much sweeter. The two teams were playing hard, but with respect for each other. You knew at the end, everyone would shake hands and agree the contest was intense and fun. And because the two teams are good, we all know somewhere down the road they will face each other again.
We have a fairly large roster for that sport. I know the coach has tried to play all the folks some during the season. Some games have been easier, so the less talented players on our team have seen action in the game. But this past night, it was clear our average players would never see any action. They would play a supportive role. That’s when I began to think about them. I opened myself to what they were doing and how they could become my teachers. They did a good job and so I want to share what they taught me.
They were at the end of the bench. While everyone harbored some hope that they might play, I am sure if they were honest, they would have told you there was no way---barring an injury---any of them would be going into action. I watched them jump, yell and give high fives. I was touched as I watched a couple of them get the cups of water ready for the next time-out. Immediately, I thought about my own commitment to Robert Greenleaf’s idea of servant-leadership. They were not on ego trips.
These end-of-the-bench players must have known none of them were going to be feted if the team won. They were not going to be the MVP of the game. No adulation would come their way. In some sense they were invisible. Of course, everyone knew they were there, but in some sense no spotlight would shine on them. And yet their role was crucial to the success of the evening.
The connection I want to make is the connection between that team and the spiritual community, which I feel is so necessary for the “spiritual game” of life that we all are playing. As I thought more into the matter, it was easy to see how the end-of-the-bench players could have poisoned that game. Had they possessed big egos, they would likely have pouted instead of putting others before themselves. They surely would have complained. Big egos have a way of souring other folks experience when the big ego does not get her or his own way. Some people simply cannot accept not being the center of attention.
Effective spiritual communities must have good end-of-the-bench players. Some characteristics of these folks are high commitment to the team and community. They need to be humble, but confident. Every person on the end of the bench knows that something might happen and their name is called. It is not easy to be ready for action and yet know that likely you will see no action. The same is true for the spiritual community. We may normally be consigned to a backup, supportive role. And yet we have to be ready for something more. God or someone else may call our number and we have to be ready to step up.
A spiritual community is made up of players, just like the team. We all make the same commitment---to be called, disciplined and ready for action. But the team and community comes first. Usually I have a role, but I have to be ready for any other role. I spend a great deal of time talking about culture. Teams have cultures and spiritual communities have cultures. Simplistically speaking, a culture is how people think, feel and act.
If I am a prima donna, the culture cannot be healthy. I think about the Israelites in the wilderness. There was disappointment, grumbling, murmuring and surely no one was having any fun! I would go so far as to suggest the end-of-the-bench players may have more power to determine culture than do the main players on a team or in a community. Another way of putting it is to suggest a good leader is made by followers.
End-of-the-benchers are key players, but seldom does anyone recognize their crucial role. In a spiritual community, it is the end-of-the-bench member offers the support, nurture and care that makes the community so precious and valuable. I have been fortunate enough to fill both roles. I have been a front-line player and I have been privileged to be at the end of the bench. In a spiritual community, it should not matter. Like a sports team, we are all on the same spiritual team. But unlike sports, spiritual communities are not competing. We can all be winners.
Winners always rely on the end of the bench. Spiritually speaking, that is where God and the Spirit are more likely to be reflected most clearly.
I attended a sports event where the action was intense and high contested. The play was at a consistently high level. The outcome was in doubt. My own college team was involved, so I felt invested and certainly had my favorite. But the play was so good, I would have felt ok even if “we” lost. But we didn’t, which made the experience that much sweeter. The two teams were playing hard, but with respect for each other. You knew at the end, everyone would shake hands and agree the contest was intense and fun. And because the two teams are good, we all know somewhere down the road they will face each other again.
We have a fairly large roster for that sport. I know the coach has tried to play all the folks some during the season. Some games have been easier, so the less talented players on our team have seen action in the game. But this past night, it was clear our average players would never see any action. They would play a supportive role. That’s when I began to think about them. I opened myself to what they were doing and how they could become my teachers. They did a good job and so I want to share what they taught me.
They were at the end of the bench. While everyone harbored some hope that they might play, I am sure if they were honest, they would have told you there was no way---barring an injury---any of them would be going into action. I watched them jump, yell and give high fives. I was touched as I watched a couple of them get the cups of water ready for the next time-out. Immediately, I thought about my own commitment to Robert Greenleaf’s idea of servant-leadership. They were not on ego trips.
These end-of-the-bench players must have known none of them were going to be feted if the team won. They were not going to be the MVP of the game. No adulation would come their way. In some sense they were invisible. Of course, everyone knew they were there, but in some sense no spotlight would shine on them. And yet their role was crucial to the success of the evening.
The connection I want to make is the connection between that team and the spiritual community, which I feel is so necessary for the “spiritual game” of life that we all are playing. As I thought more into the matter, it was easy to see how the end-of-the-bench players could have poisoned that game. Had they possessed big egos, they would likely have pouted instead of putting others before themselves. They surely would have complained. Big egos have a way of souring other folks experience when the big ego does not get her or his own way. Some people simply cannot accept not being the center of attention.
Effective spiritual communities must have good end-of-the-bench players. Some characteristics of these folks are high commitment to the team and community. They need to be humble, but confident. Every person on the end of the bench knows that something might happen and their name is called. It is not easy to be ready for action and yet know that likely you will see no action. The same is true for the spiritual community. We may normally be consigned to a backup, supportive role. And yet we have to be ready for something more. God or someone else may call our number and we have to be ready to step up.
A spiritual community is made up of players, just like the team. We all make the same commitment---to be called, disciplined and ready for action. But the team and community comes first. Usually I have a role, but I have to be ready for any other role. I spend a great deal of time talking about culture. Teams have cultures and spiritual communities have cultures. Simplistically speaking, a culture is how people think, feel and act.
If I am a prima donna, the culture cannot be healthy. I think about the Israelites in the wilderness. There was disappointment, grumbling, murmuring and surely no one was having any fun! I would go so far as to suggest the end-of-the-bench players may have more power to determine culture than do the main players on a team or in a community. Another way of putting it is to suggest a good leader is made by followers.
End-of-the-benchers are key players, but seldom does anyone recognize their crucial role. In a spiritual community, it is the end-of-the-bench member offers the support, nurture and care that makes the community so precious and valuable. I have been fortunate enough to fill both roles. I have been a front-line player and I have been privileged to be at the end of the bench. In a spiritual community, it should not matter. Like a sports team, we are all on the same spiritual team. But unlike sports, spiritual communities are not competing. We can all be winners.
Winners always rely on the end of the bench. Spiritually speaking, that is where God and the Spirit are more likely to be reflected most clearly.
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