In the time between the resurrection and ascension John gives us yet another picture of restoration that Jesus’ resurrection has set in motion. Just after dawn, after an unsuccessful night of fishing, Peter and the disciples with him are returning to shore. As they near land, there is just enough light to see that there is someone they do not recognize on the beach. The stranger calls to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” “No,” they say. It cannot have been unusual for villagers to meet the boats as they came in to buy and barter for the freshest fish. But what happens next surely did not happen every day. “Cast your net to the right side of the boat and you will find some.” The disciples do it, and their net is filled to overflowing! Here is John’s feeding of the multitude; God’s abundance in what was to these fishermen an everyday action. The disciples quickly recognize the sign and put two and two together. The beloved disciple tells Peter, “It is the Lord!”

This is a wonderful encounter with the risen Lord, and it sets up the conversation between Jesus and Peter that occurs after they had all shared breakfast together. There is no doubt in my mind that Peter still had to be dealing with the fact that on the night before Jesus was crucified, he, Peter, had vehemently denied him three times. Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Commenters on this passage say that this three-times question echoed Peter’s three denials. But what struck me reflecting on this scripture and essentials of leadership is that Jesus question and Peter’s answer form the foundation for future ministry, both Peter’s and our own. Love is the foundation of all ministry whether we are laity or clergy. The desire to be known, to make a name for ourselves, to make a difference in our world, or to have our name live on after us are all motivators; we see them play out in the world around us all the time. There can be, and I’m sure are, many varied motivations for ministry, but none of them lasts, none of them protects both the one who leads (in whatever capacity) and those who follow except love; the love of Jesus.

A second critical part of leadership that flows from love is spending time with the one whom we love. We are all called to be the beloved disciple. As others in their reflections have brought out, it is essential for us as leaders to spend intentional time with God. The gospel writers mention many times where Jesus took time to go apart from his disciples, from the crowds that followed him, and just be with God. With all the demands on his time and the stress of his life, Jesus needed time to be with God and in the quiet of that time to rest and recharge. It would be easy for Jesus to make it all about himself; time with God kept him centered and in God’s will.

As I have reflected over these months about what I would write about, these two things, love as the foundation of leadership and the importance of spending intentional, regular time with God seemed to be where the Spirit was leading me. But recently, a third critical factor came to mind: the importance of seeing things as they are and leading from that perspective. Especially now, it is tempting to want to pull the covers over our head and just ignore the tumult all around us; but If we are truly going to lead/walk with people to places of health and wholeness (and not just to a place of our own wishful thinking), we must have the courage and strength lead from the real world. The world watches and questions what we do (and I believe they have the right to do so) to see if we are genuine. Our genuineness comes from leading/walking in the real world. Love that is real and not just manipulative must be done in the real world. Our taking time to be with the real, holy, and living one must be done in the real world or we risk simply communing with a god of our own making. If we are to help people see and experience God as the real, holy, and living one, we must exercise (which calls for discipline and practice) courage and strength to meet people where they actually are at that moment and not where they or we would like to pretend they are. Courage and strength come from love of God and love of neighbor and are further strengthened with intentional and regular time with God. With these things working together we will be, as we labor in the vineyard together, the leaders we are called to be.

In the time between the resurrection and ascension John gives us yet another picture of restoration that Jesus’ resurrection has set in motion. Just after dawn, after an unsuccessful night of fishing, Peter and the disciples with him are returning to shore. As they near land, there is just enough light to see that there is someone they do not recognize on the beach. The stranger calls to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” “No,” they say. It cannot have been unusual for villagers to meet the boats as they came in to buy and barter for the freshest fish. But what happens next surely did not happen every day. “Cast your net to the right side of the boat and you will find some.” The disciples do it, and their net is filled to overflowing! Here is John’s feeding of the multitude; God’s abundance in what was to these fishermen an everyday action. The disciples quickly recognize the sign and put two and two together. The beloved disciple tells Peter, “It is the Lord!”

This is a wonderful encounter with the risen Lord, and it sets up the conversation between Jesus and Peter that occurs after they had all shared breakfast together. There is no doubt in my mind that Peter still had to be dealing with the fact that on the night before Jesus was crucified, he, Peter, had vehemently denied him three times. Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Commenters on this passage say that this three-times question echoed Peter’s three denials. But what struck me reflecting on this scripture and essentials of leadership is that Jesus question and Peter’s answer form the foundation for future ministry, both Peter’s and our own. Love is the foundation of all ministry whether we are laity or clergy. The desire to be known, to make a name for ourselves, to make a difference in our world, or to have our name live on after us are all motivators; we see them play out in the world around us all the time. There can be, and I’m sure are, many varied motivations for ministry, but none of them lasts, none of them protects both the one who leads (in whatever capacity) and those who follow except love; the love of Jesus.

A second critical part of leadership that flows from love is spending time with the one whom we love. We are all called to be the beloved disciple. As others in their reflections have brought out, it is essential for us as leaders to spend intentional time with God. The gospel writers mention many times where Jesus took time to go apart from his disciples, from the crowds that followed him, and just be with God. With all the demands on his time and the stress of his life, Jesus needed time to be with God and in the quiet of that time to rest and recharge. It would be easy for Jesus to make it all about himself; time with God kept him centered and in God’s will.

As I have reflected over these months about what I would write about, these two things, love as the foundation of leadership and the importance of spending intentional, regular time with God seemed to be where the Spirit was leading me. But recently, a third critical factor came to mind: the importance of seeing things as they are and leading from that perspective. Especially now, it is tempting to want to pull the covers over our head and just ignore the tumult all around us; but If we are truly going to lead/walk with people to places of health and wholeness (and not just to a place of our own wishful thinking), we must have the courage and strength lead from the real world. The world watches and questions what we do (and I believe they have the right to do so) to see if we are genuine. Our genuineness comes from leading/walking in the real world. Love that is real and not just manipulative must be done in the real world. Our taking time to be with the real, holy, and living one must be done in the real world or we risk simply communing with a god of our own making. If we are to help people see and experience God as the real, holy, and living one, we must exercise (which calls for discipline and practice) courage and strength to meet people where they actually are at that moment and not where they or we would like to pretend they are. Courage and strength come from love of God and love of neighbor and are further strengthened with intentional and regular time with God. With these things working together we will be, as we labor in the vineyard together, the leaders we are called to be.