Anxiety

My anxiety level is high today--can't really talk about why, but it is important to note that most clergy act as "anxiety carriers" for the congregation. The only way around this is to give the anxiety, in measured doses, back to the congregation. I.e., give them something to be anxious about. That's a hard thing to do, especially if you try to run a church according to a patronal kind of model, where the priest and maybe a few key leaders are flying the plane and everyone else is supposed to sit back, watch the movie, and eat small bags of peanuts.

But churches aren't like planes, they are more like boats. In a plane the captain accomplishes nothing by announcing, "We are being chased by something, we need to go faster!" In a boat, however, especially one powered by oars, a certain amount of alarm is a great way to get people to row faster! By extension, it's perfectly good for the pastor and wardens to pass on a bit of a reality check from time to time. Otherwise, there will be no change in what the congregation contributes to the cause!

Another thing to notice about clergy anxiety is that is serves some very useful functions. It's a barometer that indicates atmospheric change. It's especially good at picking up changing levels of stress on the organizational structures that sustain function. In other words, when there is stress on any part of the system, it will often create anxiety in the leader, which is helpful to notice.

Even more intriguing is the way in which changes in anxiety levels can forecast spiritual shifts. This is particularly true with sharp changes in anxiety. Whenever that happens you know its touched a nerve with something deep.

Hmm. This moment in my day is a good time to pray, strangely enough. I think I'll go do that...

-t