from the principal's desk. . .
Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people. "When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:10-11)
I’ve been thinking about discipleship and leadership recently. Some of my conversations in broader church circles have been about the connections between discipleship and membership, the need for equipping lay leaders in rural congregations and the skills needed to deepen discipleship in our faith communities.
Our work at CCS is equipping those disciples who have felt the call to leave everything and follow Jesus on the path of diaconal leadership. And for me, maybe because I grew up on and around boats, the gospel stories about the disciples as fishers and sailors always catch my attention. I wonder what they carried with them, what skills and experience they brought to the work of discipleship, even though the text says they left everything on the shores of the lake.
 As we prepare for a busy month in March, we anticipate the busy joyfulness of gathering together our learning circles and council members, and celebrating our graduates. I think of all the wisdom our students carry into their task of theological education at the same time that they bravely leave everything behind. I think about the graduating cohort, and how they are leaving behind the rhythms and formal relationships of circles and courses and mentors and learning partners. And I think about how, when I left that behind, I somehow also carried with me: a thirst for continuing education, an openness to mentorship, a network of collegial relationships.
I think about how Jesus called fishers to be his first disciples; about what they knew about working together, of learning by doing, about nets and boats that needed constant repair. I think about the joy of holding space so we can learn to see what needs repairing in our world, and how to build the relationships so that we can work together.
Jesus is still calling disciples and leaders, still encouraging us to not be afraid. And we are still following. 
Photo: Shore of Magdala on the Sea of Galilee
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Common Threads
Patience Strong names February as a month where we can "taste the full joys of anticipation" for spring. Perhaps spring is in the air for some. But only the unseen and untasted trust in its coming is there for others. Much like the winter of our souls where we just have to trust, even when we cannot conceive in our hearts, God, Divine Love, is with us through it. Blessed be.
This is a shout out to all of you monthly givers! 
