David Jeanneret

I found this Twelve-Step Discipline for Practicing a Life-Giving use of Power, which I think is quite nice. I was looking for some stuff about a theology of Servant Leadership and it came up. It seems to fit quite nicely with my theology of atonement (or at least it doesn’t clash) and also my ethics of non-violence:

1. I am a child of God, given life by One who loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love.
2. I am also wounded by life and crippled by fear.
3. I see fear as the force behind my dishonesty, my unbelief and my failure to love according to God’s commands.
4. I am ready to seek daily spiritual healing, that I may be released from fear and self recrimination.
5. Beholding the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth I am moved to trust his use of power, not to coerce or control but as Servant to the human longing for health and joy.
6. By the death and resurrection of Jesus I am persuaded that love defeats fear and that Servanthood is the victorious power at the heart of the universe.
7. Responding in faith, I commit my life to Jesus Christ and accept his call to Servanthood as my vocation.
8. In the light of God’s love I see the use of power for domination and deceit as Evil – for its scorn of human freedom and its corruption of human systems.
9. I give thanks for the Grace of forgiveness in Jesus Christ that frees me from sin, building in me the fearlessness to use my powers lovingly and truthfully.
10. I practice prayer as a waiting upon that Grace, trusting to be guided by God and armed against all misuses of power from within and without.
11. As a servant I choose to love God by loving life in the world, practicing integrity for myself, compassion toward others and care for all creation.
12. As a leader I hold a vision of power used for justice and peace, striving to shape accordingly the systems of human interaction which I can influence, directly and by prayers of intercession: my home, my church, my work and the social order world-wide.

Filed under: Theology on April 20th, 2005