Assignment. Devotional – Red-Letter Team Leadership (Part 3)

.1 Assignment. Devotional – Red-Letter Team Leadership (Part 3)

Getting Started

Throughout the Holy Bible, we are able to see ways in which Jesus demonstrated leadership principles that we today hold up as best practices. Throughout the class, we will look at this Red-Letter Leadership (in many Bibles the words of Jesus are printed in red) as it applies to teams. This week, we look at an example of how Jesus rebuked his disciples when they wanted to punish those from another culture.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Appraise a biblical perspective regarding culture.

 

Background Information

Read(new tab)  or  listen(new tab)  to Luke 9:51-55 (NIV)

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

Watch this scene from  The Chosen: James and John: The Sons of Thunder!(new tab)

Jesus and his disciples were Jewish. In a region nearby lived the Samaritans. The Jews and Samaritans hated each other. They fought over the customs of their worship. There was true animosity between them. In this scene, James and John allowed their biases to go so far as to ask Jesus to kill them. Jesus, of course, rebukes them. In the scene from The Chosen, we get to see this scene fleshed out a bit more. Jesus came to unite people, not to divide them. He came to celebrate the beauty of cultures, not to identify one “right” culture.

Read(new tab)  or  listen(new tab)  to Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV) shows us a biblical perspective on culture:

After this, I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

This scene from Revelation shows people from all the cultures of the world praising God in their own languages, in their own way. They did not shed their culture but rather used it to bring Him glory. Every culture shows us something of the beauty of God. I can learn more about God when I learn from those who worship Him but come from a different culture.

 

Instructions

1. Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.

2. Review the information in the Getting Started and Background Information sections.

3. Write a 250-300 word reflection paper (Word document) that shares your thoughts/perspectives on the following:

a. Identify a team member (past or present work team you have experienced) whose culture is different than yours.

b. What is a cultural trait, behavior, or unique thought process that they bring to the table that is a benefit to your team?

c. Why is it important to celebrate our differences?

d. What personal, professional, or even spiritual insights might you glean from your reflection on the devotional materials this workshop?

4. Reflection papers are to be written in accordance with APA Guidelines (7th ed.) including format guidelines. Papers must be logical, well organized, grammatically correct, and have correct spelling and sentence structure. Write in complete paragraphs.