Mary's Song - My Prayer

Oh the magnificat! The blessed Mary, a young child herself, chosen to carry the burden and the blessing of the Christ Child. She sings with joy and praise. I imagine her song to be both an expression of her joy and faith as well as a prayer, urging God to give her the strength to live into this call. It is both a commitment of faith and a prayer for faith that emerges from her continuously as the divine child grows within.

We are each called, chosen by God for an amazing and overwhelming task that requires a faith beyond our comprehension. Like Mary, we are called to be the carriers of the Christ Child - in our hearts and in our lives; in our relationships with family, friends, community; in our work and in our play; in our caring for others and in our caring for ourselves. Here is my song of praise, my prayer as I contemplate the enormity of this calling, as I live into my commitment of faith and urge God to give me the strength to live into this call. How would you make the magnificat your prayer?

Heavenly Father, Lord God Almighty, Creator of All Things, Abba – my soul glorifies you. My spirit rejoices in you my savior. The inner most parts of me, that which defines who I am, is filled with your glory even when I feel distant and discontented. You know me and you know the state of my life. Because of how deeply you know me and love me, you have chosen me. You have selected me, in this state that I am in, to represent you. You lift me high. It takes my breath away to be so near to your holiness.

Lord, you know that I feel unworthy. I am afraid and I am insecure. But you have such great mercy on me as you have shown with all the saints from past generations. I trust you. You forgive my inequities and you will me to put them aside, to open myself to your amazing gift – the gift you have given to your servant.

Mighty God, in a breath you create life . . . in a touch your power destroys. To experience your wrath is to be separated from you, scattered, without community, lonely. This destiny is sure when I am full of pride, when I separate myself from you.

But to feel your breath is to be created. To breathe in your spirit is to be filled with your love and your strength and your power. Allow me Lord; move me to be humble in your presence. Grow my hunger so that you may feed me. Take my hands and lift me to the place you have prepared for me. As you have promised, your faithfulness and mercy is limitless. You are my God and I am your child. Teach me justice, steadfast love and humility as I walk with you.

Luke 1:45-55 (NIV)
And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."

Blessings to you this Christmas!

Volunteer Leadership

Churches and nonprofits are highly dependent on volunteer leadership. I'm talking about significant, time consuming jobs such as coordinating events that take months to plan, participating on governing boards and leading teams of other volunteers. We lead, coordinate and participate in everything from fund raising, marketing, and quality improvement to delivering lunches, visiting folks in the hospital, and fostering homeless pets. My son and I spent one summer scooping poop at the animal shelter - of course we got to play with the puppies too.

Why do volunteers give so much, often doing the dirtiest jobs, for no pay? Yet only about 1/3 of volunteers continue after the first year of service (Corporation for National & Community Service, Volunteering in America, 2008). How do we keep our most valuable resource engaged?

Cary Cherniss conducted a study of professional satisfaction focusing on helping professions. He found that among Teachers, Nurses, Therapists and Lawyers, job satisfaction comes from meaning, recognition, autonomy, and remuneration (Cary Cherniss, Beyond Burnout: Helping Teachers, Nurses, Therapists, and Lawyers Recover from Stress and Disillusionment, New York: Routledge, 1995).

For volunteerism, we can look at the first three:

Meaning - This is the desire to help others, to make a difference in the world, to impact a cause. This is the source of passion and the link to an inner core value more powerful than the need for monetary compensation.

Implication for Leadership - Show the impact! Continuously let your volunteers know the difference they are making, not just in your opinion, but through real results. Don't be afraid to evaluate volunteer efforts and hold programming accountable to the organizational mission and values. When people give of their precious time, they want to know if they are making a difference.

Recognition - A pat on the back goes a long way. Though proper humility makes us say, "it's no big deal," it really is a big deal to feel appreciated.

Implications for Leadership - When recognizing volunteers, do it often and be specific. Instead of, "Great job on the fund raiser dinner!" try, "I was blown away by how many folks turned out for the fund raiser dinner. You really did a fantastic job organizing the volunteers and reaching out to new people who have never attended before." Public recognition is nice but I've found that what people really respond to is a more individual, personal response such as a hand written note of thanks (no one does that anymore!) or simply remembering to mention the details of someone's work when introducing that person to others.

Autonomy - Even volunteers (maybe especially volunteers) want to be treated professionally and given space to show their own creativity in their work.

Implications for Leadership - First, set the stage and get the right people for the job. Clearly identify the work to be done, identify how the work impacts the organizational mission, make a job description, and identify the skills needed to do the job well. Particularly for leadership positions, do not hesitate to screen volunteers carefully. This will not discourage volunteerism. In fact, setting criteria and limiting your positions will create integrity within your volunteer program. When word gets out, you may find yourself with a waiting list of volunteers. Second, provide ongoing training and open communication about expectations. Third, continue to provide support and access to resources and information that can help the volunteers do their job better. Finally, keep up the communication and keep an appreciative focus. Have a regular check in to let volunteers know what you are observing, to give appreciative feedback and to encourage their feedback as well.

Volunteer leadership is no different from simply good leadership. People want to follow a good leader. One who engages the organization in making a difference; one who appreciates those who support the cause and lets them know it; one who communicates clear expectations and sets the stage for positive results, getting the right people in place to do the work and supporting their efforts.