Leadership

Leadership

Today’s Scripture Selection: John 16:13

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

When Jesus spoke of the time when he would leave his disciples; it frightened them.  Not only did they not want to go on without him; they didn’t see how they possibly could.  And they certainly wondered how they would manage to fulfill their own calling; the ministry they were to do in his name.

So he comforted them by speaking about the Spirit.

And he reminded them that they would be led by the Spirit – each step of the way ahead – even the difficult ones.

How wonderful it is that, two thousand years later, we can still hold on to that very leadership.

When we are

  • Uncertain
  • Afraid
  • Confused
  • Feeling confronted
  • Feeling inadequate

We too can hold on to that wonderful promise:

“When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”

In a world that seems increasingly difficult to understand; in a world that seems increasingly hostile – we are not left to find our own way.  We are given, in the Spirit, over and over again, “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

Following that lead – how can we go far wrong?

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for leading me “in the Spirit”.

By Paul Simrell

The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program. Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

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