Tenison Woods and MacKillop Centre News: Be transformed

Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus. ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.

Mark 9:2 - 8

There are moments in our lives that are totally transformative. They are moments of inspiration, realization, acceptance, unveiling, creativity, or ecstasy. It is at these junctures that we move from one understanding or perception to another: the change may well be graduated, or instantaneous. But the effect is the same. The person I was before this change was effected is in some subtle or less than subtle way made anew.

Falling in love, seeing your newborn child, sending your children off to university, becoming a grandparent, losing a partner and even death itself generates that transition from one state to another. Our lives are punctuated and perhaps even measured by such experiences, they may equally be highlights or lowlights, full of pleasure or pain, self-revealing or disclaiming, gentle or explosive, tragic or comic. It can lead us to grow and it can lead us to withdraw. It is what we make of that moment, that experience, that learning that will enable us to truly be transformed.

The story of the Transfiguration appears in each of the synoptic Gospels. It is a story utterly drenched in images, symbols and metaphors. It is an encounter between man and God (akin to Moses on Mt Sinai), the bridging between heaven and earth, the present reality with the future expectation. It is not only about what happens to Jesus, it is about what happens to the disciples who are shaken from their weariness and most imperatively, about happens to me when I am face to face with the glory of God. Thus the transfiguration becomes a deep, transforming experience for those disciples, for they have seen, but must now listen (Listen to him) and with this a revelation of Jesus’ ultimate mission, the breaking open of the kingdom here on earth with him as the bridge to eternal life. Moses’ and Elijah’s presence are the assurance that the faithful will be rewarded.

In our neighbours, in our streets and towns, in places far from our own we encounter the face of God. Not a God of glory, but most often a God of suffering and hurt, hunger and destitution. If I am called to anything in this transfiguration story, it is to allow others to be transformed through my actions, my faith in them, in my compassion – and allow others to see beyond the “me” and to look into the face of that God of glory.

Peter Douglas

HEAD OF SCHOOL SERVICES, NORTH

REFLECTIONS ON CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP

by Kevin Treston

Time Management

How do leaders manage time? How do we set priorities about how time is best used? All of us have the same amount of time but we may not always use time to the best advantage. Different personality types will approach time management according to the values they place on various tasks. Generally like to plan well ahead and have things organized long before deadlines. However I’ve worked with people who have a brilliant flair for instant organization and function best on crisis time management. While they invariably induce in me a high level of anxiety, they in their turn find my style of forward planning sterile and lacking in flexibility. Their motto seems to be: “To plan a day ahead is to miss all the possibilities of the night before!” The suggestions offered here may be useful for your leadership style of time management:

· Learn to delegate.

· Set goals and establish priorities.

· Plan ahead and be proactive not reactive.

· Be flexible.

· Allow for interruptions.

· Pace yourself.

· Allow time for self.

· Develop an efficient reference system for rapid access to information.

· Learn to be present to people and avoid being preoccupied by the next task.

· Learn to say NO.

· Live the three levels of time: chronos, kairos, mystical time.

· Balance time with work/family/self/community.

· Allow for personal space to pray and wonder.

· Accept limits of what can be done and not done.

· Regularly evaluate time management and reschedule if necessary.

Proper time management by leaders allows them to be effective in getting things done without undue hassles (Cox with Hoover 1992: pp. 90-100). Beware if leaders begin to echo the refrain. “I haven’t got time”. Spend time in analyzing how you as leader utilize your time. And don’t forget to waste time every so often by just being about doing nothing in particular.

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BRENT IN HAWTHORN HEAVEN