Pastoral Supervision

Capturing more Wind in the Sails

Fr. George

Why would a man with nearly four decades of pastoral experience as a priest, after earning advanced degrees in ministry, and encountering a variety of challenges and accomplishments over the years, be willing to choose, submit to, and once again become vulnerable to pastoral supervision? Perhaps there is an undercurrent of wanting to integrate my spectrum of experience and tap its meaning as retirement presents itself on the horizon. There may also be a real acknowledgement that I still have much to learn about navigating the parish in a direction that keeps the wind in its sails, occasionally corrects its course, and steers clear of waters that would overwhelm us. In what conditions can our parish(es) thrive?

Most priests I know respond to all kinds of external forces: phones, doors, e-mails, strategic plans that are sent down the Archdiocesan pipeline by various departments. We manage capital campaigns; take on vocational recruiting; are enlisted as guarantors of Best Practices; exercise the role of general contractor to aging buildings; teach in catechetical programs; and are relied upon to be good communicators. We absorb all kinds of “to-do’s” because that is expected of us as general pastoral practitioners.

Without reflection, the cost of this behavior can be very high. We begin to define the meaning of our lives, the value of our ministry based on what we are doing. “Who do I want to be? Who has God called me to be?” becomes more and more a faint echo lost among the tasks, meetings, agendas, projects, planning, budgeting, problem-solving and evaluating that encompass our days. Over time tiredness, inertia, fatigue usually follows. Complaint and sarcasm become pervasive. Does any of this stimulate inspiration, creativity, enthusiasm and a strong sense of mission? Not if your boat is floating in these waters.

The pastoral supervision (coach?) that I subscribe to pushes the question “Who do I desire to be?” or “Who has the Lord called me to be?” It is less interested in my job description than in my discernment tempered by time and experience. Once I can articulate and put into print the answer to that question, the time is ripe to examine what I am doing – tasks, responsibilities, projects and activities - in order to see if they are consonant with the core of who I am, who the Lord has made me to be? Authenticity and integrity take on a new and fresh importance in this exercise.

The supervisor assists in creating a safe and confidential place where trust is developed. Prayer, dialogue, reflection, and critique are the staples of the growth that ensues. Journaling and reading recommended materials also are highly suggested. Like the scene in the Gospel where Jesus invites his disciples to put out into deeper water for a catch of fish, I think we are being invited by the Lord to ‘go deeper’, plumb the depths of the Call and get a net around the treasure or tap-root of who I am.

Since participating in this kind of supervision I possess a much clearer sense of who I strive to be. Frustration, anger, fatigue have diminished; joy, gratitude, and heightened energy have found much more breathing space on a regular basis. Rather than reacting to what shows up unannounced at the door, in an e-mail, FAX or on the caller I.D., I give heightened value to the goals, agenda, contacts that are self-initiated as a result of consultation and hold the promise of a little more wind in our sails. The authenticity of my daily prayer and its integrity has taken on a new importance for me. Attentiveness, receptivity, regular time reserved, a connection with the Lord that moves beyond the cerebral and engages heart and spirit are essential to this spiritual exercise.

Pastoral supervision is not the Kingdom come nor is it the next best thing for parish life! I’ve had to wrestle with taking a new path that required apologies for mistakes made, a humble request for second chances, and the slow process of rebuilding trust with some parish leaders. I’ve had to push through my own internal resistance to forming an ‘accountability group’ that helps me stay focused and on course. My expectations had to be reconfigured – pastoral supervision coming from whom? A layman who hails from Guatemala? Really? “There are different gifts but the same Spirit, and there are a variety of services but the same Lord…to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1Cor.12:4-7)

After six months the experience continues to challenge and refine. I consider it a blessing, a grace in my life, a help to priesthood lived well. As for the supervisor, there is precedent in the Hebrew Scriptures for heaven-sent messengers showing up at your doorstep speaking words of wisdom and promise that are delivered with accents that hail from far-distant lands. If it could happen then, why not now! We can do better than settle for identifying what is not working or dysfunctional among us as the church and mutually commiserate. Something much more essential than problem-solving strategies is needed these days. Complaint is debilitating, dispiriting, and leaves us seemly adrift with no wind in our sails. Pastoral supervision holds out the possibility that you and I can correct our course, steer to more life-giving waters, and refocus our looking glass on the shores Christ calls us to pursue.