My work day was bookended by meetings. This afternoon I met with senior pastor, music director and an elder to do some worship planning this afternoon. We did our getting-started things–sang a song, prayed a prayer, spread out notebooks and calendars and hymnals on the wide round table. Suddenly senior pastor turns to the elder, who is seated at my left, and she says, “Are you OK?”

She says, “Thank you for asking. I’m not,” and poured out lots of turmoil I won’t go into here.

I realized how often I forget to do that mental/spiritual check with folks. Life moves pretty fast around here. We have things to do. We are Competent. Our church is Vibrant and Growing With Outstanding Programs and Ministries! And yet, I don’t even think I looked that elder in the eye when I walked into the room. I’m grateful the senior pastor did, and it reminded me how much I have to learn from her, and often it’s the simple stuff that she teaches me. Stuff I should already know, and actually do, deep down, but have forgotten in the face of… what?

This evening I had another meeting. It was the exact same scenario. Meeting gets going, the chair starts into business, but this time it is I who notices turmoil at a steady, desperate simmer in the person beside me. We stop. We listen. We remember what our true work is.

Sometimes. Sometimes! The lesson gets through my task-oriented skull. If I hadn’t seen it modeled earlier that day, who knows what would have happened. Probably business as usual.

So, thanks and praise today for our teachers and mentors. I count so many of you among mine.