Pray for our common good.
Old Testament
Psalm 78:70-72
70 He also chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from following the ewes that have their young, he brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance.
72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
New Testament
Matthew 20:25-28
25 But Jesus summoned them, and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
26 It shall not be so amongst you; but whoever desires to become great amongst you shall be your servant.
27 Whoever desires to be first amongst you shall be your bondservant,
28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Psalm 78 ends with leadership that smells of the sheepfold. David is taken from the ewes and made shepherd of a people. The last line is wonderfully plain: integrity of heart, skilful hands. Character and competence belong together.
Jesus names the false version of authority without flinching: rulers who lord it over others, great ones who press their weight down. 'Not so among you.' In his kingdom, greatness bends toward service, and authority is judged by the burdens it lifts.
Local leadership often has little glamour. It sits through meetings, reads papers, hears grievances, walks estates, answers anxious emails, chairs difficult rooms, and carries decisions no one will thank. It can become petty, defensive, or proud. It can also become a quiet form of shepherding: listening before speaking, telling the truth without contempt, protecting the weak from the loud, and seeking the good of a place block by block. Lord Jesus, form leaders who serve without needing to dominate. Give integrity of heart and skill of hand to councillors, officers, volunteers, and community leaders. Teach us to pray for them honestly, and to practise the same humility wherever we hold influence.