Living Water retreat 2024 Peter Kasko
I was recently approached by a friend who asked me what is like to be a member of core/leadership team and the challenges that come with it. From the moment, it was like a flood of ideas coming to my mind and the flow was so quick that I just couldn’t keep track of all. Fast forward to this moment, sitting in front of the screen, I’m just drawing blank. The joke’s on me. Sure, I imagined that it would be extremely easy to put together a few lines. As sensei Yoda would have said it: Mistaken very, I was.
Experience
I joined ‘Living Water’, an adult charismatic prayer group, in early 2018 as they held ‘The Life in the Spirit Seminar’. First, I was an observer, later a member, and finally this year I accepted the invitation to be part of the leadership team. I did not accept the invitation on the spot, but took a few days to reflect, discern (as we Catholics like to say) and eventually said yes. The idea of being part of a group of like-minded individuals with the same values is appealing, to say the least. Leading/leadership does not come easy; challenges occur and here are a few to start the conversation:
In a nutshell, charismatic is about the Holy Spirit and a personal encounter. If I want to lead by example, I need to have a genuine personal connection with the Holy Spirit. That is, I need my Faith to be honest, I need to be opened to the promptings and willing to discern the same – all with an open heart. And I want the same experience for others. Genuine spiritual growth is a combination of emotional experiences properly discerned by a deep grounded Faith.
Discerning and enabling the Holy Spirit to lead my life is a start. Next step is aligning the thoughts and ideas with other members of the leadership team. We are, naturally, from different backgrounds, each with a personal relationship with our heavenly Father and a unique set of gifts. Based on this, we all have specific expectations and preferences on how to structure the prayer evening. Of utmost importance is the ability to come together, in unity and prayer, and to listen to one another. Some prefer to sit in silent adoration, others maybe vocal and musical, some again are more academic – ultimately, we are all one body in Christ, and each brings his or her set of skills to the betterment of the group.
Sounds lovely, right? There are moments, though, when personalities take over the better of us and even conflicts may arise. To name one, pride may get in the way, and I may think my ideas are better than others. Even in a closed small leadership group we need to be able to handle disagreements in the spirit of love and humility. I cannot stress the importance of coming together in prayer. Encouragement of mutual respect and open communication is essential for preserving harmony. This also applies for leading the group and guiding its members.
God always shows up! When we make the effort to also show up, the graces provided are abundant”
Another challenge can be expressed by the following: less is sometimes more. This challenge is a personal one (but I firmly believe others struggle with this too!). I have what you might call a natural gift to talk. To talk a lot, and to talk about anything. However, it is not always the right and good thing to do. When I started “talking” in front of a group on a regular basis I realised that I very easily swerved off script, ventured into the ‘depths of improvisation’ and lost track of the main point. I have learnt that a well-timed pause can highlight the main point if used at the right time.
Finally, I would highlight the challenge with commitment. Let’s be honest, we do not ‘feel’ it all the time, whether with prayer, attending Mass, or simply being nice to your colleagues at work (you know which one I’m talking about). Same with the prayer group. The reasons may vary depending on our environment, or it could be simply going through a period of spiritual dryness. The good news is, God always shows up! When we make the effort to also show up, the graces provided are abundant. As Paul said in the letter to the Hebrews, “it is a journey requiring patience and perseverance.”
In summary, being one of the leaders of a prayer group does require a conscious combination of spiritual depth, theological insight and emotional and spiritual intelligence. Finding the right balance is a must yet extremely hard to achieve, however, all work can be done, and it is profoundly fulfilling.
Peter Kasko is a core team member of Living Water prayer group, which meets every Wednesday at 7:15pm in St Teresa’s Church, Clarendon Street, Dublin.
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