Issue 11 Preaching and PrayerBlog | Soul Care for leaders: The Cycle of Grace
Soul Care for leaders: The Cycle of Grace
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 19.06.17
Mighty oaks in forests do fall. We might know the people concerned ourselves, or we have heard of them through our networks or news sources. Or perhaps their plight has be shared as a ‘matter for prayer’, or just plain gossip. Casualties include preachers and authors, camps and conference leaders, and even senior denominational chiefs.
Three centuries ago the English poet Alexander Pope noted that ‘to err is human; to forgive, divine’. It was a compassionate remark. But it leaves us wondering, what goes wrong when a Christian fails, and what can we do to prevent it?
There’s no need to name names, or even look too far for examples. The moral failures that get noticed tend to be of a sexual or abusive nature. They grab the headlines and serve the fascination of the media for prurient stories.
Yet oaks fall for other reasons too. A powerful leader has ‘issues’ with anger management, an itinerant speaker battles with the remote control of his hotel movie channel, or a charity manager is unable to curb their financial appetite and ends up guilty of embezzlement or fraud. As Richard Foster summarises in the title of his highly recommended book, many struggle around money, sex and power.
