Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle
Today is the Feast of the Chair of St Peter. I know, we Catholics are not only crazy enough to bless our cars, houses, and pets, but we also have a feast day for a chair! We are an interesting breed aren't we?
Obviously, this is not the feast day of a wooden object with four legs and cushion, or even a rocking chair for that matter. We know this because in the Biblical sense, the chair or seat of someone is their position of authority, governance, or power. Hence Christ tells the people “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach but they do not practice” (Mt 23:2-3 RSV). Thus, today is the feast day of Peter's position, his seat of authority, which really means that this is a feast day that celebrates the promises of God as well as, the call for power and authority to be transformed by Christ. That transformation is what I want to focus on today, (despite my temptations to write exclusively about the significance of the giving of the keys).
Today's three readings bring this transformation to the forefront. Using our reading from 1 Peter as our outline I think there are lessons we can all take to heart about Christian leadership, whether we are bosses, coaches, parents, older siblings, police officers, or even politicians. It is dangerous for us to think that we have nothing to learn about the way that we exercise authority from these readings, because if Peter's exhortation is for the presbyters and they are to be “examples to the flock” then there is much that we can learn here.
Peter opens by grounding his credentials to give this advice. He references his own role as a presbyter, but more importantly as a “witness to the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 5:1). To encounter the person of Christ, especially His sufferings, is to encounter a radical transformation of leadership, power, authority, dependency, obedience, and humility. This transformation is not the product of human wisdom, but, with the help of the Father, we too can say of the humble, obedient, itinerant, Nazarene rabbi, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt 16:16 RSV). When we see how Christ, the Authority above all authorities, led during His earthly ministry, our understanding of leadership has to be flipped on its head. As a witness to this, Peter then guides us on how to be Christlike in our leadership.
Peter calls us to willingly accept our role because this is “as God would have it” and to remember that leadership is not about money, gain, or even power for power's sake (cf 1 Peter 5:2-3). Thus, he calls them to not lead “for shameful gain” (5:2) and “do not lord it over those assigned to you” (5:3). This command is so strong that the RSV translates “lord it over” as “domineering over.” Instead, Peter calls them to be “examples to the flock” (5:3). All of this is sound advice on what we should and shouldn't do, but offers us very little remedy for resisting the temptations of ambition and greed. However, Peter leads us there in the next verse, “And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory” (5:4). The unfading crown of glory is the incentive, but the chief Shepherd is the remedy, as we see so beautifully in today's Psalm.
Psalm 23 captures what needs to be present internally in order for us to truly be Christlike in our leadership. We need the dependence on and trust in God that David captures in the words of this Psalm. We can obediently and willingly step into the role of leadership that is set before us because we know that “The Lord is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1) and that He “spreads out the table before me” (23:5). We can lead eagerly and humbly because we know “He refreshes my soul” (23:3) and our courage comes from Him, not us (cf 23:4). And we have no need for greed or ambition because with God as our shepherd, “there is nothing I shall want” (23:1). Well there is one more thing that I want; to wrap this whole reflection up a little more practically.
As a parent, I'm taking these readings to heart. Like Peter, I know I'm going to drop the ball, but I think his guidance is not to be an example of “do it yourself reliance”. Rather, he is calling me to be an example of complete reliance on Christ, in my successes and repentance. In this way, my example is not for my children to be too reliant upon me, but instead that I might teach them how to be reliant on God. I think then, my leadership will be Christian.
—Spencer Hargadon