Faithful Risking A Practice of Spiritual Leadership

Dark dirt with a hand sewing seeds and many completed rows; 'Faithful Risking' is superimposed in white lettering.

Another practice of Spiritual Leadership in congregations is faithful risking. Spiritual Leadership calls us to risk stretching beyond where we are comfortable, beyond what we think we are capable of in the name of Love and Justice. This kind of stretch is how our congregations reinvent themselves, adapt to new realities, and renew our historic covenant.

By Faithful Risking, we mean choosing to take action even though the outcome is uncertain and things may not go as we intend or plan — and we risk losing something we value.

Sometimes we have to choose to move, to take a risk, or to stretch beyond our comfort. Sometimes we are flung into motion when risks come whether we welcome them or not. This was the case at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, which required sudden, radical changes to almost every aspect of congregational life.

We can, individually and collectively, meet these situations faithfully or not. That is a choice that is always before us. To what extent we will live aligned with our values? And what will we risk for that alignment?

Practice Makes Possible

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