If you are thinking "The Office" right now... then good for you! But, this will likely go in a different direction then it does on that show.
I was thinking recently of the phenomenon that occurs when an "expert" says something. I don't read a ton of blogs, but I peruse some of the big ones every so often. And, I have found that many of them say the same things. Even more interesting is that normal people I meet who don't write blogs say the same things as the big important guys do. Sometimes, though, people just like to hear something from an expert, or an "unbiased" source (that just means not you :) in order to believe it.
I have been on both sides of this equation, as the "expert" and the "biased source". I have learned (at least) two things from my experience.
1. Truth is truth no matter who says it. If you can learn to listen for truth regardless of who is speaking, you will begin to discover more truth then you previously had. There are times when it pays to listen to people with proven track records (which is how you should define "expert"), but it also pays to listen to your co-worker who has watched your life for the last 5 years.
2. Truth is valuable even if I don't get credit for it. Don't you love those days when a new person enters into a conversation you have been having with a friend and says exactly what you have been saying for... years!, and the friend just "gets it" all of a sudden? I think we have all been there, and wanted to scream out, "That is exactly what I have been saying!" But, if I believe that Truth is more important than Me, then I am not so worried about who gets the credit for steering my friend in the right direction.
Jesus tells us that He is truth. The important thing is that He becomes known in this world. Whoever He chooses to reveal Himself through, and whoever gets the credit for making Him known... the most important thing is to keep Him as the most important thing.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Health is Hard
Health has been a big word in my life recently. Church health, ministry health, personal health, spiritual health, physical health, relational health. One thing that seems to remain constant through all of my discussions is that health is hard. There are some things that just come naturally in life. Health does not seem to be one of those things. Whether it is building a healthy company or building a healthy family, work is going to be involved. I am pretty sure this is linked to the natural selfishness that exists within most humans. My natural inclination is to do what comes easily. Sitting on the couch is easy, heading to the gym is hard. Doing what I want with my evening is easy, figuring out what my wife wants and doing that is hard. Having a fun conversation with someone is easy, holding them accountable for spiritual health is hard.
You get the idea. So, what motivates us to become healthy, and what helps us stick with it even though it is hard?
This will begin a new Friday Feedback section on my blog. Since I take Saturday/Sunday off this post will sit here a while. I will try to bring up a topic that allows feedback... and then turn you guys loose to feedback. I will make comments and such, assuming anyone actually joins the conversation :).
You get the idea. So, what motivates us to become healthy, and what helps us stick with it even though it is hard?
This will begin a new Friday Feedback section on my blog. Since I take Saturday/Sunday off this post will sit here a while. I will try to bring up a topic that allows feedback... and then turn you guys loose to feedback. I will make comments and such, assuming anyone actually joins the conversation :).
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Two for one... Thursday?
Ok, to my defense Wednesday was one of those days that I started meetings about 9:30 a.m. and ended at 11:30 p.m. I thought about getting on the computer when I got home, until my head hit my pillow, and then I stopped thinking about the computer.
But, the thing that was on my mind for yesterday was:
1. What we Measure becomes our Mission
We are having our annual budget talks right now, and so measurements are being decided for all of our different ministry areas. What I am discovering is that many times I don't actively measure the things that I say that I care about. I often measure the easy thing, or the flashy thing, not necessarily the crucial thing. Over time what happens is that I begin to focus more and more of my attention on those things that I measure, and they become my mission. Regardless of what I say I believe, my life will be focused on the things that receive my focus.
That statement seems pretty obvious, but many people and organizations do not live by it. Take church for example. Most church leaders would say that their mission is to reach people for Christ and see them grow up into fully-devoted followers. But, walk into almost any church in America and you will see that their most visible measures are: 1) Sunday attendance and 2) Giving. There are no measures that are focused on Spiritual Development and health, merely on attendance and giving. Certainly those are two factors of health, but are they the only two? Are they even the most important two?
I believe most churches measure attendance and giving for emotional reasons, not spiritual ones. We feel better when our numbers are "up" and we feel worse when our numbers are down. We worry about down numbers because then we don't know if we are going to meet our needs. We wonder about bills, we wonder about volunteer positions, etc.
This year we are working to increase the things we measure, and make sure that they directly relate to what we say is most important.
2. You cannot overcommunicate vision.
I learned this again last night watching my son eat his dinner. I had prepared a special treat of flaky biscuit with jelly covering. It had an obvious "top", and I cut it into finger-sized pieces. Any adult would have known that the proper way to eat it was to pick up one piece at a time (keeping the "top" side up!), and enjoy. Jared had other ideas. In the end they accomplished the same goal... eating the food, but they were much more messy! It just reminded me that because things seem obvious to me, they will not necessarily be obvious to others. And, it can get messy when a group of people set off to reach the same goal following different paths.
But, the thing that was on my mind for yesterday was:
1. What we Measure becomes our Mission
We are having our annual budget talks right now, and so measurements are being decided for all of our different ministry areas. What I am discovering is that many times I don't actively measure the things that I say that I care about. I often measure the easy thing, or the flashy thing, not necessarily the crucial thing. Over time what happens is that I begin to focus more and more of my attention on those things that I measure, and they become my mission. Regardless of what I say I believe, my life will be focused on the things that receive my focus.
That statement seems pretty obvious, but many people and organizations do not live by it. Take church for example. Most church leaders would say that their mission is to reach people for Christ and see them grow up into fully-devoted followers. But, walk into almost any church in America and you will see that their most visible measures are: 1) Sunday attendance and 2) Giving. There are no measures that are focused on Spiritual Development and health, merely on attendance and giving. Certainly those are two factors of health, but are they the only two? Are they even the most important two?
I believe most churches measure attendance and giving for emotional reasons, not spiritual ones. We feel better when our numbers are "up" and we feel worse when our numbers are down. We worry about down numbers because then we don't know if we are going to meet our needs. We wonder about bills, we wonder about volunteer positions, etc.
This year we are working to increase the things we measure, and make sure that they directly relate to what we say is most important.
2. You cannot overcommunicate vision.
I learned this again last night watching my son eat his dinner. I had prepared a special treat of flaky biscuit with jelly covering. It had an obvious "top", and I cut it into finger-sized pieces. Any adult would have known that the proper way to eat it was to pick up one piece at a time (keeping the "top" side up!), and enjoy. Jared had other ideas. In the end they accomplished the same goal... eating the food, but they were much more messy! It just reminded me that because things seem obvious to me, they will not necessarily be obvious to others. And, it can get messy when a group of people set off to reach the same goal following different paths.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Two for One Tuesday!
It is not surprise to you, my loyal readers, that I missed yesterday's post! I want to pay my debt and leave you with two, yes TWO, posts today. I was going to make two actual posts, but that just did not make much sense, so instead I will give you two wonderful topics in ONE post. I know, truly amazing, and here we go!
1. The Messy Me:
We are having issues with Jared and potty training. When I say “we” I really mean “me”, because it seems like Jared does not have nearly the problem with poop in pants that I do. And, even though I know that my emotional response to his actions is detrimental… it is still hard not to get mad when he poops in his pants. I realize more and more, though, that my anger is often rooted in my own selfishness, not in his actions. His actions create work for me, work I do not enjoy. They require my time, my energy, my focus, my attention… they require me to stop thinking about me and think only about him… and not the fun him, the messy him. And, once again I see just how far separated from God I am. The love He displayed (and displays) for the Messy me was just amazing. I swear I have learned more about God through my kids than just about anything else in life. If you do not have the blessing of children of your own, spend some time around somebody else's. The chance to see yourself through God's eyes is just too important to miss!
2. Perry Noble prompted this:
About two years ago I began a book on "When Christianity is illegal in America". Since I am probably the only one interested in thinking about such a future... I just stored it away in a computer file. In that book I basically talked about the inevitable movement of the church out of the current Campus-driven model into a Home-based model. It is inevitable, regardless of what we do on Sundays. The short version is that either Christians will begin operating like pastors in their own communities and bring new life to our campuses, or our communities will turn against us and close our campuses... forcing us to become pastors in our communities.
I then wrote my little idea on what a "House" church would look like. Apparently the term is now "Missional Community" because people don't like the connotation of "House church" anymore. Whatever the tag you put on it, it will face some serious issues in America for at least a couple of reasons. I am writing about this because once again I got into this discussion just this last week with some pastors.
Issue #1 - Personal Freedom. We have too much of it for the house-model to work well. That is one reason it flourishes in places like China and the Middle East. It goes beyond just political freedom though, it is about mobility, lifestyle, mindset, and so many other things.
Issue #2 - Personal affluence. Financial need creates physical need. Physical need creates community. Sure it also creates conflict, but it creates community as well. This was true of the early church, it is true of the Chinese church and the African church and many others where the people have great physical need.
It is my personal opinion that our Freedom and Affluence in America mean that we need fewer relationships and that they can be more separated than in other cultures. I know people who have "friends" who don't even live in the same state, much less next door. We can keep up with these people easily, and since most of our relational needs are social, not economic, then it works.
That said, I still believe that a House-centered church is the way of the future. It is inevitable, because that is the way church works. It does not mean we will ever need to stop congregating at our Campuses, but church happens in community, not on campuses.
1. The Messy Me:
We are having issues with Jared and potty training. When I say “we” I really mean “me”, because it seems like Jared does not have nearly the problem with poop in pants that I do. And, even though I know that my emotional response to his actions is detrimental… it is still hard not to get mad when he poops in his pants. I realize more and more, though, that my anger is often rooted in my own selfishness, not in his actions. His actions create work for me, work I do not enjoy. They require my time, my energy, my focus, my attention… they require me to stop thinking about me and think only about him… and not the fun him, the messy him. And, once again I see just how far separated from God I am. The love He displayed (and displays) for the Messy me was just amazing. I swear I have learned more about God through my kids than just about anything else in life. If you do not have the blessing of children of your own, spend some time around somebody else's. The chance to see yourself through God's eyes is just too important to miss!
2. Perry Noble prompted this:
About two years ago I began a book on "When Christianity is illegal in America". Since I am probably the only one interested in thinking about such a future... I just stored it away in a computer file. In that book I basically talked about the inevitable movement of the church out of the current Campus-driven model into a Home-based model. It is inevitable, regardless of what we do on Sundays. The short version is that either Christians will begin operating like pastors in their own communities and bring new life to our campuses, or our communities will turn against us and close our campuses... forcing us to become pastors in our communities.
I then wrote my little idea on what a "House" church would look like. Apparently the term is now "Missional Community" because people don't like the connotation of "House church" anymore. Whatever the tag you put on it, it will face some serious issues in America for at least a couple of reasons. I am writing about this because once again I got into this discussion just this last week with some pastors.
Issue #1 - Personal Freedom. We have too much of it for the house-model to work well. That is one reason it flourishes in places like China and the Middle East. It goes beyond just political freedom though, it is about mobility, lifestyle, mindset, and so many other things.
Issue #2 - Personal affluence. Financial need creates physical need. Physical need creates community. Sure it also creates conflict, but it creates community as well. This was true of the early church, it is true of the Chinese church and the African church and many others where the people have great physical need.
It is my personal opinion that our Freedom and Affluence in America mean that we need fewer relationships and that they can be more separated than in other cultures. I know people who have "friends" who don't even live in the same state, much less next door. We can keep up with these people easily, and since most of our relational needs are social, not economic, then it works.
That said, I still believe that a House-centered church is the way of the future. It is inevitable, because that is the way church works. It does not mean we will ever need to stop congregating at our Campuses, but church happens in community, not on campuses.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Batman: Dark Knight - Part 5
Good guys take more punches.
This seems to be a theme that many Superhero films address. There comes a point in a hero's life where he has to choose exactly what kind of hero he will be. What will it be that separates him from the villain? In this movie Batman makes the stand that he will not kill, at least not directly and not if there is anyway to avoid it. Because of that choice he often has to fight an enemy more than once, even if he wins some of those fights. (Strange how all the bad guys get away...)
So far we have a standard superhero story. Where this one differs is when Batman chooses to make the hard decisions that cost him personally. He chooses what is best for the people he is serving, not what is best for his personal reputation or his personal desires. One of the best lines of the movie is that Batman is the hero the city needs, not necessarily the one that they want.
I think those words fit very well into our own hero story. When Jesus walked this earth he was hero to many people. They thought he had come to deliver them from the tyranny of the Romans and restore Israel to a place of glory and honor. But, time after time he refused to tear down those in political power even verbally. And, in the end he surrendered himself to them to die. He was the hero that we needed, not the one that they wanted. He made the choice that no one else could make and took the punches no one else could take.
As we attempt to follow His example it should not surprise us that we often take punches in life that we could avoid. Choosing to trust people, to see the best in them, and to give even when nothing is given in return; that is a lifestyle set up to take some punches. The early disciples counted it an honor to share in suffering that was similar to Jesus'. I have to admit that their mindset is very different from my own on many days.
Thanks for reading. On Monday I will be on to another topic. And, since we only go to the theatre a couple times a year it will most likely not be a movie :).
This seems to be a theme that many Superhero films address. There comes a point in a hero's life where he has to choose exactly what kind of hero he will be. What will it be that separates him from the villain? In this movie Batman makes the stand that he will not kill, at least not directly and not if there is anyway to avoid it. Because of that choice he often has to fight an enemy more than once, even if he wins some of those fights. (Strange how all the bad guys get away...)
So far we have a standard superhero story. Where this one differs is when Batman chooses to make the hard decisions that cost him personally. He chooses what is best for the people he is serving, not what is best for his personal reputation or his personal desires. One of the best lines of the movie is that Batman is the hero the city needs, not necessarily the one that they want.
I think those words fit very well into our own hero story. When Jesus walked this earth he was hero to many people. They thought he had come to deliver them from the tyranny of the Romans and restore Israel to a place of glory and honor. But, time after time he refused to tear down those in political power even verbally. And, in the end he surrendered himself to them to die. He was the hero that we needed, not the one that they wanted. He made the choice that no one else could make and took the punches no one else could take.
As we attempt to follow His example it should not surprise us that we often take punches in life that we could avoid. Choosing to trust people, to see the best in them, and to give even when nothing is given in return; that is a lifestyle set up to take some punches. The early disciples counted it an honor to share in suffering that was similar to Jesus'. I have to admit that their mindset is very different from my own on many days.
Thanks for reading. On Monday I will be on to another topic. And, since we only go to the theatre a couple times a year it will most likely not be a movie :).
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Batman: Dark Knight - Part 4
[As I said yesterday... some spoiler today, if you are a movie purist :)]
No one is beyond hope, or beyond temptation.
I think this is one of those lessons that strangely gets harder to remember the longer one has been a Christian. After years of striving to live holy and putting a good effort into cleaning up our lives it is only natural to believe that we are just a touch above the average citizen. There really is no question that we are above the trouble makers and criminals.
One of the culminating scenes in The Dark Knight occurs when the Joker has stranded two sets of people on two ferries. Each ferry basically gets the choice of a) Blow up the other ferry before they blow you up, or b) Hope you don't get blown up before midnight... and then get blown up by the Joker. On each ferry there is a guardian holding the detonator that will (supposedly) blow up the other boat and save everyone on their own ferry. It was quite interesting to see how the writers played this story out, having a criminal step up and do something quite heroic while the "good" people voted... deciding to kill 450 other people. One caveat is that one boat was filled with criminals while the other was filled with normal citizens. Of course the boat with criminals also had police and military personnel, but apparently they did not factor in when the voting took place on the Citizen boat.
It was a moving moment when I saw it on the screen. It became even more poignant when I walked outside. You see, when we arrived at the movie theatre there was a small crowd of people that looked mostly like me... couples going to see a movie. When I left the theatre I was immediately surrounded by people who seemed to range from 12 - 17 and could only be characterized as thugs. I mean, what else do you call a 14 year old kid standing in your way as you are trying to exit a movie theatre? It was interesting to me how quickly I assumed that this mass of youth somehow wanted to harm me, or at least would take advantage if any opportunity arose. I wondered, "What if they were on a boat and I had the choice of blowing them up or trusting that they would die before blowing me up?" I think that any honest person would think, "We have to get them before they get us! You cannot trust those kids!"
I am not trying to argue for the rights of young people to congregate late at night and... loiter. But, I am trying to argue against my natural inclination to assume that I am the good person in the group and "they" (whoever they may be) are the bad persons. The truth is that given the right circumstances I can still be tempted by evil as much as any man, and it will do my heart and soul good to remember that when I have the chance to offer grace and forgiveness to my fellow man. There is one, often painful, side effect to this way of thinking... and that will be our final lesson revealed tomorrow.
No one is beyond hope, or beyond temptation.
I think this is one of those lessons that strangely gets harder to remember the longer one has been a Christian. After years of striving to live holy and putting a good effort into cleaning up our lives it is only natural to believe that we are just a touch above the average citizen. There really is no question that we are above the trouble makers and criminals.
One of the culminating scenes in The Dark Knight occurs when the Joker has stranded two sets of people on two ferries. Each ferry basically gets the choice of a) Blow up the other ferry before they blow you up, or b) Hope you don't get blown up before midnight... and then get blown up by the Joker. On each ferry there is a guardian holding the detonator that will (supposedly) blow up the other boat and save everyone on their own ferry. It was quite interesting to see how the writers played this story out, having a criminal step up and do something quite heroic while the "good" people voted... deciding to kill 450 other people. One caveat is that one boat was filled with criminals while the other was filled with normal citizens. Of course the boat with criminals also had police and military personnel, but apparently they did not factor in when the voting took place on the Citizen boat.
It was a moving moment when I saw it on the screen. It became even more poignant when I walked outside. You see, when we arrived at the movie theatre there was a small crowd of people that looked mostly like me... couples going to see a movie. When I left the theatre I was immediately surrounded by people who seemed to range from 12 - 17 and could only be characterized as thugs. I mean, what else do you call a 14 year old kid standing in your way as you are trying to exit a movie theatre? It was interesting to me how quickly I assumed that this mass of youth somehow wanted to harm me, or at least would take advantage if any opportunity arose. I wondered, "What if they were on a boat and I had the choice of blowing them up or trusting that they would die before blowing me up?" I think that any honest person would think, "We have to get them before they get us! You cannot trust those kids!"
I am not trying to argue for the rights of young people to congregate late at night and... loiter. But, I am trying to argue against my natural inclination to assume that I am the good person in the group and "they" (whoever they may be) are the bad persons. The truth is that given the right circumstances I can still be tempted by evil as much as any man, and it will do my heart and soul good to remember that when I have the chance to offer grace and forgiveness to my fellow man. There is one, often painful, side effect to this way of thinking... and that will be our final lesson revealed tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Batman: Dark Knight - Part 3
[Obligatory Spoiler alert. If you care about every small detail being revealed when you see the movie and not before, then you may want to stop reading. Honestly, though... the big spoiler is coming tomorrow... so see the movie already!]
There are good people in this world; and we are not them.
I read a book by Donald Miller not too long ago called Blue Like Jazz. Honestly I did not like it at first, but I suppose it grew on me. One of the things that I often remember is his story about spending a month in the woods with pot-smoking hippies. Though he may not have agreed with all of their life choices or spiritual positions, they were the most loving, accepting, caring people he had met in his life... and he grew up going to church. It was a reminder that God created this world, and He is still present in many parts of it that we don't see or understand. Because of that we can expect to find good in this world even when we travel outside of our churches... and perhaps even because we have travelled outside our churches.
It is so easy to see the rest of the world as evil and me as good, but the fact is that without God I would have royally screwed up my life by now, and it is only by His grace that my current attempts are failing. One of the redeeming story lines throughout this latest Batman movie was that there are still good people in this world; people who will choose to do the hard thing, not just the popular thing; people who will sacrifice themselves for the good of their community. it amazes me that some of these people do not call themselves Christians. It saddens me that some people who call themselves Christian are not willing to make the same sacrifices. It convicts me when God reveals that same selfish restraint in my own heart.
There are good people in this world; and we are not them.
I read a book by Donald Miller not too long ago called Blue Like Jazz. Honestly I did not like it at first, but I suppose it grew on me. One of the things that I often remember is his story about spending a month in the woods with pot-smoking hippies. Though he may not have agreed with all of their life choices or spiritual positions, they were the most loving, accepting, caring people he had met in his life... and he grew up going to church. It was a reminder that God created this world, and He is still present in many parts of it that we don't see or understand. Because of that we can expect to find good in this world even when we travel outside of our churches... and perhaps even because we have travelled outside our churches.
It is so easy to see the rest of the world as evil and me as good, but the fact is that without God I would have royally screwed up my life by now, and it is only by His grace that my current attempts are failing. One of the redeeming story lines throughout this latest Batman movie was that there are still good people in this world; people who will choose to do the hard thing, not just the popular thing; people who will sacrifice themselves for the good of their community. it amazes me that some of these people do not call themselves Christians. It saddens me that some people who call themselves Christian are not willing to make the same sacrifices. It convicts me when God reveals that same selfish restraint in my own heart.
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