A Potluck is Best

I have played a lot of team sports in my life, for being a girl. A lot of girls don't play team sports, which is a shame. I think team sports are very important. If our football team did not do its job, the quarterback would get creamed. If the rest of the baseball players couldn't get on base, the team was sunk. Our high school volleyball team had designated roles - the short Asians were setters, the tall Samoans and African Americans were hitters, etc. I was a setter and a middle blocker, which is funny because I'm not that tall, but I was for Gardena High School.

When I first started in my job at the executive search firm, my boss wanted to transform our office. It was an unhappy place, and the staff were mediocre. Many of the consultants wouldn't work with the associates so that meant that I'd have 15 searches and another associate would have four, because their work stank. Later, as we hired better people and I started hiring the best I could find for our office, we had a roundly solid team that anyone would be thrilled to work with. The people are talented, and smart, and fun. Two of the people I hired are now partners, and another is my manager and participant in a lot of firmwide strategic activities that I used to do. I couldn't be happier. I am very proud of my part in bringing together a fantastic team. Our firm is known for its high quality and consistently good people. I teach them to be externally competitive, but internally cooperative.

At our recent womens' retreat, the speaker talked about people being jealous of others who are having a spiritual experience (putting on the bridal dress), and that we should be supportive and let others come into their faith. That is very strange to me. It's as though some would begrudge another her mountaintop experience. Some people acknowledged that they weren't pleased when another had success, including spiritual success. I would much rather be shoulder to shoulder with others who were more spiritual, talented, gifted, or miraculous than me. They'll lift me up! Paul says that the body of Christ has many members (1 Corinthians 12:12-31), and "if one member is honored, all rejoice together."

I think part of our mission at All Saints is to grow the best team to spread the gospel. In some cases we will launch ministries. In all cases we will have lifelong partners in ministry. Fr. Husband will always encourage people to be their best, and give them praise and credit. He'll also correct them, so that they can be better. Sometimes I wish I could be as friendly, as organized, as financial, as musical, etc. etc. as some others. But I don't have to be, because we have people who will fill in the void, and shine. We are all on the same team, and we all succeed when one of us succeeds.

At a potluck dinner, you get to have everyone's best dish. This is much better than one person killing themselves to make a full meal for everyone, and some of the dishes are invariably of lower quality. At our small church we have a tremendous amount of talent, and everyone is bringing their best. We are a delicious potluck. I love it.