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Well, I guess I accepted a formal calling the other day. Teaching in priesthood meeting. In spite of having divergent thoughts, I got some traction with Uchdorf’s talk on being Merciful to Obtain Mercy (paraphrased). Then followed it up with a lesson on enthusiasm for missionary work, which is probably the hardest mission of the Church for me now given my recent experiences in the Church. Got through that successfully by linking the comments from the prophet to organizational theory of engagement and turning it into an activity which lasted the entire lesson.
I focused on process and administration to heighten engagement in any initiative, rather than the specifics of missionary work. It was a powerful lesson, apparently and much different. I get the feeling our quorum is starved for new ideas and perspectives based on how they listen and you can hear a pin drop at certain times.
There will be challenges as I will have to teach lessons that I find difficult, such as one on “Being willing to serve” which for me, is thumping the organizational agenda again. However, I have learned that if you can find ONE THING you agree with in a lesson, you can let your Ideation and imagination and secular/spiritual knowledge run in that direction, creating a lesson that focuses on that one point you can get through it. 45 minutes isn’t that long when you focus on one, or two points. And there is usually something in any lesson even the most divergent thinker can agree with.
I see this as a challenge, which in a way is a bit exciting — how to teach topics I am struggling with in a way that is meaningful and a true expression of my own knowledge and background, and who I am — without offending the high priest group or leading them down wayward paths.
Strange, in the last few weeks I’ve been teaching, I have:
a) quietly chastised our group and leveled concern about our culture of being judgmental toward others
b) got them thinking about whether it’s wise to “never say no to a calling”
c) questioning whether it’s a good idea to come up with programs where everyone has to do “Narrow Thing X” which may not may not fit their personal strengths and orientation toward the gospel
d) whether callings are inspired simply because a leader says they are (my approach was that it’s inspired when both the caller, and the call-ee have inspiration, not a one way street as we often hear at Church).
And our HPGL told me wants me to continue providing thought-provoking lessons.
Here I feel like I’m taking risks with the things I talk about, yet when presented carefully it seems to be effective. Please pray that I don’t cross the line or get overconfident and blow it. I’m concerned about that. It appears that I am getting our quorum to think about their LDS experience differently, and have been given more opportunities to do so.
Best of Luck bro.! I am happy for you… i think the keyword to everything is MODERATION. (remember D&C 107:9)
SD, I like the topics:
Quote:a) quietly chastised our group and leveled concern about our culture of being judgmental toward others
b) got them thinking about whether it’s wise to “never say no to a calling”
c) questioning whether it’s a good idea to come up with programs where everyone has to do “Narrow Thing X” which may not may not fit their personal strengths and orientation toward the gospel
d) whether callings are inspired simply because a leader says they are (my approach was that it’s inspired when both the caller, and the call-ee have inspiration, not a one way street as we often hear at Church).
I wish you were teaching in my ward. Maybe I would attend more.
Mike from Milton.
Thanks Mike, I think the the word “chastised” wasn’t the right word for number 1 above — more like “cautioned”. Also shared how fear of being judged often prevents the less active from sharing their true concerns with the local Ward members. My posting here gave me insights that I could then share with the group I was teaching to help them see how cultural values can be a positive thing but also can hurt them in achieving the mission of the Church. I am happy for you and for your quorum! I think you have so much to share and have faith in you that you will be careful since you’ve already evidenced you are worried about that. You’re already aware so you will be careful. I think your ward will be blessed by your teaching. Good luck SD….And yeah, be careful. Good luck. I know that would be a very difficult calling for me to take right now. I think you could have a positive impact though if you approach it in a good way. I think of the scriptures that talk about the body of Christ, and how each member has different gifts, talents, and perspectives that create benefit for the whole. The church needs its Martin Luthers and John Wesleys too. I’m not suggesting you go and nail your 95 theses to the door of the church office building, but I think it is good to have members to give voice to some of the more neglected gospel principles. For example, for every ten members that are reminding us that we need to be doing our home teaching, family history work, helping the missionaries, and a million other tasks, I think it is good to at least have one opposing voice that reminds everyone the importance of simplifying our lives, making families a priority, etc. By taking the road less traveled I think you could be a benefit to the ward. Good point. I intend to stagger the unorthodox/challenging ideas with more traditional lessons just to maintain balance. I think there is more influence if you are not perceived as a renegade in every single lesson. Awesome, SD! You have so much to share – what a great opportunity for you and a wonderful blessing to the HPG. :clap: Thanks for letting us know – and, yeah, maintain balance in the force. :ugeek: I am often faced with the same issue when I give talks during HC visits. I definitely want to stay true to myself but want to ensure that I give a talk that is good for the congregation. I find myself talking about things like Charity, Gratitude, Kindness and Grace a lot. I have found though that my talks are generally well received and I think they are helpful to at least some in the congregation. You may not have the same flexibility because the lessons are usually assigned but I hope you find the same with your lessons. Good luck.
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