![A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series Book 5) by [Reggie McNeal]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41bj-Ne+SKL._SY346_.jpg)
Most books for Christian leaders I have read lately deal primarily with skills. I recommend many of these to pastors in my work as a church consultant, because leadership skills are critical to effectiveness.
But McNeal in this book deals with something more foundational than skills--how God shapes the heart of a leader. After four wonderful character sketches, tracing how God shaped the hearts of Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus, preparing them for leadership, McNeal moves into what he calls the six "subplots" of the leader's life: culture, call, community, communion, conflict, and the commonplace.
In the chapter on culture, the author describe two options for how the church can relate to the world--as refuge or mission. Refuge "congregations focus on the past. Fearful of change, these churches create a safe, nostalgic haven for their members." In the missional church, however, "leaders who want to transform the culture seek to build as many bridges as possible to the world outside the faith."
The chapter on communion is probably the best treatment I have seen of the importance of "sabbath time"--regular, protected periods of time alone with God--that I have read. I have been suprised in my work by how few pastors have a discipline of regular, intentional blocks of solitude every week or every other week. I believe that this, far more than learning any set of skills, has the potential to infuse power into the ministry of spiritual leaders. For many pastors and other spiritual leaders, this chapter alone, if heeded, would be worth many times the price of this book.
I sometimes close or follow a consultation by giving the senior pastor the gift of a timely book. This is one I expect to be giving often.
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A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series Book 5) 1st Edition, Kindle Edition
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A Leadership Network Publication
Spiritual leaders must become experts in matters of the heart. They must learn to discern God at work in their own lives, shaping their hearts to embrace the particular ministries to which they are called. A Work of Heart shows how God prepares leaders today just as he did in biblical times-and how God creates these leaders in order to share his heart with his people.
Spiritual leaders must become experts in matters of the heart. They must learn to discern God at work in their own lives, shaping their hearts to embrace the particular ministries to which they are called. A Work of Heart shows how God prepares leaders today just as he did in biblical times-and how God creates these leaders in order to share his heart with his people.
- ISBN-13978-0787942885
- Edition1st
- PublisherJossey-Bass
- Publication dateSept. 28 2009
- LanguageEnglish
- File size2103 KB
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Product description
From Publishers Weekly
Leadership is less about technique or motivation than it is about the leader's own heart, suggests Southern Baptist denominational leader McNeal in this careful and readable book. Through brief studies of the lives of Moses, David, Paul and Jesus, McNeal elucidates six factors in the shaping of a leader's heart, all of which begin with the letter c. Although somewhat formulaic, this approach yields fresh fruit, thanks to McNeal's well-integrated grasp of both his biblical sources and contemporary psychology and organizational theory. Among his cs are at least three that are rarely explored in more conventional Christian writing on leadership: the role of "culture" in preparing a leader for his or her specific ministry, the necessity of having a "community" that supports and complements the leader and the importance of "commonplace" experiences that happen out of the leadership limelight. McNeal's attempts to contextualize the biblical narratives lead to some moments of ungainly jargon ("Jesus was constantly online with the Father") and questionable interpretation ("Jesus recruited his initial band of disciples from the business community"), but these are comparatively rare. Christian leaders will find this a valuable primer that invites further reflection; like many primers, however, it would have benefited from a bibliography to guide readers beyond its relatively protected waters. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
No religious leader can thrive without having heart for the job. But in these times of unpredictability-caught up in trying to help others maintain their hearts-few complete their ministries without sometimes neglecting their own spiritual needs.
Reggie McNeal proposes that effective spiritual leaders must become experts in matters of the heart-particularly their own. Maintaining heart for the demanding work of ministry hinges on leaders' ability to discern God at work in their own lives, shaping their hearts to embrace the particular ministries to which they are called. This process of finding heart depends on an interactive partnership with God. God introduces the storyline-but the leader's responses affect the development of the drama.
To demonstrate these points, McNeal leads readers on an excursion into the heart-shaping drama of four major Biblical leaders: Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul. He identifies the influences God used to shape them: Culture-the times and the environment in which a leader is raised; Call-the leader's personal call by God to mission; Community-the people who shape and sustain the leader; Communion-the leader's personal relationship with God; Conflict-the leader's engagement of destructive forces in life and ministry; and Commonplace-the daily choices of living. Using illustrative stories of contemporary church leaders who opened their hearts to God's guidance, McNeal shows how God is still using these same influences to shape the hearts of religious leaders today.
God creates leaders in order to share his heart with his people. Spiritual formation in the life of the leader is not just a private matter. It has impact on the leader's constellation of followers and may extend beyond the leader's own life and lifetime. A Work of Heart is designed to help leaders develop the critical self-understanding they need to fulfill their life assignments from God.
Spiritual leaders must become experts in matters of the heart. They must learn to discern God at work in their own lives, shaping their hearts to embrace the particular ministries to which they are called. A Work of Heart shows how God prepares leaders today just as he did in biblical times-and how God creates these leaders in order to share his heart with his people.
"It is not just the skills of ministry that are important. The heart-sculpting work of God creates quality ministries. A Work of Heart explains how God is shaping each of us for future service." -Bob Buford, founding chairman, Leadership Network
"We've read leadership manuals ad nauseum. We've attended every high-powered conference imaginable. We've bought the T-shirts, the three-ring binders, and all the right soundbites. But if we're honest, we're in serious drift mode, and we know it.... In A Work of Heart, Reggie McNeal has given us nothing less than CPR for the leader's soul, a book that moves us beyond leadership "how-tos" to the lifeline of genuine influence-our own intricate, passionate journey with God." -Sally Morgenthaler, author, Worship Evangelism
"Everyone committed to developing leaders must study Reggie McNeal's understandings of heart shaping, and in doing so, will experience their own hearts being sculpted."-Donald O. Clifton, chairman, The Gallup Organization
"This is a must-read for present and emerging leaders who desire to balance practical leadership techniques with a heart shaped by God. In typical McNeal fashion, this book makes the connection between the truths of Scripture and the real world the leader lives in."-Tim Schroeder, senior pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Kelowna, BC, Canada
"Don't lose heart! Reggie McNeal helps us look under the hood, at the engine of our lives and leadership-our heart-and shows us what it takes to lead with increasing clarity and confidence and live with greater peace." -Dieter Zander, church planter, San Francisco, CA
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.From the Inside Flap
No religious leader can thrive without having heart for the job. But in these times of unpredictability-caught up in trying to help others maintain their hearts-few complete their ministries without sometimes neglecting their own spiritual needs.Reggie McNeal proposes that effective spiritual leaders must become experts in matters of the heart-particularly their own. Maintaining heart for the demanding work of ministry hinges on leaders' ability to discern God at work in their own lives, shaping their hearts to embrace the particular ministries to which they are called. This process of finding heart depAnds on an interactive partnership with God. God introduces the storyline-but the leader's responses affect the development of the drama.To demonstrate these points, McNeal leads readers on an excursion into the heart-shaping drama of four major Biblical leaders: Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul. He identifies the influences God used to shape them: Culture-the times and the environment in which a leader is raised; Call-the leader's personal call by God to mission; Community-the people who shape and sustain the leader; Communion-the leader's personal relationship with God; Conflict-the leader's engagement of destructive forces in life and ministry; and Commonplace-the daily choices of living. Using illustrative stories of contemporary church leaders who opened their hearts to God's guidance, McNeal shows how God is still using these same influences to shape the hearts of religious leaders today.God creates leaders in order to share his heart with his people. Spiritual formation in the life of the leader is not just a private matter. It has impact on the leader's constellation of followers and may extAnd beyond the leader's own life and lifetime. A Work of Heart is designed to help leaders develop the critical self-understanding they need to fulfill their life assignments from God.[back cover]Spiritual leaders must become experts in matters of the he --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
REGGIE MCNEAL is the director of leadership development for South Carolina Baptist Convention. Drawing on twenty years of leadership roles in local congregations, and his work over the last decade with thousands of church leaders, McNeal counsels local churches, denominational groups, seminaries and colleges, and parachurch organizations in their leadership-development needs. He lives in Columbia, South Carolina, with his wife and two daughters. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"It is not just the skills of ministry that are important. The heart-sculpting work of God creates quality ministries. A Work of Heart explains how God is shaping each of us for future service." --Bob Buford, founding chairman, Leadership Network
"We've read leadership manuals ad nauseum. We've attended every high-powered conference imaginable. We've bought the T-shirts, the three-ring binders, and all the right soundbites. But if we're honest, we're in serious drift mode, and we know it. . . . In A Work of Heart, Reggie McNeal has given us nothing less than CPR for the leader's soul, a book that moves us beyond leadership "how-tos" to the lifeline of genuine influence-our own intricate, passionate journey with God." --Sally Morgenthaler, author, Worship Evangelism
"Everyone committed to developing leaders must study Reggie McNeal's understandings of heart shaping, and in doing so, will experience their own hearts being sculpted." --Donald O. Clifton, chairman, The Gallup Organization
"This is a must-read for present and emerging leaders who desire to balance practical leadership techniques with a heart shaped by God. In typical McNeal fashion, this book makes the connection between the truths of Scripture and the real world the leader lives in." --Tim Schroeder, senior pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Kelowna, BC, Canada
"Don't lose heart! Reggie McNeal helps us look under the hood, at the engine of our lives and leadership-our heart-and shows us what it takes to lead with increasing clarity and confidence and live with greater peace." --Dieter Zander, church planter, San Francisco, CA --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"We've read leadership manuals ad nauseum. We've attended every high-powered conference imaginable. We've bought the T-shirts, the three-ring binders, and all the right soundbites. But if we're honest, we're in serious drift mode, and we know it. . . . In A Work of Heart, Reggie McNeal has given us nothing less than CPR for the leader's soul, a book that moves us beyond leadership "how-tos" to the lifeline of genuine influence-our own intricate, passionate journey with God." --Sally Morgenthaler, author, Worship Evangelism
"Everyone committed to developing leaders must study Reggie McNeal's understandings of heart shaping, and in doing so, will experience their own hearts being sculpted." --Donald O. Clifton, chairman, The Gallup Organization
"This is a must-read for present and emerging leaders who desire to balance practical leadership techniques with a heart shaped by God. In typical McNeal fashion, this book makes the connection between the truths of Scripture and the real world the leader lives in." --Tim Schroeder, senior pastor, Trinity Baptist Church, Kelowna, BC, Canada
"Don't lose heart! Reggie McNeal helps us look under the hood, at the engine of our lives and leadership-our heart-and shows us what it takes to lead with increasing clarity and confidence and live with greater peace." --Dieter Zander, church planter, San Francisco, CA --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product details
- ASIN : B0024NK5PQ
- Publisher : Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (Sept. 28 2009)
- Language : English
- File size : 2103 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Enhanced typesetting : Not Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Sticky notes : Not Enabled
- Print length : 176 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #159,618 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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Reggie enjoys helping people, leaders, and Christian organizations pursue more intentional lives. He currently serves as the Missional Leadership Specialist for Leadership Network of Dallas, TX. Reggie’s past experience involves over a decade as a denominational executive and leadership development coach. He also served in local congregational leadership for over twenty years, including being the founding pastor of a new church. Reggie has lectured or taught as adjunct faculty for multiple seminaries, including Fuller Theological (Pasadena, CA), Southwestern Baptist (Ft. Worth, TX), Golden Gate Baptist (San Francisco, CA), Trinity Divinity School (Deerfield, IL), and Columbia International (Columbia, SC). In addition, he has served as a consultant to local church, denomination, and para-church leadership teams, as well as seminar developer and presenter for thousands of church leaders across North America. He has also resourced the United States Army Chief of Chaplains Office, Air Force chaplains, and the Air Force Education and Training Command. Reggie’s work also extends to the business sector, including The Gallup Organization.
Reggie has contributed to numerous denominational publications and church leadership journals, including Leadership and Net Results. His books include Revolution in Leadership (Abingdon Press, 1998), A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders (Jossey-Bass, 2000), The Present Future (Jossey-Bass, 2003), Practicing Greatness (Jossey-Bass, 2006), Get A Life! (Broadman & Holman, 2007). His latest book, Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church (Jossey-Bass, 2009) details the three shifts that church leaders must make to engage the missional movement and offers suggestions for a different scorecard to reflect missional ministry.
Reggie’s education includes a B.A. degree from the University of South Carolina and the M.Div. and Ph.D. degrees both from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Reggie and his wife Cathy, have two daughters, Jessica and Susanna, and make their home in Columbia, South Carolina.
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Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 18, 2000
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Helpful
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 15, 2004
I have had a few WOW moments that have catapulted me to a new level of success in my life...
And this book is one of them...I love books that you can only read a couple of chapters at a time before you have to put it down and think how in the world am I going to apply this to my life
Thanks for the life change
And this book is one of them...I love books that you can only read a couple of chapters at a time before you have to put it down and think how in the world am I going to apply this to my life
Thanks for the life change
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on November 27, 2000
McNeal pulls no punches in this book! He's obviously passionate about helping leaders cooperate with God's sculpting process. His six "subplots" of a leader's life are well explained and challenging. His insights into the lives of Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus were amazing.
I started reading this in a small group. Even though we didn't agree with all of his biographical sketches, we definitely are far better off for having read this book. My biggest problem is that I wanted to underline almost every paragraph!
I started reading this in a small group. Even though we didn't agree with all of his biographical sketches, we definitely are far better off for having read this book. My biggest problem is that I wanted to underline almost every paragraph!
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 13, 2000
This book is one of the best Christian leadership books that I have ever read. Reggie offers some phenomenal insights on a neglected aspect of Christian leadership - how God shapes the heart of a leader. A must read for every Christian leader!
I highly recommend the book.
I highly recommend the book.
Top reviews from other countries
Rowland Home
4.0 out of 5 stars
Book review with summary and critical eval
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 26, 2017Verified Purchase
Summary of Contents
The thesis that McNeal makes in A Work of Heart is that spiritual leadership is a work of God in the hearts of his children, which takes place through six subplots culture, call, community, communion, conflict, and the commonplace (Loc 84). To defend his claim he examines the life of Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. He illustrates how each of these leaders hearts were cultivated by God through the culture of their time, the call God placed on their lives, the community of other believers, their communion with God, the conflict they endured, and the commonplace of everyday life.
A Work of Heart is also McNeal’s attempt to answer the question: why does God create leaders anyway? “With all of the options available to him, why has he chosen to work through leaders in spiritual enterprises (Loc 111)?” McNeal posits that God creates leaders in order to share his heart with his people (loc112). Expounding on the life of Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus, McNeal elucidates for the reader how God shares his heart by allowing others to lead.
Moses had his heart shaped by God through rescuing the Hebrews from the oppression of Pharaoh, and he became known for having a “crusader, liberator heart” (loc 215). Moses heart was carefully shepherded by Yahweh, so that Moses was uniquely qualified for the assignments God would give him in shepherding his people (loc 283). From communing with God at the burning bush all the way to wandering in the wilderness with a host of complainers, Moses experienced God’s heart-shaping process through all that he encountered, as would king David.
McNeal references the life of David to show how God works in the hearts of leaders by making them men after God’s own heart. David was known for communing closely with God and keeping his heart transparent before God as he “reflected on commonplace experiences of his boyhood shepherding to create new insights into God's heart…David saw God everywhere he looked” (loc 551). God used David to lead the nation of Israel into a golden era despite the opposition from a wicked king, impossible odds, and physical torment.
In a Transition from Old Testament spiritual leaders to New Testament spiritual leaders, McNeal examines the life of Paul and Jesus to further prove that spiritual leadership is an act of God revealing his own heart to individuals and shaping them through the furnace of culture, call, community, communion, conflict, and the commonplace.
McNeal uses the life of Paul to show that the hearts of leaders are, “bound to God by a special contract that the Almighty has on their lives” (loc 702). Paul, a once persecutor of the church, turned out to be one of the greatest evangelists of the early Christian church. Paul’s heart was changed on the road to Damascus where he received his vison from the Lord. McNeal emphasizes the point that Paul’s heart was cultivated by the community and call of God. Although the being the most unlikely candidate McNeal points out that God often uses special people to cultivate the heart of God, “Ananiases often see something in the leader that others do not. They are able to open up the leader to new understandings of God on the basis of their affirmation” (loc 684). Paul’s heart was not only influenced by God, but those who chose to believe in him and encourage him.
The Final life McNeal writes about in defending his thesis is Jesus Christ. The significant point this chapter makes about God’s work in the hearts of leaders is that Jesus took time to grow in his relationship with the Father. McNeal emphasizes being a leader is not an easy task and requires one to remain rooted to the source (loc 903). The leader neglecting this area of life will ultimately fail to Shepard God’s people. It is important as a leader to not prematurely place oneself in a position to lead others, if he cannot lead himself (loc 908). Would be spiritual leaders ought to model themselves after Christ and allow God to work out His divine timetable. Developing a heart discipline to obedience like Christ makes one particularly effective as spiritual leader under God’s own leadership in their life (loc 912).
Critical Evaluation
Reggie McNeal wrote A Work of Heart for leaders. The author has two primary goals which he desires to inform the reader about. One, to address those who find themselves, “caught up in helping other people maintain their hearts, [while] they frequently ignore or neglect their own… and suffer for that oversight" (loc 40). Two, “to get you acquainted with the most important information you will need as a leader: self-understanding” These goals as well as the veracity of McNeal’s thesis comprise the content for this evaluation.
First, McNeal is drawing attention to a significant issue: burn out. This symptom is not an uncommon problem for leaders today especially, Christian leaders, to whom this book was primarily written to address. Ministers today have noble aspirations in desiring to serve those God has entrusted to them. However, McNeal is draws attention to a grave dilemma. On any given day leaders face a host of temptations, trials, and tests. Ultimately if the leader is neglecting his own heart and not communing with God, burn out, will lead to question one’s calling. Using Moses, David, and Paul as an example McNeal says,
The temptations, trials, and testing that spiritual leaders face always challenge their call. Moses faced obscurity and anger; David confronted abusive power in Saul and in himself; Paul wrestled with pride. They did not always win, but they passed the test often enough to gain their place of leadership in biblical history (loc 927).
Here McNeal offers a timely word of admonition. Leaders who succumb to burn out from temptations, trials, and testing, inevitably question their calling. However, leaders can avoid this by communing with the God, which will in turn reinforce their call.
Religious jargon has obscured the definition of biblical calling. McNeal’s A Work of Heart, identifies three primary points that define biblical calling. One, it is “a call to spiritual formation” (20). Leaders need to maintain a healthy spiritual life by cultivating intimacy with God through the Word and prayer. Two, a call is “the leader's personal conviction of having received drudge some life assignment or mission that must be completed” (loc 89). This is an inner sense of destiny one has towards a specific goal. Three, “Christian leaders captured by the call of God cannot separate their relationship with God from this unique aspect of their life” (loc 701). Call and communion are both vital to Christian leaders. God ignites the call and sustains it through fellowship.
The first goal that McNeal wanted to make in a Work of Heart, was to warn leaders of the danger of neglecting their own heart. He succeeds in warning the leaders of what happens to the leader who neglects his own heart. While leading others the leader can fail to lead himself. He neglects his own trials, temptations, and tests, which result in burn out or worse abandonment of the call God on their lives. In dispersing common religious jargon surrounding the definition of biblical calling, McNeal provides an encouraging reminder that the call of God and communion with God should remain at the center of any spiritual leader’s life. In other words, call and communion are the bread and butter for Christian leadership. McNeal also makes other astute comments about the centrality of the call of God in leaders lives that are helpful, but to comment on all of them is beyond the scope of this evaluation (see loc 1426).
The second goal McNeal attempts to accomplish is to provide the reader with self-understanding. To do this he examines six subplots that shape the leaders life culture, call, community, communion, conflict, and the commonplace. The significance of call and communion have been covered. Remaining are culture, community, conflict, and the commonplace. For brevity this goal is assessed in light of his chapter on culture and conflict. McNeal rightly points out that the culture in which a leader is reared provides the backdrop for the rest of the individual’s story line (loc 84).
McNeal points out that the culture shapes the way individuals think. Each culture adheres to certain regulations and thought processes. The values of culture also vary. In agreement with McNeal, spiritual leaders need to exegete their own culture and understand the biases it has placed on them. The way culture can shape leaders is both subtle and blatant. Leaders need to assess culture in light of Christ and His redemptive work in their lives. Like culture conflict plays a primary role in how the leader understands himself. McNeal says, “Spiritual heroes [leaders] learn that pain and conflict are part of the package. It just goes with the territory” (loc 323). So often leaders make the mistake of avoiding conflict or pain in an attempt to save themselves from heart ache. A Work of Heart reminds the reader that conflict and pain are unavoidable for leaders, nor should it be avoided. Conflict and pain have a way of refining the character of any leader and as such should be embraced as an agent of transformation. The chapters on culture and conflict succeed in providing the reader with an understanding of how leaders are formed by the people around them and the conflict they endure.
Conclusion
Much more could be said about Reggie McNeal’s A Work of Heart. Out of McNeal’s own life experience he provides a manual for Christian leaders that shows the foundation of Christian leadership is marked by a heart that has been transformed by God. The subplots that shape our life are a refining process to mold each heart. God is a master worker who is raising up a godly generation of leaders to equip and serve the church. A Work of Heart is a call for Christian leaders to not give up on the call God has placed in their lives, but to pursue it with confidence knowing that God who gave the call is the God who will sustain you to keep the call. Nothing is beyond God’s power and he has determined to use this generation of leaders just like he used Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. Leaders today have the privilege to serve in the shadows of giants whose hearts were fixated and tethered to the God who shaped them.
The thesis that McNeal makes in A Work of Heart is that spiritual leadership is a work of God in the hearts of his children, which takes place through six subplots culture, call, community, communion, conflict, and the commonplace (Loc 84). To defend his claim he examines the life of Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. He illustrates how each of these leaders hearts were cultivated by God through the culture of their time, the call God placed on their lives, the community of other believers, their communion with God, the conflict they endured, and the commonplace of everyday life.
A Work of Heart is also McNeal’s attempt to answer the question: why does God create leaders anyway? “With all of the options available to him, why has he chosen to work through leaders in spiritual enterprises (Loc 111)?” McNeal posits that God creates leaders in order to share his heart with his people (loc112). Expounding on the life of Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus, McNeal elucidates for the reader how God shares his heart by allowing others to lead.
Moses had his heart shaped by God through rescuing the Hebrews from the oppression of Pharaoh, and he became known for having a “crusader, liberator heart” (loc 215). Moses heart was carefully shepherded by Yahweh, so that Moses was uniquely qualified for the assignments God would give him in shepherding his people (loc 283). From communing with God at the burning bush all the way to wandering in the wilderness with a host of complainers, Moses experienced God’s heart-shaping process through all that he encountered, as would king David.
McNeal references the life of David to show how God works in the hearts of leaders by making them men after God’s own heart. David was known for communing closely with God and keeping his heart transparent before God as he “reflected on commonplace experiences of his boyhood shepherding to create new insights into God's heart…David saw God everywhere he looked” (loc 551). God used David to lead the nation of Israel into a golden era despite the opposition from a wicked king, impossible odds, and physical torment.
In a Transition from Old Testament spiritual leaders to New Testament spiritual leaders, McNeal examines the life of Paul and Jesus to further prove that spiritual leadership is an act of God revealing his own heart to individuals and shaping them through the furnace of culture, call, community, communion, conflict, and the commonplace.
McNeal uses the life of Paul to show that the hearts of leaders are, “bound to God by a special contract that the Almighty has on their lives” (loc 702). Paul, a once persecutor of the church, turned out to be one of the greatest evangelists of the early Christian church. Paul’s heart was changed on the road to Damascus where he received his vison from the Lord. McNeal emphasizes the point that Paul’s heart was cultivated by the community and call of God. Although the being the most unlikely candidate McNeal points out that God often uses special people to cultivate the heart of God, “Ananiases often see something in the leader that others do not. They are able to open up the leader to new understandings of God on the basis of their affirmation” (loc 684). Paul’s heart was not only influenced by God, but those who chose to believe in him and encourage him.
The Final life McNeal writes about in defending his thesis is Jesus Christ. The significant point this chapter makes about God’s work in the hearts of leaders is that Jesus took time to grow in his relationship with the Father. McNeal emphasizes being a leader is not an easy task and requires one to remain rooted to the source (loc 903). The leader neglecting this area of life will ultimately fail to Shepard God’s people. It is important as a leader to not prematurely place oneself in a position to lead others, if he cannot lead himself (loc 908). Would be spiritual leaders ought to model themselves after Christ and allow God to work out His divine timetable. Developing a heart discipline to obedience like Christ makes one particularly effective as spiritual leader under God’s own leadership in their life (loc 912).
Critical Evaluation
Reggie McNeal wrote A Work of Heart for leaders. The author has two primary goals which he desires to inform the reader about. One, to address those who find themselves, “caught up in helping other people maintain their hearts, [while] they frequently ignore or neglect their own… and suffer for that oversight" (loc 40). Two, “to get you acquainted with the most important information you will need as a leader: self-understanding” These goals as well as the veracity of McNeal’s thesis comprise the content for this evaluation.
First, McNeal is drawing attention to a significant issue: burn out. This symptom is not an uncommon problem for leaders today especially, Christian leaders, to whom this book was primarily written to address. Ministers today have noble aspirations in desiring to serve those God has entrusted to them. However, McNeal is draws attention to a grave dilemma. On any given day leaders face a host of temptations, trials, and tests. Ultimately if the leader is neglecting his own heart and not communing with God, burn out, will lead to question one’s calling. Using Moses, David, and Paul as an example McNeal says,
The temptations, trials, and testing that spiritual leaders face always challenge their call. Moses faced obscurity and anger; David confronted abusive power in Saul and in himself; Paul wrestled with pride. They did not always win, but they passed the test often enough to gain their place of leadership in biblical history (loc 927).
Here McNeal offers a timely word of admonition. Leaders who succumb to burn out from temptations, trials, and testing, inevitably question their calling. However, leaders can avoid this by communing with the God, which will in turn reinforce their call.
Religious jargon has obscured the definition of biblical calling. McNeal’s A Work of Heart, identifies three primary points that define biblical calling. One, it is “a call to spiritual formation” (20). Leaders need to maintain a healthy spiritual life by cultivating intimacy with God through the Word and prayer. Two, a call is “the leader's personal conviction of having received drudge some life assignment or mission that must be completed” (loc 89). This is an inner sense of destiny one has towards a specific goal. Three, “Christian leaders captured by the call of God cannot separate their relationship with God from this unique aspect of their life” (loc 701). Call and communion are both vital to Christian leaders. God ignites the call and sustains it through fellowship.
The first goal that McNeal wanted to make in a Work of Heart, was to warn leaders of the danger of neglecting their own heart. He succeeds in warning the leaders of what happens to the leader who neglects his own heart. While leading others the leader can fail to lead himself. He neglects his own trials, temptations, and tests, which result in burn out or worse abandonment of the call God on their lives. In dispersing common religious jargon surrounding the definition of biblical calling, McNeal provides an encouraging reminder that the call of God and communion with God should remain at the center of any spiritual leader’s life. In other words, call and communion are the bread and butter for Christian leadership. McNeal also makes other astute comments about the centrality of the call of God in leaders lives that are helpful, but to comment on all of them is beyond the scope of this evaluation (see loc 1426).
The second goal McNeal attempts to accomplish is to provide the reader with self-understanding. To do this he examines six subplots that shape the leaders life culture, call, community, communion, conflict, and the commonplace. The significance of call and communion have been covered. Remaining are culture, community, conflict, and the commonplace. For brevity this goal is assessed in light of his chapter on culture and conflict. McNeal rightly points out that the culture in which a leader is reared provides the backdrop for the rest of the individual’s story line (loc 84).
McNeal points out that the culture shapes the way individuals think. Each culture adheres to certain regulations and thought processes. The values of culture also vary. In agreement with McNeal, spiritual leaders need to exegete their own culture and understand the biases it has placed on them. The way culture can shape leaders is both subtle and blatant. Leaders need to assess culture in light of Christ and His redemptive work in their lives. Like culture conflict plays a primary role in how the leader understands himself. McNeal says, “Spiritual heroes [leaders] learn that pain and conflict are part of the package. It just goes with the territory” (loc 323). So often leaders make the mistake of avoiding conflict or pain in an attempt to save themselves from heart ache. A Work of Heart reminds the reader that conflict and pain are unavoidable for leaders, nor should it be avoided. Conflict and pain have a way of refining the character of any leader and as such should be embraced as an agent of transformation. The chapters on culture and conflict succeed in providing the reader with an understanding of how leaders are formed by the people around them and the conflict they endure.
Conclusion
Much more could be said about Reggie McNeal’s A Work of Heart. Out of McNeal’s own life experience he provides a manual for Christian leaders that shows the foundation of Christian leadership is marked by a heart that has been transformed by God. The subplots that shape our life are a refining process to mold each heart. God is a master worker who is raising up a godly generation of leaders to equip and serve the church. A Work of Heart is a call for Christian leaders to not give up on the call God has placed in their lives, but to pursue it with confidence knowing that God who gave the call is the God who will sustain you to keep the call. Nothing is beyond God’s power and he has determined to use this generation of leaders just like he used Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. Leaders today have the privilege to serve in the shadows of giants whose hearts were fixated and tethered to the God who shaped them.
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Branden
2.0 out of 5 stars
Good effort!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 27, 2019Verified Purchase
I am going to try to be as encouraging and positive as I can in writing this review, while also trying to be honest about my opinion. First, let me say that I love Reggie McNeal's heart for the Church and his love of Jesus! It is palatable when reading this book. He has a lot of wisdom and insights to share, which he does in this book. However, I really struggled to appreciate his writing style and the seeming lack of coherence. On many occasions the author belabored points by stating the same thing a myriad of different ways in what comes across (at least to me) as an attempt to increase the number of pages rather than add meaningful content. I also struggled with some of the obvious biases of the author, which at times resulted in forced illustrations and perhaps slightly contrived extractions from the Word. Not to suggest he was trying to be dishonest in anyway, but that his own theology caused him to stretch a bit to make the book work when perhaps the Word didn't support it as cleanly as he likely would have preferred. Having read many, many books on leadership both within and outside of the Church, my expectations may be unfairly high. I am certain that there are lots of good points to glean and I appreciate having had the opportunity to read this book, even if I didn't personally find it all that helpful.
Jeremy “Mike” Rhoades
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MUST READ!!!>>>>Holistic Approach to Spiritual Leadership
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 16, 2006Verified Purchase
Reggie McNeal, in A Work of Heart, displays a fully developed holistic approach to what shapes the heart of a Spiritual Leader. He believes that everything within the sphere of existence in the leader's past, present, and future is what culminates in who the leader has, or will, or will not become.
McNeal first gives a biographical sketch of four prominent leaders of our faith: Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. It is through these sketches where he moves into the subplots that create the whole story of a leader's life. He calls these subplots the six C's: Culture, Call, Community, Communion, Conflict, and Commonplace. It is by each of these subplots that experiences of the leader are engrained into the heart and mind and where the "who I am" of the leader is developed.
This is by far one of the best books on spiritual leadership and development that I have recently read. As McNeal emphasizes in the book, there are an abundance of "how-to-do" leadership and "follow-this-model" leadership books out on the market. But, the best approach of leadership understanding and development must come from the heart; and, it must come from the whole encompass of the leader's story.
Every sphere, both past, present, and future, are what has made or is making the leader...both good and bad. All leaders must develop a keen self-awareness and understanding and the ability to apply our experiences to our shepherding; that is, how has his entire life story, each of the six subplots, made him who he/she is today.
And so, by understanding where he/she has come, where he/she is presently at, and where he/she is going, a leader is better able to lead from God and not from the world. We are not an autonomous entity in this world. We "are" what have been influenced by our Culture, our Call, our Community, our Communion with God, our Conflict(s), and our Commonplace (that is, our daily life/routine). This is who we are. Reggie McNeal hits Spiritual Leadership right in the heart because Spiritual Leadership "is" A Work of Heart.
The only negative that I might transcribe about this wonderful work is the lack of connectivity between section one (the biographical sketches) and section two (explanation of six C's). This is not to say that the reader will be left with a multitude of questions. Each section is fully developed in thought. I just feel that as one reads section two, McNeal could have done a better job at showing greater examples from the four leaders' lives at how they more specifically connect/relate to each C. But, in his defense, maybe he thought that this might be left to the reader's creativity and critical thinking opportunity. Other than this slight distraction, my opinion is that this work is the best spiritual leadership development book on the market at this present time!
A leader who leads from their spiritual heart, and not from the current trend of church growth or leadership model, is a better leader that God can use for the advancement of His Kingdom.
Blessings! Lt. Rhoades, US Army
McNeal first gives a biographical sketch of four prominent leaders of our faith: Moses, David, Paul, and Jesus. It is through these sketches where he moves into the subplots that create the whole story of a leader's life. He calls these subplots the six C's: Culture, Call, Community, Communion, Conflict, and Commonplace. It is by each of these subplots that experiences of the leader are engrained into the heart and mind and where the "who I am" of the leader is developed.
This is by far one of the best books on spiritual leadership and development that I have recently read. As McNeal emphasizes in the book, there are an abundance of "how-to-do" leadership and "follow-this-model" leadership books out on the market. But, the best approach of leadership understanding and development must come from the heart; and, it must come from the whole encompass of the leader's story.
Every sphere, both past, present, and future, are what has made or is making the leader...both good and bad. All leaders must develop a keen self-awareness and understanding and the ability to apply our experiences to our shepherding; that is, how has his entire life story, each of the six subplots, made him who he/she is today.
And so, by understanding where he/she has come, where he/she is presently at, and where he/she is going, a leader is better able to lead from God and not from the world. We are not an autonomous entity in this world. We "are" what have been influenced by our Culture, our Call, our Community, our Communion with God, our Conflict(s), and our Commonplace (that is, our daily life/routine). This is who we are. Reggie McNeal hits Spiritual Leadership right in the heart because Spiritual Leadership "is" A Work of Heart.
The only negative that I might transcribe about this wonderful work is the lack of connectivity between section one (the biographical sketches) and section two (explanation of six C's). This is not to say that the reader will be left with a multitude of questions. Each section is fully developed in thought. I just feel that as one reads section two, McNeal could have done a better job at showing greater examples from the four leaders' lives at how they more specifically connect/relate to each C. But, in his defense, maybe he thought that this might be left to the reader's creativity and critical thinking opportunity. Other than this slight distraction, my opinion is that this work is the best spiritual leadership development book on the market at this present time!
A leader who leads from their spiritual heart, and not from the current trend of church growth or leadership model, is a better leader that God can use for the advancement of His Kingdom.
Blessings! Lt. Rhoades, US Army
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Jason Franklin
5.0 out of 5 stars
What is a Call from God?
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 5, 2006Verified Purchase
Are you wondering if God is calling you to something? Are you stuck on the idea that "calling" is something reserved for ordained ministers and that's just not you? I think this book can help.
A Work of Heart is broken down into two main sections. The first section follows the lives of Moses, David, Paul and Jesus. It's written in an easy to read narrative style. The second half of the books presents the more concrete nuts and bolts.
I really think the book will help people answer for themselves, "What is a call from God," "Do I have a calling," and "What is it I'm called to be."
While the book is applicable to any Believer, it's a must read for any one even considering going into Seminary or religious studies with the intent to serve in vocational ministry.
A Work of Heart is broken down into two main sections. The first section follows the lives of Moses, David, Paul and Jesus. It's written in an easy to read narrative style. The second half of the books presents the more concrete nuts and bolts.
I really think the book will help people answer for themselves, "What is a call from God," "Do I have a calling," and "What is it I'm called to be."
While the book is applicable to any Believer, it's a must read for any one even considering going into Seminary or religious studies with the intent to serve in vocational ministry.
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