Lived through another one

Another Christmas Eve is under the belt and as usual it was a high point of the year for me. The services were all well attended and the spirit of people participating, leading, and responding was absolutely great. Over the last several years we have transitioned the Christmas Eve services from a production to more of a worship service done in creative ways. It has been a good shift. The numbers are down some over the years but I do believe that people are getting the intent and meaning of Christmas in the midst of it as well. It has become a little less stressful as well for those of us leading the service.
The music last night was absolutely wonderful. The song "The Unaccepted Gift " while probably never heard by most if at all any of the people was for me the lynch pin in bringing the meaning of the service together.
There was just a bit of drama to finish out the evening as Shannon had the shock of seeing her oldest son faint while she was reading the Gospel lesson. She recovered fairly well and he seems to be ok now, but not one that I think she will forget soon. (I'm guessing that there will be others of us who won't let her forget either :-) ).
Today though will be a day of quiet recovery as everyone in this house rests from a busy day and enjoys the quiet and the food that my son and his fiance are preparing.

In other news my daughter is safely on the ground in Germany now and is reporting a good start to her European adventure.

Christmas Eve

Today will be a long day but a day that I look forward to all year long. We will do 4 Christmas Eve services at church tonight (one less than some years). The first one will be at 3:00 and then we get started again at 7:00 and do it again at 9:00 while we wrap up things at 11:00 with a traditional Christmas Eve service.
It is in the midst of these services that I'm able to remember what Christmas is all about and to lose the bah humbug feeling. I'm not sure that I can tell you exactly why this doesn't just become another thing to get through, but it doesn't. It is a joyous time when we get to tell the Christmas story and greet people that are old friends as well as new friends and those we haven't met before. Now tomorrow I'll be dead tired, but it will all be worth it and I'll look forward to doing it all over again the next year.

Communication

In the past 9 years I can't count the number of times that our staff has talked about how to increase our level of communication. This would be among staff as well as to and in the congregation. It just seems like a never ending problem and one that we just can't get on top of. So I wonder if we are missing avenues that are available for communicating or are we sending conflicting messages?
We have updated our web site and worked very hard at keeping the information up to date and accurate. We send out a large newsletter every month and fill our worship folder each week with information about what is happening in the church. Still people say things like, "I didn't know we were doing that!"
Could it be that we are telling people to many things so they aren't hearing any of it? But if we start cutting things out what will it be? How are we going to let people get the details out in adequate ways?
I'm sure there will be more on this one later as I just don't know what the answer is to this one.

My Little Girl is Growing Up

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my daughter getting her dorm room cleaned up and moved out. This coming weekend she will get on a plane for Germany to spend Christmas with our German daughter. Then it will be 5 months in England studying and travelling. While she is doing all the things that I would want her to do in discovering the world and who she is there is just a part of me that steps back and wonders about how she grew up so fast?
I love who she is and celebrate the wonderful heart that she has that she gives to others so easily and freely. I love the way she embraces life and can laugh at the littlest things and still be a little girl in some ways.
As she grows up I know some things will change but she will always be my daughter who I love completely.

Bah Humbug

Most years when the Christmas season comes around it might take a bit of time for me to get into the Christmas mood but for some reason this year it just isn't happening. Is it wrong for a pastor not to be in the mood for Christmas? It's not that I'm not looking forward to celebrating Christmas Eve and being apart of the Christmas Plugged In program it's just that all the other things of Christmas just aren't doing it for me. I have no interest in shopping for presents and decorations are for others to enjoy. I'm trying not to be a wet blanket for others but the truth is that I'm just not in the mood for Christmas.
10 days to go, so we'll see if I come around or just wait until next year.

Closing Down

After many conversations among the pastoral team and other staff members the decision was made yesterday to stop doing a ministry that has been happening for many years. After making many appeals and talking to a variety of people there hasn't been anyone who has come forward to oversee and coordinate the ministry. The decision is being made based upon what we understand to be our ministry priorities and the understanding that this is not something that we will designate paid staff time toward.
The hard part now is how will this be communicated? How do you honor all those who have in the past and present continued this ministry while at the same time saying it isn't going to continue in the same way?
I pray that given some time we might meet the intent of this ministry in a new and different way with a team of volunteers who will embrace the opportunity. I also pray for understanding among those who have come to count on this ministry that they will receive the word with kindness and grace.
I'll write more on this process and the response I receive later.

The next big thing I'm missing out on

Ok I didn't realize that this was the next rubics cube but far be it for me to be the last one on the band wagon. Check out the possibilities of playing Cornhole from this song.

Christmas Plugged In

We are getting ready for our third annual Christmas Plugged In program at Saint Joseph. It is a night of high energy music and stories that brings the Christmas spirit into my life. The music is primarily from Trans Siberian Orchestra but done with our own take and flair. The musicians are all excellent and they pull the music off extremely well. If you are in the Fort Wayne area stop in and join us at 6:00 p.m. this Sunday night.

Patience

In a post over on Swerve Craig Groeschel listed 40 things he has learned in 40 years. Number 21 he lists as making decisions quickly when you know what is right. Up until I was 45 I would have agreed with his comment but now I would say not so much. It isn't that I don't believe that you should act upon the leadings of God and do what one is supposed to do, but my assurance of what is "God's will" in a particular situation is becoming less sure. I am finding that what I think God wants done is often just what I want. So I'm trying to expand the discipline of patience in my life. Waiting is not easy for me, I would much rather pull the band aid off quickly and move on, but in so much of life it seems like God has bigger plans than I can imagine.
So I'm learning to wait, not always patiently, but wait anyway for what God might do beyond what I can do. Patience is not a skill that comes naturally to me, but it is a discipline that I can tell is reaping far greater rewards than anything I can do myself.
Is this something you only learn with age or am I just becoming lazy?
I don't know, but I guess I'll wait and find out.

Hope

I've been trying to live with the first word of Advent this week. When the candle of Hope was lit it was an invitation to hold on to that which is not yet. To know that the world that is right now is not the world that God desires. This kind of hope isn't the hope of a child hoping for a train set under the Christmas tree, but rather a longing for that which will return the world to God's original design.
This hope is what I am trying to hold on to right now. It isn't easy to have this kind of hope because there isn't a lot of affirmation that the hope will be fulfilled. It is hope that doesn't see the dawn coming and has no idea how long the night will last. It is a hope that things will change even when things seem to be getting worse. It is the hope to live for that makes it possible to get up and put your feet on the floor for another day. It is the hope of those who have nothing else to hold on to in life. It is the hope of Jesus Christ. It is the hope I need. It is the hope I want. It is the hope I hold on to and that carries me through.
Thanks for the word and thanks for the Hope, Jesus.

Being Healthy

I've been thinking alot the last several months about what it means to be healthy, really healthy. I'm reading Emotionally Healthy Spirituality right now and would highly recommend it to any and all who are asking this same question about being healthy. I've been reflecting upon health and realizing that there are some people who are physically healthy but are completely unhealthy emotionally. Then there are people who are emotionally healthy and physically unhealthy so what are they, healthy or sick?
I wish I had the answer to this one right now!

Listening for God

Over the past few days I have prayed and listened for God more than I have for weeks maybe even years. In fact the other night I went to bed praying and woke up several times praying and got up before the alarm went off still praying. While this activity doesn't make me more spiritual it does raise my awareness of where God might be speaking into my life. So yesterday in a meeting when a very Godly woman said, "I've been thinking a lot lately about how our lives might benefit from the martial arts concept of absorbing the force exerted against us for our benefit." When she said this I kind of perked up and started asking is this true for me?
I think there is something to be said for this right now. It does seem that there are all kinds of forces coming at me right now and I have to wonder which of them I should be battling and whether or not the battle is taking more out of me than is appropriate. So in the midst of it all I keep praying and listening and waiting for God to speak into my life.

Thank a Friend

I don't know why I ever doubt God's power to step into my life and reset my balance but yesterday it happened again. Having gone through several months of intense emotional stuff and working hard to hold it all together I'm not sure if I was near my breaking point, but when the phone rang yesterday and Brian was on the other end I knew that I needed his wisdom and words. Sure enough Brian spoke words of God into my head and right to my heart. Today I have a lightness about my spirit that I have not had for some time and an even deeper trust in where God is taking me and my family. And having said that I can also say that I have no fear about God's leading where ever it might take me. I'm ready to say yes to more of God and pray that I might never again say, "No God, that is enough I can't take any more of you right now."

So thanks Brian for being a friend that follows God's leading and picks up the phone and calls to share a word of encouragement!

Simplicity and Christmas

Two words that don't seem to go together in our NorthAmericanUSA culture seem to be simplicity and Christmas. Everywhere I turn the last couple of days the question seems to be asked if consumers will spend enough money for Christmas to stimulate the economy and take our minds off the downturn in housing and the rise in energy costs. But I'm seeing more and more that says Christmas spending is not the best way to stimulate the economy. (Here's one take on things from last year.) So why have we bought into this whole attitude that Christmas just isn't Christmas unless there are major purchases wrapped up and given away to everyone we know?
This year I long for a simpler Christmas and because of some personal monetary issues we just might make it happen and start a trend that I hope will last into the years to come. Go ahead and call me Mr. Scrooge, but I'm going to choose to remember Christmas in my own way this year and not the way everyone else things is the only way to enjoy the season.

When Would Thanksgiving Stop

For some reason this morning I'm thinking of Job, the man in the Old Testament who lost everything. I guess why I'm thinking of him is because of Thanksgiving and I'm wondering if I was in Job's place could I give thanks? Now in the OT story Job does not give thanks in the midst of his trials but he also does not lose faith.
So much of the time my thanks is for things that make me comfortable and people who bring meaning and love into my life. But all these are really temporary, they are here for a season and will be gone at some time in my lifetime or in those who come after me. It isn't that I want to lose these things to see if I could still give thanks, I'm not into suffering just to suffer or test myself. It is just the question of where my thanks ultimately lies.
I'm going to have to think more deeply upon all of this.
How about you, what is it that you are ultimately thankful for?

Wow

The Worship Arts team pulled off a great weekend as they did "Experiencing God: The Musical" in the sanctuary services. It was a powerful reminder of the presence of God in all things and at all times. I was truly encouraged by it on Saturday night.

While the sanctuary services were filled up the gathering in HEbrews Joe was a little more relaxed, but not any less powerful. We had a baptism to celebrate at 9:15 for a beautiful little girl. During the services I interviewed the band and we talked about there personal experiences of God. So we talked about the miracles of birth and the power of following God's nudgings. It was a very powerful experience for me and I think for others as well.

All in all in was a great spiritual weekend. A great big thanks goes out to everyone who gave so much of themselves in presenting this powerful weekend. A special thanks to Common Ground for their faithfulness and honesty.

The Best Way to Recharge

I don't know about this but I find that just putting my feet up on my desk and leaving a book open on my lap closing my eyes doing some 'meditating' upon what I have read works just fine for me.

Working at My Religion

I just finished teaching a class on the Other Disciplines at church. For several weeks I lead the group in thinking about those things that have been a long part of the faith journey for people down through the centuries. We started with the Rule of Benedict and worked through a number of things that people don't incorporate into their lives any more. Things like simplicity, discernment, solitude, fasting, holding ones tongue, and other things. It wasn't that most of these actions or disciplines are unknown they just aren't practiced.
For me these things are necessary in my life if I'm not going to lose my religion. It is things like this that help me to stay on the path while of faith while everything else is weighing on me and pulling me away from God. It is through these things that I keep working toward faith even when I'm not sure what my faith is.
I highly recommend them!

Naming It What It Is

"Naming things gives us power over them. If you label all your crap "crap," you'd probably feel a lot better." David Allen (whole article found here)

David Allen apparently is a Get Things Done guru who I will need to read a bit more of to see what I can learn from him. As I was reading his brief article though the above quote jumped out at me in relationship to the life of simplicity that I have been wanting more of these days. I have to ask myself if I'm willing to name the things in my life that really are crap? The feelings of resentment over words spoken years ago, the anxiousness over what might come in the future, and all those other things that are stuffed inside of me, are they really worth holding on to? I know that simplicity is usually thought of as the stuff on the outside that we live with, but for me it starts on the inside and that is where I need to simplify my life to start.

Making the Most of Time

When reading an article in Fast Company about time management a number of questions came to mind about the way I use my time. (I won't summarize the article because you really need to read it for yourself so that you can think about it. HINT: read it in the morning and think about this afternoon.) I find myself waking earlier these days and wanting to get started with things. I've been wondering if it was because I am feeling stressed about all the things that I have to do or if I'm just getting old. It used to be that I would get up and either run, walk, or lift weights first thing in the morning and then get around and make it into work after that. I've been starting earlier mentally but then not getting as much exercise as I want. So if I'm going to maximize my time and brain power, maybe I need to go ahead and start the day out early with the brain and then make sure that I get my exercise in during the early afternoon.

This is making me think. I'm going to have to spend some time this afternoon thinking about how to make the most of this.

Simplicity

"Tis a gift to be simple,
tis a gift to be free,
tis a gift to come round
where we ought to be."

The old shaker hymn rings with truth yet today.
Simplicity is a gift and yet it is a gift that most of us find difficult to embrace let alone give. This week I have been in two separate settings teaching / leading discussion on simplicity as an important part of the Christ like life. [I should note that I'm teaching this not because I have it figured out, but because I believe it is important and I'm willing to wrestle with what it should look like.] In both settings there have been people who have expressed a deep longing to simplify their lives of all the 'stuff' that surrounds them. Yet in all cases there was a frustration that followed the conversations with how difficult it would really be to embrace a simpler life style.

Why?

What would really change if I simplified my life in a very intentional way?

Any suggestions as to how you might have simplified your life and what you gained as a result of that change?

Mission-wiki

As you might have noticed if you are reading this at any regular interval (not sure actually if anyone is, but for the sake of my fragile ego I'll assume that there is more than one person who reads this on a regular basis) the leadership of the church has been talking, praying, and thinking a lot about our Mission Statement. The general feeling has been that the statement is accurate about what we are to be about, but the wording might not be as helpful as it could be.
So in an effort to continue the conversation we have asked the leaders to take a stab at writing the Mission Statement using the words that they feel might best reflect what God is calling this particular church to be about. What we are really doing is taking a stab at wiki-ing our Mission Statement. To put it into the process of refinement and testing that is common in many places on the web. If you would like to join in the more the merrier.
The current Statement is:

• To be a New Testament Church
• To reach the unchurched
• To develop fully mature disciples

So how might you take this statement and bring it into the 21st Century for North East Allen County?

Can We Make a Difference?

So this morning I'm reading this article by Rick Warren on the power of the church to network for the relief of suffering and the power of the gospel to impact change in the world. I'm reading it because Dave Ferguson wrote about it on his blog.
All this made me begin to wonder, "What could we really do in our community if we seriously worked together not just as an individual church but as a network of churches?" What would it look like if the churches of Fort Wayne decided that No Child Left Behind was not going to be left on the pages of political history, but actually was a goal worth embracing? What could we accomplish together if every church in Fort Wayne decided to adopt a school in their immediate neighborhood as well as one that was in a lower economic area of the region? What would it look like for churches to create Community School Organizations?
If each CSO brought people from different churches together in conversation with teachers, administrators, and parents to see what can be done in supporting the educators and students with supplies that might be needed, mentors that might work alongside students, and prayer that supports and encourages the work of everyone in the schools (off site and out of sight because this shouldn't be a political issue). Could we change the future of this community? could we give kids in Fort Wayne a chance to succeed beyond what they expect? If each church in the City of Churches contributed to a scholarship fund, could we send every kid to college or trade school?
Where would this idea go if we could network together to dream bigger than any of us could dream alone?

The Hard Work Pays Off

Over the last week I have had several opportunities to talk to couples who have been married for over 25 years. In all the conversations the hard work of marriage was mentioned. Each couple talked about how hard some parts of their married lives have been. One couple verbalized that the only way they got through it was that for both of them divorce wasn't an option.
It seems like many people think that marriage should be the easiest relationship, after all when you are in love that is enough. The problem is that love fades, it is effected by bad breath and words spoken in moments of anger. The feeling of love won't carry a marriage. Only the commitment to love will carry a marriage through the years. When I ask a couple of they are committed through sickness and health, in wealth and in poverty, etc. I'm really asking are you willing to stick this out no matter what?
The amazing thing that I see in these couples and I have read in the statistics is that when a couple stays together through the rough times and works at the relationship they are happier than they thought they would ever become. Now it does mean that you have to do hard work, but almost everyone who does it says that the work was more than worthwhile. This is one of the reasons that I'm excited about the Marriage Mentoring program that we are going to be offering after the first of the year.
Stay tuned for more info to come.

Safe Harbor or Pit Stop

After a long morning of conversation with church leadership about the mission and direction of the church an image came to mind that might make a difference in how we approach the conversation. It seems that underlying our conversation there is a fundamental difference in the way we approach the role of the church. The question I was wrestling with is this, is the church a safe harbor to provide respite and safety from the stormy world or is the church a pit stop to renew, refuel, make adjustments and then get people back out into the world to make a difference for God?
The way I read the New Testament it seems like Jesus' intention was to leave behind him pockets of revolutionaries that are supposed to live out the Kingdom of God in the here and now. This would mean that the Church was supposed to be the avenue that supported and encouraged revolutionary living. These revolutionaries are supposed to be changing the world by the way they live and the way they love one another and those around them.
Depending upon what image one uses to understand the Church it will have a major impact in the way the church is structured

An Empty Seat

One of the things that I find myself missing about being in class and working on my degree are the conversations between classes. Those long evening meals talking with Jonathan, Jeff, Jack, Brian, and so many others about life. Not having an agenda about what needs to be talked about, but just letting a conversation flow in its natural progression. Allowing the laughter to come and even being willing to approach the tears of gut level honesty.

I need to make sure that those times are not just a distant memory but are actually happening with others along the road of life.

A little time away

We are spending a couple days away just trying to breathe and regroup a bit. Sometimes just a change of scenery makes a big difference. When you get to breathe into this ....

it does have a tendency to renew the soul.

More from Day of Caring

Here is the crew that took off last week and worked in our community. They washed windows and played Bingo with residents of nursing homes. They sorted food at the food bank and sanded drywall. They did whatever was asked of them and did it with a smile.

They truly are living out the Gospel of Jesus!

A quick pic

Just one of our volunteers from this past Saturday's Day of Caring.

Thanks Austin.

He really is a good kid, even though his choice of teams to root for is maybe a little questionable :).

Holding Your Tongue

The phrase is one that we hear and know but few of us actually practice. As I'm preparing for a new class tonight I've been thinking about what it means to not speak. When I go away to the monastery on retreat I go to a place that practices silence. It is a time a refreshment and stillness that restores my soul.
Now the problem is that I don't keep watch over my tongue in the same way when I'm around other people. If I'm going to get into trouble with folks it is usually because I speak without thinking and what I say is taken in the wrong way or I speak to bluntly for the situation. I'm learning in small ways and over a lot of time that every thought that comes into my head does not need to be expressed.
This is where the practice of silence or holding ones tongue comes into play. It is the practice of listening rather than speaking. It is about allowing the time to speak words that are thought out rather than blurted out. It is the willingness to consider the feelings of others and not wanting to offend.
Now a couple of things that silence is not. It is not withholding words of correction. It isn't an excuse to allow a brother or sister to do things that might hurt them or others because you don't want to offend or anger them. It isn't about withholding information from others when it might help them.
Silence is something that most of us aren't really comfortable with, but it is a discipline that will allow us to experience the God's grace and presence in ways that we have never been able to in the past.

In the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 we see the power of God coming to the prophet in the stillness and we too can hear the voice of God if we learn to be quiet and listen.

Discernment

Beginning tomorrow night (Wed.) I'll be teaching a class at church that I have titled "The Other Disciplines." I'll be focusing upon those classical disciplines that are often overlooked in today's culture. I'm going to start out with two that seem in short supply these days. The first will be discernment and the second will be holding our tongues.
Discernment in a group setting is a difficult and time consuming work, but one that is well worth the time because non of us are smarter than all of us. Now that doesn't mean that I'll be championing consensus, even though that is a good goal. I'll be helping people learn how to seek out others to help process the decisions of faith and life that so often we go alone. The second discipline is one that is actually necessary before we can practice the first. In a discernment setting if the people present don't know how to hold their tongues and speak when they have wisdom and not just opinions discernment will never happen.
One of the hardest things to learn is to know when to speak and when to keep silence. In order to encorporate this discipline into our lives the first thing we must learn is that there are other ways to do things than "my way." That there are multiple ways to do the right thing means that we can be open to God being at work in a way that we have not considered and would not necessarily embrace at first.
I think this should be a good class and pray that the people who will come to be apart of it will embrace some new perspectives and habits that will draw them closer to God.

A Day of Caring

About 105 of us gathered today to go out into our community and do what we could to make a small difference. We did things such as trim bushes, wash windows, sort food, help in a couple of nursing homes, and work on some projects at a couple of non-profit centers. Once again the people of faith rise up to act like the people of faith that they are.

WELL DONE!

Being Transformed

We have been asking people to consider what living a life transformed by Jesus looks like. As we have focused upon the difference between what the Bible says should be the marks of discipleship and the reality of our own lives I have been struck by a number of things.
1) Most of us say we want to follow Jesus but very few of us actually do much more than the basics of reading the Bible, praying, and/or showing up for worship to make that happen.
2) A lot of what the Bible says about being a follower of Christ has little connection with what our culture thinks Christians are supposed to be like.
3) It all starts with loving God and loving our neighbors.
4) When you look at #3 it sounds so easy, but turns out being so hard.

Remembering Bob

Today we get to celebrate Bob's life. Bob died this past weekend after a relatively quick decline due to cancer. The good news is that it really is a celebration. When I saw Bob shortly after the Doctors told him that there wasn't anything that they could do for him he was not depressed. In fact he wrote on some paper something along the lines of, "How exciting it will be to see what God is going to do now, God is Good!"
In these last two weeks the family came together and shared story after story of their lives together. There wasn't a time when I saw the family either in the hospital or at the hospice home that there wasn't laughter present. The joy that they shared together was heartening for all of us who saw them together.
This will not be a funeral of sadness, even though there may be a few tears shed, it will be a joyous celebration of life! Thanks Bob! For a life lived filled with faith, joy, and forgiveness. You will not be soon forgotten.

Remembering the Saints

Last night as we were planning music for upcoming worship services we took time to watch a video put together by Greg Furgeson of Willow Creek called "Fast.Forword". It is a look at the history of the church in word and image that we are going to use in some of the services on the first Sunday of Nov. The plan is to use it in conjunction with the celebration of the lives of those who have died this past year. We celebrate All Saints Day the first weekend of November and it is a wonderful time to remember those who have gone before us.
The video is a powerful and moving experience for me. It fills me with hope and joy that I get to be a part of this great body of Christ that we call the church. I know that there are many things that people see wrong in the church and wish were different. In my more pessimistic days I can add quite a few things to the list, but at the same time I cannot think of anything that I would rather do than build for the future of this great body of Christ.
The thing that I believe I am supposed to be doing with my life is very simple and that is to be preparing the church for my grand children's children. My purpose and focus in life is geared toward helping the church prepare for the future and the changes that it will have to face in the coming decades. I look forward with great expectation to a vibrant church where my grand children's children will embrace Jesus within the church that they to might join the long lines of saints who are faithful in both the great as well as the small ways of life.
I hope that you too will enjoy the "Fast.Forward" experience.

The Role of a Mission Statement

Because of a recent conversation it seems to me that a little reflection upon the role of a Mission Statement in an organization might be significant.
During the last part of the 20th Century people in all areas of life; business, non-profit, education, religious organizations, even individuals jumped on the importance of clarifying goals and process. In this time, terms such as Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Core Values, Guiding Themes, BHAGs, Strategic Planning, etc. all took on a sense of urgency. But it wasn't' long before the confusion began.
Is that a vision statement or a mission statement? How can you measure that? It isn't specific enough! It is to specific! The litany goes on and a whole industry of business coaches and seminar leaders have grown up to walk people through the confusion.
The reality is that many companies, churches, and other organizations went through the process of developing and refining all these slogans and then did nothing else with them. The result for many people were hours spent talking with little to show for it. There are of course exceptions and those were organizations that not only did the hard work of development but then grabbed hold of it like a bulldog and would not let go. These success stories are ones that are lifted up as examples of what is possible if only everyone had a Mission Statement, if only everyone had a Vision Statement, if only everyone had a strategic plan, etc.
In the midst of this debate let's stop and look at what might be considered a personal mission statement:
(My mission is) to preach good news to the poor, proclaim freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
It might sound familer because it is what Jesus says in Luke 4:18-19 as he is reading from the scroll of Isaiah. If you look at everything that Jesus did in light of this statement it is clear that he never waivered in his focus of living this out. Because of Jesus focus' the course of history and religious belief was forever changed.
One could say that the current mission statement of the church as I have discussed in the previous several posts is really the mission of the universal church. Living out the way of the New Testament, reaching those far from God, and building people up into the likeness of Christ should be the goal of every faith community following the teachings of Jesus and his disciples. It could be my point of view, but I don't know how you could read the Bible and not include these points as the key role of being the church.
For me I think the confusion arises around how specific a local church needs to be in their mission statement. Does God call an individual part of the universal church to a specific way of accomplishing the greater goal of the Kingdom? If so in what ways will the local church specialize or focus their mission in a way that will allow them to fulfill the larger mission of the church? I think that is really the question, Does God call each church body to be everything for everyone, or is the local church body called to reach a slice of the population and encourage and cheer on others who are reaching other slices. Until we get that answer firmly in mind a mission statement will either be ignored or will lead to competing demands and expectations.
May the conversation and prayers go on for the glory of God and for our neighbors good!

Mission Statement

I want to move now to the questions surrounding discipleship.
The Mission Statement says the church is to "Develop fully mature disciples of Jesus Christ." The questions surround what that looks like and how does one get there. I think there are a couple of different ways one can address the characteristics of a mature disciple. One would be a self-reflective question, "Does my life reflect a deeper love for Jesus today than yesterday?" For most of us that question is hard to answer on a daily basis. I know that I can look back and say that my life is different today from what what it was two years ago and for sure twenty years ago, because of a growing love of Jesus. However to say that today is different than Monday is more difficult.
Another way to address maturity in discipleship would be to gage our lives against the fruit of the spirit that Paul addresses in Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. These are characteristics that others should be able to see in our behavior as well as in our attitudes. If we aren't exhibiting these characteristics than we aren't maturing.
The problem that I have with leaving it at this point is knowing what our interior motivation is in acting like a mature disciple. Because the truth is that discipleship is really who one is when no one else is looking. To get at this disciples of Jesus need to be in significant spiritual relationships with other believers. From the very earliest days of the church, through the monastic movement, to John Wesley, to the contemporary small group movement the focus has been on covenant relationships that hold us accountable to live a life worthy of the name, "follower of Jesus."
These relationships can fall under a variety of classifications: Spiritual Director, accountability partner, covenant group, mentoring relationship, etc. There are some things that all of these have in common if they are going to work in growing us up toward discipleship. 1) The relationship is long term, it isn't a six week Bible study done with 20 other people. 2) There is a freedom to ask the hard questions and an expectation to give honest answers. 3) The relationship is one that regularly focuses upon the spiritual practices of faith and an encouragement to participate at deeper and deeper levels. 4) There is in the relationship times when confession is shared verbally and the words of forgiveness are spoken out load by another person. All of these things have over the centuries shown the likely hood of forming people into the likeness of Christ.
If we are expecting people to grow in discipleship than we should expect that they will be in significant long term spiritual relationships. Those relationships are going to look very different for different people because of their stage in life, family commitments, and travel commitments. However those are not impossible to overcome and with today's technology there is no reason why everyone who wants to could not carve out at least an hour every other week to engage in significant spiritual conversation, prayer, and accountability.
Just some ideas about discipleship, what I have found personally helpful and have seen historically to be the best practices of those who desire to follow Jesus.

The Unchurched

There are a couple of questions in relationship to the unchurched surrounding our Mission Statement. 1) What does unchurched mean? 2) How will we know if we are reaching the unchurched? 3) Are there things we should be doing to reach the unchurched?



The answer to the last question is a resounding yes! One of the chief purposes of the church is to reach out to those who don't have an active and intimate relationship with Jesus. But who are the unchurched? First the unchurched are not heathens they are just like the rest of us. The unchurced are people who do not have an active engaged relationship with Jesus and other people who are attempting to put their faith into action on a regular basis. While technically not fitting the usual definition I would suggest that their are many people in today's churches that are unchurched. They have been showing up at church but they have for one reason or another not allowed the Holy Spirit to begin the work of transformation in their lives. They know about Jesus and the church but they have not begun to be the church in their relationships with others both inside and outside the buildings we call churches.
The only way to know if we are reaching the unchurched is to look for signs of transformed lives. Are people making first time commitments to Jesus? Are people recommitting their lives to following Christ? Are there people who are asking questions about what difference Jesus makes in the way one lives? If we don't know the answer to those questions then the reality is that we are not reaching the unchurched. It might seem harsh to say, but most of the churches in America are not reaching the unchurched. SJ might be doing a bit better than some, but the truth is that we have a long way to go.

More on the New Testament Church

I want to reflect upon two parts of the discussion today.
1) What does a New Testament Church do?
2) If we could only do one thing in this area, what would it be?

These two questions I think, are a part of the key of how the church approaches the world. If we focus upon the particular activities of the early church we are going to get into debates about communal living and what is or isn't a contemporary idol. While some of that conversation could be helpful and meaningful it would most likely be the points of contention rather than focusing upon the many other things that the church did such as worship, pray, etc.
There is a common theme in the Bible in both the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament) as well as the Greek scriptures (New Testament) that following God and being apart of God's people means caring for the widows and orphans, the foreigners among us, those who are lonely and ill. These are not New Testament activities they are God honoring activities. The difference in the New Testament is Jesus. Jesus makes a relationship with God possible because those who accept the grace/forgiveness of Jesus are able to enter into the presence of God for eternity as well as have the presence of God/Jesus in the form of the Holy Spirit here and now.
Without getting into a long theological/theoretical discussion the difference between the New Testament and the Old Testament is Jesus. The expected activity of the church is not really any different than what runs through the entire Old Testament. (There is a reason why we quote from the OT prophet Malachi, "Do justice, love mercy,and walk humbly with your God" as an emphasis upon what our lives of faith should look like.)
So what does the NT church do? It focuses on Jesus! It looks first to Jesus in all things, it reflects the forgiveness given by Jesus, it suffers on behalf of others, it stands against injustice, it proclaims that today is God's day and we will live in the midst of it. It does not so much do things as it reflects the image of Christ. In several places the church in the NT is referenced as the Bride of Christ. A bride is a bride not because she is going to cook or clean or doing wifely things, all these things can be done by people who are hired for the job. The difference is that a bride has a relationship with the groom that is to be like none other. So the church is to be in relationship with Jesus.
To make a long rambling a bit shorter I think this is the key, the church is to be in an active relationship with Jesus just as a bride would be with a groom. It doesn't mean doing things to earn his love, but rather to be in a relationship where love is growing each and every day.
Because of this answer I can only say that the one thing we can do in this area is to love Jesus. Anything good will only come from that reality. Love Jesus and make it our only priority.

Back to it again

I've just let this last week consume me in the wrong ways. I've opened blogger several times to start writing and then let interruptions get the better of me, not today. I'm going to get it in early before things start side tracking me.

We have been encouraging people individually and in groups in the church to be reflecting upon the Mission Statement of our church. There is a listing of questions to guide the discussion and the last post was my reflecting upon the first point. The second question to reflect upon is:
What does being a New Testament Church mean?

When the mission statement was written a number of years ago the focus of that statement was centered around the last portion of Acts 2. This is the passage where Luke writes about the things the early church was doing, such as eating together, worshipping together, sharing their resources with each other, etc. While I believe that these are signs of a community of believers that are actively living out a life of faith I think to stop there is really to lose out. There is so much guidance for us individually as well as a community in the rest of the New Testament that we should really look at the whole more often than just the parts.
My thoughts are that to be a New Testament Church means that our practices, attitutes, and expectations are guided by the whole New Testament. It means that whenever there is conflict in the church that the expectations are that it will be dealt with in a biblical manner, such as Matthew 18. It means that there will be no seperation based upon race, economics, or gender as Paul says in Galatians 3:28. It means that we expect people to grow in love and grace toward one another because of their love of Jesus as is shown in 1 John 4:7.
In all this I think that being a New Testament Church means that together we are guided by the New Testament in all of our interactions with one another and with the world. It also means that together we have to know what the New Testament says and then encourage one another to live it out for the glory of God.

Mission Reflections

The mission statement of our church is; "To be an authentic New Testament Church, To Reach the unchurched, and to develop fully mature disciples of Jesus Christ." In order to flesh this mission statement out we as a church in groups and individually are being asked to consider some questions about what this means. I'm sure that I'll be doing this in other places but I'm going to use this space for the next few posts to reflect personally upon the questions. If they get a bit long feel free not to read them, if you have places that you would like to interact feel free to leave comments.

The first question is: Are the goals of the mission statement listed in order of priority, or are all equally important?
My short answer would be yes.
The follow up question then would be why do I think this?
The authentic New Testament Church seems obvious to me as the place to start. Without it the other two lose their context. There are many reasons and ways to reach people who are not in church and they could have nothing to do with the God of creation and the invitation of Jesus to accept the reality of being made in the image of God through his teaching, love, and sacrifice. So if we don't put the New Testament first the cart goes in front of the horse.
Now the next two are where the conflict arises. Is the church of the New Testament here for the building up of believers first or is it for the building up of the disciples (in New Testament language, "the saints").
Jesus command as he left the disciples and ascended into heaven was, "Go make disciples..." (Matthew 28:19) There seems to be a clear indication that the expectation is for people who believe in Jesus to replicate that belief in others and not to be content until all people come to a living faith and relationship with Jesus. (Romans 16:26) The reality is that faith ends if those outside the faith are not brought into a relationship with Jesus.
The last statement then is to develop fully mature disciples. This is the goal then of the church in not simply telling people that they should believe and trust in Jesus, but that faith leads them to a different way of living. Become mature disciples is what should happen following being reached. I think this is often the hardest part because while we talk a lot about what the marks of discipleship are, we rarely ask one another, "why don't you look more like that?" The use of the believers spiritual gifts then as Paul says in Ephesians 4:12-13 is to build up the body of Christ both numerically and spiritually. It is the logical outcome of people becoming believers. A child is designed by God to grow and become an adult when everything is working correctly. When a child remains childlike everyone recognizes that there is a problem. In the church when a believer doesn't become a disciple what do we do? (ok I think that is a reflection for another post)

So to return to the short answer I would say that yes the order is correct in the mission statement and to change that order moves outside of the design that God has for God's church.

Go Colts!

Watching the Indianapolis Colts last night win their opening game was a nice diversion. After winning the Super Bowl last year many people thought they would have a down year and struggle to maintain their motivation and fill in the holes left by departing players. In the first half it looked like the Saints might just stay with the Colts and make a game of it. But when the second half got under way it became clear that the Colts aren't rebuilding this year they only had to stop and reload. Watching the Colts play in the second half showed the difference between the two teams. I'm sure that the Saints will be good this year and will win a lot of games, but they did not start the season out at the same level as the Colts.
It could be a fun year to be in Indiana!

When Life Happens

It's fun to blog when you have great adventures to share like our trip to Alaska this summer. Then I looked forward to blogging every day. Upon our return I had the opportunity to share notes about the Willow Creek Leadership Conference and spend time reflecting back upon that experience. To blog at that time was simply a matter of making the time to get it done. Now though it has become a struggle. I by nature am rather reserved, I don't go around sharing my deepest darkest secrets or emotions. So when life happens and I'm in the midst of stuff I find it difficult to know what to say. It isn't like I'm a hermit and retreat into my cave not talking to anyone. Rather I share deeply with a small group of people and lean upon them in the midst of it all.
This is part of the struggle of being a pastor in North America right now. People want their pastors to be vulnerable and real (of which it comes fairly naturally to me for the most part). However as a pastor the role is never about me. I have to guard against making sermons, teaching, or even one on one time my own therapy sessions. So when life is happening around me as it is right now (my wife has been sick and off work for the last couple of weeks) what do I share and what do I not share. I try not to be fake and just say everything is fine when it really isn't, but at the same time I do try not to burden people with things that they really can't change. When bringing a meal isn't really helpful what can they do?
Some will say that at least they can pray and I would agree completely, but how do you decide who will pray and who will simply use it as a gossip excuse? I don't know I haven't got this one figured out yet. So I'll keep plugging away and sharing what I can when I can. In the mean time if you will I would ask you to pray for my wife.

Scripture Works

I'm not sure how to share this story without giving all the details (sorry, I'm not quite ready for you to know everything :) ) but I'll try.
Over the last two and a half days four specific scriptures have come to mind at rather odd times. The first was a command, so I started following through. The second was the context and attitude that I was supposed to have in the midst of the time. The third scripture was a word to stop and the last was an answer to why I should stop after two days.
It was all a little bit strange because two out of the four scriptures were ones that I would only have come up with if I did a word search. I knew the stories but they were not ones that would have readily come to mind. In fact I went back and looked up the scriptures just to make sure I was not fooling myself. Much to my amazement (a sign of my lack of faith I'm sure) the scriptures read just like they came to mind. The outcome of it all was a huge reminder that God is in control.
So why do I share this story? Partly for myself as a reminder of the power of scripture and my need to stay grounded in the midst of it. But also for anyone reading so that I might simply share a word of encouragement to read the Bible. If you have ever wondered if God still speaks to people I know the answer is yes. When people talk about the Bible being a living word this is what I think it means. That the Bible comes to life in the midst of our lives today just as it did for those who heard it the first time. When these scriptures came to my mind there was no mistaking how they fit into my life at that very moment. It was a simple decision, was I going to obey and do what the scriptures said or was I going to pass it off as just a random thought. I tested the scriptures against other things that I know about Jesus and what it means to be a faithful follower and there were no contradictions. There were no chances that my following through with these things was going to impact anyone but myself so I did what God directed. The result is a major change in my outlook on life this morning. I'm sure God is in control and that life will continue to unfold in ways that will bring God glory and will be for the benefit of God's people (that is everyone, not just some select few).
So the long and short of this rather odd post is a word of encouragement. Read your Bibles. The chances of you remembering something that you have never read are rather slim. So read larges chunks of the Bible, not just select passages. You never know when God might speak into your life through the oddest stories at times that you never would have anticipated.

Reflections LEAD: Bill Hybels (2)

Bill Hybels second presentation focused around the theme of motivation. The basic concept centered around the need to motivate oneself as a leader and how to share that motivation with others. There were a lot of good suggestions and insight but as I looked back over my notes what really stuck out for me was the reminder to stay focused upon the daily disciplines of spirituality and health.
While it would seem that this is just one of those things that you would take for granted and always include in a life of faith, I know that isn't the case. There is a reason that they are called disciplines and that is because they take discipline. I find myself to easily making excuses for not doing what I know are the right things to do.

• I'm to busy
• This is to important to wait
• I'm tired
• I deserve a day off
• I'm just not getting anything out of that these days
• It really doesn't seem to make a difference

However it is expressed it comes down to the reality that they are excuses. These excuses build up over time and then suddenly I find myself out of shape emotionally, physically, and even spiritually.
Are there ways to remain motivated in the midst of what is sometimes the drudgery of discipline? What does it mean to live out the old Nike slogan, "Just Do It!" when you don't feel like it? How do you stay motivated when it doesn't seem to really matter?
Hybels made the point that everyone has different things that motivate them. As leaders we should learn what the motivators are for the people we lead and do what we can to help encourage them in ways that speak into their lives. Maybe this is the key to our own motivation as well. Knowing what keeps us going. If you exercise so that you can spurge and have that double chocolate fudge brownie is that enough motivation to get you up and out the door at 6:00 a.m. when its cold and rainy? I know it isn't enough for me because I'll just go ahead and spurge anyway. But maybe it is enough for someone else.
What seems to motivate me the most are big picture goals. Knowing where I'm headed and what God wants me to be doing is real motivation for me. It means that I have to continually remind myself of how the everyday disciplines help accomplish those big picture things. I need to know that my ability to accomplish God's purposes is dependent upon my being in the best physical health I'm capable of, which means eating as well as possible and exercising on a regular basis. It means that I have to stay in tune with my spirit and where God is leading and the only way I can do that is through the practices of prayer, fasting, worship, etc.
The truth of the matter is that when I leave out the basic disciplines of life I lose my motivation for other things more quickly than I would hope. Is it enough to keep me going in the long hall? I don't know but it is at least enough to get me motivated to do somethings in the next few days that I have allowed to slide.
How about you? Do you know what motivates you in life? Would you care to share them?

Reflections LEAD: Jimmy Carter

I've been wanting to reflect more upon former President Jimmy Carter's presentation at the Leadership Conference for several days. I have to say that I don't get the anger and venom being spread around the blogosphere because of this. If you want to check out some of the "experts" who have opinions but did not hear the presentation you might be interested in checking out the conversation over at Monday Morning Insight. I'm sure there are other places as well, but that should be enough to get a feel for the discussion that is on going.
Personally I found Carter's interview inspiring and helpful. His level of honesty and openness was refreshing in a political environment that does everything it can to control the spin around issues as well as people. I have to say that I am more impressed with Carter as an international leader following his presidency than I was when he was running for re-election. I remember that as my first opportunity to vote in the presidential election and I have to say that I voted for Anderson.
Enough of this, let's get on to the insights and reflections.
To statement from Carter's presentation that stood out for me.

• "What human beings ought to do is what Jesus Christ did."
• "We can accommodate changing times by clinging to unchanging themes."

The first statement is a no brainier for folks who look to Jesus as the corner stone of their faith, in fact there are a lot of folks who don't consider themselves Christians that think that would be a good idea. For me it was just an affirmation of Carter's faith and integrity.
The second statement is one that takes a bit of a turn on what is often said in relation to reaching out to others in contemporary worship. The phrase is often along the lines of "the methods change but the message doesn't. " That approach assumes that we are in charge of choosing the methods that we will use in presenting the gospel. As well as assuming the methods we use we can also control the ways in which those methods impact the message. (For those who want to follow that line of questioning I would recommend Shane Hipps book.) So what would the church look look like if it settled upon some themes that are central to the Gospel and absolutely not let them go?
Themes like:

• Love your neighbor
• Forgive others
• Feed the poor
• Heal the sick
• Care for the widows and orphans

These might be a good place to start and it might keep us busy for awhile, busy enough to focus upon the things of most importance and not worry about so much of the other stuff that keeps us from doing the things that Jesus did.

Reflections LEAD: Richard Curtis

The interview with Richard Curtis was a mix of humor and stark reality as I reflect upon it. The reality of what Curtis has been able to do because he has joined in the battle to fight poverty is amazing. It also gives some new approaches of ways to invite people to become involved that I had never thought of before. I know that concept of the Red Nose Day will stay with me for some time.
Now for some reflections on one of the notes that I took during the interview with Curtis.
One of the quotes from Curtis was: "When things go wrong you can't panic to early because what seems to be failure, might actually turn out to be the key of what will be successful." This statement while pithy is completely counter intuitive and goes against everything that is ingrained within leaders. For me the role of leadership is to make sure that the right things happen at the right time. When something isn't going right a leader is supposed to fix it or get it stopped. So what would it mean to not panic in the midst of failure? Even more significantly for me is the question, When should you allow failure to become the seed bed for success?
We have all heard how many times Edison learned what didn't work in making a light bulb before he (and his lab crew) found the right combination. You might have heard a leader say, "We've never had a failure, we just know a lot of things that don't work now."
So are there some snippits of possible wisdom that might come from this thought process?
How about some of the following:

• If it isn't happening just the way it was planned it doesn't mean that you should start over right away
• Make sure that you step back and analize (with others) the things that have gone wrong (as well as what happened that was right) to see what might actually have gone right [Remember the story of Post-it Notes]
• Time is your friend, allow it to be
• Always ask what are we learning in the midst of this

Any other thoughts that you might add?

Reflections LEAD: John Ortberg

I don't think that there has ever been a time when I have not been challenged and/or surprised by John Ortberg when I have heard him speak. Listening to him do the primary teaching through the Old Testament several years ago was a high lite in many different ways. His presentation at the leadership conference did nothing to change that.

The focus of Ortberg's presentation was on the Shadow Mission of leaders. He used the story of Esther in the Old Testament as a way of illustrating those dynamics in a number of ways. The key point of the Shadow Mission Ortberg said, was that it is our authentic mission hijacked by our ego and our wounds with no Jesus present. I've been thinking about this statement for almost two weeks now and it is still rather unsettling. I'm not going to use this blog for that level of self-revelation in addressing what could be my shadow mission but I want you to know that I'm working hard not just at recognizing it, but also raising the questions about redeeming it and moving beyond the power it has to control me.
The other part of what Ortberg suggests is significant for the church is addressing the reality that every local church (as well as denominations, etc.) has a Shadow Mission. What does it mean to acknowledge that and put it out for the light of day? Would it loose the power of controlling us if we named it for what it is and began to look for ways that might keep us from falling into its trap? I think it has some potential.
For instance in our local setting I would say that our shadow mission over the last several years has been, "Don't offend anyone because they might leave." [I want to make it clear that this is my first reflection on the issue and it is not one that I have spent a great deal of time talking about, praying about, or looking for clear discernment over. As well as saying it is my impression and I take ownership of that completely.] This is not to say that offending people should ever be our goal, in church or anywhere else. The reality that I see is that we have resisted encouraging debate, discussion, and disagreement because we are afraid of the potential fall out. Because of that we as a church have suffered. We have lost the ability to engage one another in ways that generate healthy dialogue and bring forth new energy because we don't want to risk people getting upset and taking their toys and going someplace else to play.
The truth though (as I see it) is that because we have not fought off this Shadow Mission we have had people leave. They have left because we we haven't engaged them or allowed them to engage in the tension of discerning among competing needs and desires. We have not said the hard things because we didn't want to offend and in that we have left unhealthy behavior go unchecked. So the very thing that we have tried to avoid has actually happened but in a way that on the surface has allowed us to appear to remain happily pursuing the mission God has given us.
These are just some thoughts in relationship to Ortberg's presentation that I have had and I would be glad to engage in discussion on line or off line about them. I would even be glad to be wrong on this one (in fact I would be happy if I was). So talk back to me if you are out there.

Reflections LEAD: Colin Powell

Colin Powell's presentation was a video interview with Bill Hybels at the conference. While not a real time presentation the interview setting worked surprisingly well from my perspective. I ended up taking quite a few notes and will try today to reflect upon one of his points.
Much of the interview was talking about some his basic statements of leadership that are apparently found in his book. Many of the statements are not new in the leadership genre but one that was very helpful for me to remember was, "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."
This statement reminded me of a speaker who I heard before my junior year in college at a leadership seminar that I was invited to attend as the student council president. I'll have to go back later and see exactly who it was that was speaking because knowing me I probably still have my notes. But any way, This gentleman was the last speaker of the week long event and among other things that I still remember from him is the challenge to "Be 10 times more enthusiastic." His point was that people love to follow people who are excited about life and about what they are doing. I think this is the same type of thing that Powell was trying to get across. People who are optimistic are attractive to other people. We search out folks who help us face life in positive ways. Our positive outlook on life gives far more energy through other peoples response than the energy it takes to expend. Optimism is not just helpful to the individual but it is a must for a forward moving organization, including the church.
This can't be a false optimism. It can't be a man walking through a rain storm saying it's going to quit raining anytime now for two hours straight. (think Charlie Brown standing on the pitchers mound) But rather a man walking in a rain storm saying, it's raining now, but it will quit eventually, we will all dry out and the sun will shine again. It has to be an optimism that is realistic but forward looking and able to communicate the positive possibilities that lie ahead.
How do we implement this in the midst of current reality at the church? This is a key question right now and there are a few folks who are not going to respond well because it seems like for them the sky is always falling. I think the key point is to name the reality as clearly as possible while at the same time painting a picture of what is going to be possible in the future. It has to express the hard work necessary and the sacrifices that might be necessary but all of that in the context of a hope filled future. It is that kind of optimism that will multiply our possibilities and invite others to be apart of what I think is the most exciting things in the world. That is the chance to be involved in God changing the world through a local church.
I know that I'm excited about the future and I hope that others are as well.

Reflections LEAD: Michael Porter

If you want a refresher check out the notes on Michael Porter from the conference before jumping into some reflection time. There were mixed reviews of Porter's presentation from the people with whom I attended the conference. Some folks just zoned out at the professor type presentation and others really tuned in to the statistics and presentation. I agreed with everything that he was saying for the most part about getting the most out of God's resources and impacting the community in positive ways for long term benefits. The down side of his approach was that when everything is so analytical and processed the space for the Holy Spirit gets limited.
I could go off on that tangent for some time, but I'll limit this time to some positive reflections on one of his comments.
One of Porter's statements was: "Many congregation's community outreach is more about them than about those they are serving." This was not so much an AHHHA! moment as it was an invitation to look inward. Unfortunately the statement is not only true about congregations but also about people like me as well. The very nature of altruism is that it is assistance given without regard to personal benefit. While it would be nice to think that everything that is done in the name of Christ would be completely selfless and giving because it is needed I think we could all agree that isn't the case.
Think of the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke. The example of being a good neighbor is one that had no possibility of bringing a benefit to the Samaritan who comes to the assistance of the one robbed and beaten. Could that be the reason the two religious leaders didn't stop? Could it be that they saw no personal benefit for them in 'wasting' their time with the beaten man?
In the church it seems like we are quick to publicise our good deeds because it is all about name recognition (of course we justify this by saying that we want the glory to go to Jesus as long as our church, or maybe even our own names, get associated with it as well).
One of the classical spiritual disciplines is that of providing hidden service, doing for others that which they nor anyone else will ever know who was responsible. But this is a missing discipline in many of our church's and one that I have to confess is not modeled well because by it's very nature those who do it remain hidden.
Even those acts have to be examined though and the question asked why? Why are we doing these things? Is our motivation Christ centered or is it to ease our own sense of uncomfortableness with our lifestyle or actions?
I'm really afraid that this reflection has raised more questions than it has answers. Sorry for the navel gazing, but I think the questions are worth an honest examination and maybe through the examination we will gain a better insight and a willingness to give of ourselves in selfless ways.

Reflections LEAD: Marcus Buckingham

The session by Marcus Buckingham was a review for me in many ways. I've read three of his books on the strength movement so far and have been living with these ideas for the past three years. I found that I took the least notes for Buckingham but also got a lot out of the reminder in what he had to say.
I want to spend this time reflecting upon one of the three things that he said in relation to the 3 skills that you should learn. I'm sure that for many people there is one or maybe all of the skills that will be difficult to embrace. For me the third one is the most difficult, "you need to be able to talk about your strengths without bragging and your weaknesses without whining." It probably has something to do with the way I grew up but it is a constant battle for me to be able to comfortably name my gifts and even to be comfortable in having others name them. It makes me uncomfortable to have people talking about what I do well as it feels like I'm drawing attention to myself and placing myself above or ahead of others.
It isn't that I don't know what my strengths are, I'm fairly clear on those. It is somehow connected with the false notion that in any given setting everyone should be able to do whatever is needed. It is an inner battle at times to recognize that there are some things that no one else is going to be able to or even want to do that I can do very well. This thought process made it very difficult for a lot of years to accept compliments from people. I would simply discounted what people said with something like, "oh it was nothing, anybody could have done that." Finally a good friend and mentor took me aside and said to me, "When you discount the praise I give to you you treat me like I don't really matter. So when I give you praise just shut-up and say 'thank you'."
Ok, it might have been a bit blunt, but it worked!
Having gone around the barn to get to this point now what? I think one of the significant conversations that we need to have in team settings centers around some "whats" of why we do what we do.

• What draws me to this job, ministry, situation, opportunity, etc.?
• What make me come back on a regular basis?
• What experiences in the past make this situation easy, hard, fun, challenging?
• What can I bring to this ____ that will make me go home at night feeling like I can't wait to come back?
• What does this current situation remind me of in my past? Why?

I think these questions would help us get at some of those underlying feelings and emotions that are always tied together with our current settings. It probably isn't something that you come into a planning meeting and just dump on people and tell everyone that we are going to get all reflective now, but rather questions and conversations that happen on the side after a meeting or in more informal times. Having someone ask us these questions and be willing to take the time to listen might help us all identify our strengths and why we are willing and even wanting to use them.

Reflections: LEAD Floyd H. Flake

In looking back over my notes of Flake's presentation there were several things that stood out. His emphasis upon being a leader of integrity and trusting God enough to always do the right thing was very important. I've always considered integrity to be the one thing that no one can take away from you but rather the thing that one gives away at great personal cost. Putting it in the context of trusting God was a helpful insight to me. Shortcuts are tempting because there are times when I wonder if God will really be faithful in the midst of the hard things. Given the hard work and lumps that one can take along the way when you stand up and do the right things when they aren't very popular it is no wonder that we are tempted to take an easier, less costly way out and compromise at times. But it really is a trust issue. Do we believe that God will provide and watch over us not just in this life but in the life yet to come. If we trust God to be faithful to all that has been said in the Bible then integrity is not an option, but a sign of faith.
The other focus of Flake's presentation centered around training leaders to do even more than we are capable of doing ourselves. This really rings true for me. It is why every time I turn around in the church I'm encouraging people to work in teams and to bring someone else along to experience the joy of giving in their areas of ministry. Paraphrasing something that Fiorina said, "Everything worth doing is worth doing with others." I pray that our church culture will come to finally embrace this idea that every ministry is a team ministry and that leadership is always in the process of being shared and inviting others to embrace the possibilities that they will be able to partner with God to take the ministry beyond where it currently is.
For me personally I have to continually ask myself, "Am I spending enough time with those who will do more God than I could ever do myself?"
Sometimes the answer is yes, and many times it is a reminder that I have to refocus and prioritize my time. That being said there are a few things that need to get done today so I'm off to attempt to live some of these principles and ideas in my daily life.

Reflecting On Carly Fiorina

Some reflections about the interview with Carly Fiorina from the LEAD conference.

In looking back over my notes it seems like a lot of what connected with my during Fiorina's interview was the way she addressed issues of fear. One of the things I made note of was, "Many fears are stupid, but they are real." I don't recall if it was an actual quote or a summary of what I heard her saying but it has been kind of just sitting there for me the lasts few days.


I know that when you "grow up" and step into positions of leadership that the world things you have put away all your fears and the reality is that just isn't the case. Most of our fears just go underground and become what John Ortberg (reflecting on his address in a couple of days) named as our "shadow mission". The fears are what controls us because we won't allow ourselves to honestly address those fears. We are afraid that someone else might find out what those fears are and use them to our detriment or that if our fears become known they will make us look weak and ineffective. So we spend our time and energy avoiding any opportunity which just might make us face those fears.

Is there a way of being in leadership and being honest about our fears? What would it look like if the leaders around you could name their fears:

• I'm afraid of being rejected
• I'm afraid of being laughed at
• I'm afraid that when I'm gone no one will miss me
• I'm afraid that I really can't do the job
• I'm afraid of spiders

Whatever the fears that we bring to life it seems that the first step in dealing with them is to be able to name them. Maybe in naming our fears we realize just how stupid the fear is. Not that it takes away the reality of the fear but it at least is given a name and possibly we find that there are people around us who don't have those fears and are willing to step in and take care of the spiders in our lives without making us feel like we are any less important, successful, or capable because of that fear. Maybe over time we realize just how much we are missing out on because of our unwillingness to face those fears and we do the hard work of overcoming them. (Though I'm not sure what you might be missing out on by addressing your fear of spiders but I'm sure that it could be overwhelming and debilitating to some.)

I wonder if the fears in my life are holding me back from fully using the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given me to use for God's glory? How about you?

Travelogue Reminder

For those of you wanting to see the rest of the pictures of the great sabbath journey north if you live in Fort Wayne you can see them tomorrow night in the worship center beginning at 7:00 p.m. I look forward to seeing you there.

And here is another teaser post of a picture like you will see tomorrow evening.

Reflecting Back

Over the next couple of days I want to spend some time reflecting back on the speakers and the messages that I heard at the LEAD conference. I'll try to take the notes that I took during the conference and distill them in a way that allows me to express my thoughts in a more clear and concise way.

Because I know many people are sequential in thinking I'll start with the first presentation by Bill Hybels and work my way through each one. You can find my notes on his presentation here. Or if you would like to see some clips of that presentation check here.

In his presentation Hybels focused upon the need for people, from the leader(s) proclaiming the vision to those following and implementing the vision, to have a deep sense of ownership of that vision. In fact he used the illustration from Jesus teaching in John 10 in focusing upon the ownership of the shepherd with the sheep. To me this is a key point not just in concept but personally in practice. One of the things I have been asking myself recently is what am I willing to lay down for the people God has given me responsibility in leading? Another way to put it that is a bit more unsettling might be, "What am I willing to die for?"

I have to say that in many ways I too easily answer the dying question with trite answers such as my faith, my family, etc. But what would my life look like if I really knew what Jesus thought was of ultimate importance for my life. Through a lot of prayer, self-reflection, and conversation with others I came to the realization a couple of years ago that my focus in life was to prepare the church for my grand-children's children. But the reality is that I get myself tied up in knots about a lot of things that don't really have an impact upon that future. There are times when I "forget" what is of ultimate importance in my life and I face off with issues or people and take on an attitude of "I'll die for this because my way is the 'right way'." Because I approach some of those things with a live or die attitude I lose focus and thus effectiveness.

Reflecting upon Hybels presentation I think that one of the ultimate questions for a leader, (Anyone for that matter, because I won't take the time right now to explain how everyone is a leader in one way or another. That will have to be a different post.) is two fold: 1)What are you willing to die for? and 2) What are you not willing to die for? Sometimes it isn't until we answer the second question that we really figure out the answer to the first. I think in relation to the church there are many times that we make a stand and choose death for the wrong reasons. How many times do we choose to make issues out of our preferences rather than our principals? How many times do we choose to take a stand on something that is important but that is not of ultimate importance? Maybe it would help if we knew more clearly what God was calling us not to die for so that we were more clear about what cross God might ask for us to take up and be willing to die upon for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

Any thoughts or reactions?

About Midnight

Today we used the Sarah Kelly song "About Midnight" in worship. (Thanks Heather and Kacie for doing a great job on it.) The song comes out of the Acts 16 passage where Paul and Silas are in prison and the Bible says, "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God..." The focus was upon how in our darkest hours we can still turn to God and sing praise and that their are people around us who notice how we approach hardships.
I didn't speak about my own life experiences in the midst of the darkest hours but I know the reality of this passage. It seems like when I have gone through the worst of times with those around me that all I can do is cry out to God. Not to ask why, even though that at times is present, but to say, "God in the midst of it all you are still God and I will not forget that." I don't think I'm different from others or have more faith than other people do, because I'm sure that isn't the case. But I have noticed that in the midst of suffering and darkness it is those people who turn to God, not just for answers, but just because, who face the darkness with the best attitude.
I pray that those who are going through the darkness of life, of which I know many who are, will find strength in giving praise to God.

Bill Hybels: LEAD

Patrick Henry Hughes
A testimony to God's power in spite of what seems to be trials to insurmountable to overcome.
Patrick was born without eyes and with limited abilities to use all of his limbs but with a spirit of optimism and a musical gift that speaks beyond anything that can be imagined.

Inspire Me
How much does it actually matter if someone is inspired in what they do?

• 40% performance difference between those who are inspired in what they do
• 85% of people are less likely to leave an organization if they are motivated/inspired by what is happening
• Motivation matters!!!!

Whose job is it to keep me motivated?

• 1 Sam. 30:6 "He went off and encouraged himself in God"
• Live your life in such a way as to remain inspired
• remember that we are on a mission for/from God
• remind ourselves of the reason why we do what we do
• It is my job to keep the motivation at the right level and in the right direction
• Leverage my spiritual gifts in the appropriate ways
• Make sure the players on the team are motivated and inspiring to others
• Read the lives of those who motivate you
• Hang out with people who inspire you
• Participate in events that inspire
• Pay attention to the physical disciplines
• Pay attention to the working environment
• Have an inspiring outlet or recreation outside of work
• Practice daily spiritual disciplines to keep the faith fresh

[saturation reflection: take one verse or section and live with it for a year or so. read it daily even more often and allow it to soak in deeply]

What is the best way to inspire and motivate the people around you?

• The single best way to inspire and motivate the people around you is to live a motivated life yourself
• Your own motivation is a force multiplier
• Connect everyone you lead to a compelling cause
• Learn the inspiration language of each person you lead and USE IT!
• Identify and reduce every demotivating thing in our surroundings (Hersburg?)
• Celebrate every sign of progress toward your shared goals

[side note: develop a team under the heading "Ministers of First Impressions"]

What would it look like if a whole church lived in a spirit of inspiration?

• Acts 2:42 "The members of the church ....

LEAD: Jimmy Carter

Bill Hybels is setting the stage by talking about who we can learn from. The need is to be open to learn from God through very diverse people and approaches. I totally agree, "It's all about learning." Bill says and he is so right. If we aren't learning we aren't leading!

Building Humanity

• In the different roles he never changed who he was or the basic nature of how he approached life.
• Looking for characteristics in others of: honesty, integrity, loyalty, deep wisdom in their specific areas, willingness to engage in disagreements
• Carter was in trusted with leadership at an early age. From selling peanuts to buying rental property before he turned 16.
• The leadership opportunities at many times are adversely affected by issues and events that are completely outside of the control of the leader. Carter illustrated this with discussion about the Iran Hostage situation, third party candidates, and other issues.
• In Carter talking about his growing up in a racially diverse situation he illustrated the necessity of seeing each other as human, not differently human, made in the image of God.
• People who are poor are just as intelligent, just as capable, just as worthy as the President of the United States.
• "What human beings ought to do is what Jesus Christ did."
• "We can accommodate changing times by clinging to unchanging themes."

Just listening to Pres. Carter speak about his experience and the reasons why it is clear what leadership is all about. It is about an honesty and integrity in all things, when things go right and when things are going wrong around you. It is clear that in many ways Carter was a man ahead of his time. In the writing of history and the perspective of time Jimmy Carter I believe will be seen as one of the five people who impacted the world for positive change during the 20th Century and into the 21st. May his leadership and ministry continue and multiply.

Richard Curtis at LEAD

Living for the Greater Good

a film maker and tireless worker for the poor among us

There is a particular power in humor.

Pick people for what they are doing now, not what they once did or what others think they could do.

What makes things great is to have people draw out the best from within them.

When things go wrong you can't panic to early because what seems to be failure, might actually turn out to be the key of what will be successful.

"When you are fighting for the poor, you are fighting for their right to laugh, to sing, and to hope for the future."

One of the ways Richard has been involved is through the Red Nose Day.

"I'm not embarrassed to ask people to do things because people really want to do something significant."

I'm as impressed as Bill Hybels is with the work that Richard is doing to alleviate the suffering of the poor. Having seen the interviews and the clips and knowing the reality that is faced it is a hard question of how to bring my gifts to the benefit of others. Not just for the benefit of others for a more comfortable life or a little bit more (whatever that is) but for the benefit of life and hope and a future which might embrace the love of God. So what is the calling that is upon my life from God? I think I know, but will I remain open for God to speak truth into my life in ways that I have not yet heard?