meditatio at the water's edge

I want to 'push back' on something Randy wrote on back on December 2 regarding pastors and control. I was going to put it in the comments section, but it might get more response here...

I think that control is not the same as leadership. Leadership must be seen as an act of service. The lust for power is not leadership--it is greed and hubris; it is self-service. Leadership is in the position of the one who would become the servant of all--not the tyrant of all.

One of the things I think I need to be self-critical on is that I think we may have mistaken leadership for control, and may have failed to provide the leadership that has been necessary for Water's Edge. The problem for me is that I'm still learning what leadership-as-an-act-of-service looks like among us. What does leadership-as-an-act-of love look like among us?

I do think we need to let go of our lust for control, but I am not so sure that it requires us to fail to provide direction. We need to be faithful with the responsibilities that God has entrusted to us (our kingdoms under His). But to give up leadership altogether because we're afraid of falling into power games is as dangerous for us as it was for the servant who buried his Master's resources in the ground.

Fear, too, perhaps, is the opposite of love.

...more food for thought...