This is the sixth post in a series of eight taken from a presentation on Clergy Wellness that was cancelled in 2021 due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Maybe I'll get to present it live one day, but in the meantime I decided to post some sections of it online. The series as a whole is called Wellness in Ministry and naturally some aspects are specific to vocational ministry. However, much of the content is applicable to anyone concerned to sustain their wellbeing physically, mentally socially and spiritually.
Social Wellbeing - Taha Whanau
A third dimension in the Mason Durie model of Te Whare Tapa Whā - the house of wellbeing - is social wellbeing or taha whanau. This one is so interwoven with the others we can be brief. Health and Wellbeing are intrinsically social and organizational issues and the Bible often speaks of our interdependence with others. Theologically the mutuality of the Trinity is a paradigm for the Church; pragmatically the Bible gives us more than 50 injunctions about how to interact with
one another.
Jesus revealed his own need for support from those around him, eg in Gethsemane. His supportive fellowship with his disciples portrays a ministry that is not exercised in isolation or independence from other people. At various times he checks out with them what they are making of him and his ministry. He also spends time with them giving them their own opportunities for ministry, hearing their reports of what happened and providing his perspective on how it turned out. This enables his own oversight and awareness of what is happening, and allows the disciples to learn from their experience and reflect upon it.
So we see that the Christian leader's life is not meant to be lived alone. How are we in relation to others? What are we doing and learning together? How is the Body of Christ growing – around me, because of me or despite me?
As a general principle, research into wellbeing noted that those who thrive are likely to have at least three close friends who do something active together regularly. This is not about teaching and preaching; focus on connection and play. Don’t forget to take time to let go, engage your imagination, and have a laugh. Maori leader Sir Mark Solomon tells the story of the kahikatea tree, and how its roots connect with others, so the whole forest is linked. The trees hold each other up. That’s a great metaphor for the church.
We looked at some metaphors with regard to stress earlier on in this series and likened the thickness of the dam to resilience. I mentioned there that a tree is also a good illustration of resilience; "a godshaped life is a flourishing tree". UK Educator Naomi Ward explains this to her students in these parallels:
Trees grow with the changes of the weather. They are interconnected and share information with each other. They use the forest community to thrive, diverting resources to others who are suffering. They bend and adapt to their surroundings. They carry the marks of storms and are shaped by them but grow in new and unique ways. They are grounded. They take their time. They are part of a greater whole and nurture other microsystems around them. They know in winter that it’s time to rest and reserve energy until the time is right to flourish. So they are a wonderful illustration of how we can relate to changes and challenges in a natural way.
This raises some useful questions:
• The roots represent the things we draw strength from family, friends, God, meaningful work, creativity, music, and nature. Roots reach deep into the ground, holding a tree steady but also drawing nutrients up from the soil. This has a communal dimension as well; remember the Kahikatea tree and its neighbours I mentioned earlier. Think about what gives you strength so you can stand strong and resilient. How can you shape your life to give these things more time?
• The trunk is for the values that are important to you. It holds the shape of the tree, giving it core strength, and also preserves its history in the rings. Values like kindness, justice, forgiveness, humility, and culture shape you, just as the trunk shapes the tree. What values motivate you or help shape your decisions? Can you give more time and prominence to these?
• The leaves and branches represent the positives in your life. Think about yourself when all is going well, in times you’re displaying the best of yourself. These things about you are strengths, (gifts, assets) things you feel good about, whether its your sense of humour, your way with people or some quirky trait unique to you. Energy and resilience can increase when you allow your values greater space in your life.
You might like to use this worksheet to draw your response to this illustration.
Next time - some thoughts on Spiritual Wellbeing.
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