Week 51 begs a theological question:
How far do you push it?
Christmas preaching is a mixture of the best and the frustrating. If you do an Advent series, you have to come up with 4 preaches telling the Christmas story (that everybody knows) in a new, fresh way. Every year.
Think about Easter:
1 Sunday a year and 173 chapters in the New Testament dealing with the death and resurrection of Jesus - the why, the how, the so what. Lots of material to preach from.
Christmas:
4 Sunday preaches a year and Matthew has 1 chapter, Mark zero, Luke 2, but 1 very similar to Matthew, and John none. Three/two chapters for four preaches.
Aargh.
So what do you do as a preacher.
Repeat stuff - because people forget?
Avoid it.
Change Advent to just one Sunday instead of four.
Borrow other people's stuff!
Pass the baton to other staff to preach.
Delegate Children's Ministry to do a Christmas pageant.
The list goes on .....and I've tried most of them.
This year I pushed it.
Week 1 - give everyone a free lunch!
Week 2 - teach heavy doctrine.
Week 3 - preach heresy (or 'sounds like' heresy)!
Ever said something and I simultaneously sounded wrong, but really intriguing?
Ever scratched at something and wonder if you've scratched too far?
The line was "Jesus failed ".
When I first said it you could feel the audience collectively take a double-take ...including the unchurched guests.
"Did he really say what I thought he said?" "I must have misheard him!"
But then I repeated it with greater emphasis:
"Jesus failed many times!"
Christmas is so incredible.
God taking on flesh.
Virgin birth.
Miraculous signs in the sky.
We've all preached them.
But after 76 preaches, not that the miraculous should ever become common ....but it's hard to keep it at the same level. 76 preaches pushes you deeper and further into all that Christmas is.
Fully human.
What does that mean.
Chalcedon defines it.
Orthodoxy insists upon it.
Salvation depends on it.
But how far do you push it?
This past Sunday we pushed it. Not heretically ....but in thinking fuller about who Jesus was and how he redefined humanness.
It will come online in the next few days www.redeemerschurch.com - explore Sunday messages for December 19, 2010.
Comments afterwards ......more than any other preach in 2010.
People leaving the church because of it - still to be determined!!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Week 50. Got Nothing New.
Week 50.
This is a leadership blog.
Every week for 52 weeks of the year some leadership thought or idea.
Have you ever reached a point where you've got nothing to say?
No new idea.
No new suggestion.
No new insight.
I was counting the number of books I have in my office (479!).
Got me thinking that perhaps for 2011 I should not buy any new books but reread all 479.
Do we need another new ideas, another suggestions, another insight ....or is there already enough written.
Maybe this blog, if not the next 54 blogs, should be remembering all the leadership ideas, suggestions and insights I've read or heard over the past 20 years.
Maybe I should let some of the best leadership learning's I've had resurface and focus on trying to do them in 2011.
Here's the top two I learnings in 2010:
"Truth is the kindest form of management." (Bill Hybels)
"When uncertainty is gone your leadership is no longer needed." (Andy Stanley)
Add in a third - "Make sure its not too trivial to be truth." (Dallas Willard)
Maybe rather than read new ideas/suggestions/insight, maybe I should deliberately practice these three leadership insights more and more in 2011.
Maybe.
This is a leadership blog.
Every week for 52 weeks of the year some leadership thought or idea.
Have you ever reached a point where you've got nothing to say?
No new idea.
No new suggestion.
No new insight.
I was counting the number of books I have in my office (479!).
Got me thinking that perhaps for 2011 I should not buy any new books but reread all 479.
Do we need another new ideas, another suggestions, another insight ....or is there already enough written.
Maybe this blog, if not the next 54 blogs, should be remembering all the leadership ideas, suggestions and insights I've read or heard over the past 20 years.
Maybe I should let some of the best leadership learning's I've had resurface and focus on trying to do them in 2011.
Here's the top two I learnings in 2010:
"Truth is the kindest form of management." (Bill Hybels)
"When uncertainty is gone your leadership is no longer needed." (Andy Stanley)
Add in a third - "Make sure its not too trivial to be truth." (Dallas Willard)
Maybe rather than read new ideas/suggestions/insight, maybe I should deliberately practice these three leadership insights more and more in 2011.
Maybe.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Week 47 Leaders of History
Week 47 and it sees me share some insight that I think is timely.
The whole name of this blog reflects an aspect of leadership that I think is core. Leaders discern the times. We live interpreting reality by keeping ourselves understanding how reality flexes and flows. We are students of tomorrow as well as students of today. We are map readers. We are connectors to history, ensuring we move forward not jettisoning the past. We are pioneers.
This causes me to constantly read books that examine culture.
Enter book number 129 on this topic (approximately!).
Christ Among The Dragons @ James Emery White.
As a church that is majorly involved in some global partnership and entering into the minefield of justice issues (courtesy of an excellent organization called International Justice Mission ....listen in on Sunday November 28 @ Redeemer's Church as we hear first hand from an IJM staffer) there was a line that White wrote that jumped out the page and drew me into reading his book:
Younger evangelicals are straying from core ideas, such as biblical inerrancy, core issues, such as opposition to abortion or gay marriage, and core alliances, such as the National Association of Evangelicals. Simply put, there is no longer a shared core. Truth is increasingly accepted as relative, an emphasis on social justice is rapidly supplanting previously focused concerns on social morality, relational and missional networks are becoming more generational in makeup, and older models of church and parachurch are being replaced with emerging communities that tend to defy traditional ecclesiastical standards.
Some of what White writes is exactly us - especially his comments on social justice over social morality.
White's book then goes on to examine four arenas that used to bring Evangelicals together and now threaten to drive us apart.
Personally I don't fly the Evangelical banner as as high or importantly as White. Not that i reject it, I just hold it in a lower priority and prefer the term Orthodox to Evangelical. (This could be another blog for another time.) But the four arenas are worthy of exploring.
The whole name of this blog reflects an aspect of leadership that I think is core. Leaders discern the times. We live interpreting reality by keeping ourselves understanding how reality flexes and flows. We are students of tomorrow as well as students of today. We are map readers. We are connectors to history, ensuring we move forward not jettisoning the past. We are pioneers.
This causes me to constantly read books that examine culture.
Enter book number 129 on this topic (approximately!).
Christ Among The Dragons @ James Emery White.
As a church that is majorly involved in some global partnership and entering into the minefield of justice issues (courtesy of an excellent organization called International Justice Mission ....listen in on Sunday November 28 @ Redeemer's Church as we hear first hand from an IJM staffer) there was a line that White wrote that jumped out the page and drew me into reading his book:
Younger evangelicals are straying from core ideas, such as biblical inerrancy, core issues, such as opposition to abortion or gay marriage, and core alliances, such as the National Association of Evangelicals. Simply put, there is no longer a shared core. Truth is increasingly accepted as relative, an emphasis on social justice is rapidly supplanting previously focused concerns on social morality, relational and missional networks are becoming more generational in makeup, and older models of church and parachurch are being replaced with emerging communities that tend to defy traditional ecclesiastical standards.
Some of what White writes is exactly us - especially his comments on social justice over social morality.
White's book then goes on to examine four arenas that used to bring Evangelicals together and now threaten to drive us apart.
Personally I don't fly the Evangelical banner as as high or importantly as White. Not that i reject it, I just hold it in a lower priority and prefer the term Orthodox to Evangelical. (This could be another blog for another time.) But the four arenas are worthy of exploring.
- The nature of truth and orthodoxy.
- Cultural engagement and the evangelistic enterprise.
- Christian community and civility.
- Identity and character of the church.
White suggests these four arenas will unify our Christian witness and (at the core of his thesis) determine whether we are renewing ourselves for a new generation or falling from great to good, or even worse.
Leaders should read this book, and these kinds of books. We need to remain Men and Women of Issachar.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Week 45 - and the leadership scandal of global food aid.
Week 45 ....and every time someone walks into my office they normally comment on the stack of books sitting on my desk. Partly I use the books to hide behind. I can position myself behind the books so that anyone walking into the front office trying to catch my eye ...I can avoid. Not very 'pastor like' but in many ways what I do is not the classic role of 'pastor' that was around when they designed our church offices and made sure that the 'pastors' office was right at the front door!
But its not primarily used to hide behind - they are the tools of my trade.
The tools help me unpack biblical exegesis; they help me find illustrations and analogies to help me preach in a more creative way; they keep my theological antenna hot as I process new theological thinking; they guide me on procedures and methods when I'm struggling to work through something.
.......but the best use of the tools is when I read something that disturbs me.
It's how I'm wired, and I think its how most leaders are wired. Conforming to common thought is boring, exploring new thought, expanding our minds to new ideas is what fuels us, energizes us.
If I go a week without a new thought ...... I begin to shrivel up, I get cranky, I double my reading for the next week ....or, I order a really theologically edgy book!
So it arrived last week and I began to read it. The book is called ENOUGH: Why The World's Poorest Starve In An Age Of Plenty @ Roger Thurow & Scott Kilman.
This one got me going .....one of these books that I couldn't put down.
Did you know that during the 2003 Ethiopian famine - the one that featured Band Aid etc - the US shipped millions of tonnes of grain to Ethiopia ....while homegrown Ethiopian grain rotted in storage sheds in Ethiopia.
The bottom line fact of much of US Food Aid is that the aid is designed more to see the US prosper than actually help the struggling country its shipped to.
The powerful US farm lobby have enforced a 1949 congressional rule that US food aid must be grown in the US and they can't buy locally grown crops. This ensures that American farmers receive annual payments to keep growing bigger than needed harvests and have a route "to get rid of their excess commodities". But the foreign countries in crisis most often need cash to help their farmers farm and their farming in turn fuels the countries economy which in turn moves it out from requiring aid.
The Food Aid bill ....keeps countries needing aid and keeps US farmers growing more crops than they need both depressing prices (hurting smaller farmers) and relying on aid payments which kills indigenous small foreign farmers.
Basically, while the US's generosity has grown (half of all international food aid is provided by the US) - it has had as much to do with self-interest than global benefactoring.
Interesting statistic - the size of American generosity is tied directly to conditions on the American farm, not the Ethiopian, Kenyan, Malian or any other struggling nations farms.
Many times, in multiple situations our helping actually hurts.
Many times, in multiple situations .....American farmers, and Midwest economic prosperity, need hungry Africans!
But its not primarily used to hide behind - they are the tools of my trade.
The tools help me unpack biblical exegesis; they help me find illustrations and analogies to help me preach in a more creative way; they keep my theological antenna hot as I process new theological thinking; they guide me on procedures and methods when I'm struggling to work through something.
.......but the best use of the tools is when I read something that disturbs me.
It's how I'm wired, and I think its how most leaders are wired. Conforming to common thought is boring, exploring new thought, expanding our minds to new ideas is what fuels us, energizes us.
If I go a week without a new thought ...... I begin to shrivel up, I get cranky, I double my reading for the next week ....or, I order a really theologically edgy book!
So it arrived last week and I began to read it. The book is called ENOUGH: Why The World's Poorest Starve In An Age Of Plenty @ Roger Thurow & Scott Kilman.
This one got me going .....one of these books that I couldn't put down.
Did you know that during the 2003 Ethiopian famine - the one that featured Band Aid etc - the US shipped millions of tonnes of grain to Ethiopia ....while homegrown Ethiopian grain rotted in storage sheds in Ethiopia.
The bottom line fact of much of US Food Aid is that the aid is designed more to see the US prosper than actually help the struggling country its shipped to.
The powerful US farm lobby have enforced a 1949 congressional rule that US food aid must be grown in the US and they can't buy locally grown crops. This ensures that American farmers receive annual payments to keep growing bigger than needed harvests and have a route "to get rid of their excess commodities". But the foreign countries in crisis most often need cash to help their farmers farm and their farming in turn fuels the countries economy which in turn moves it out from requiring aid.
The Food Aid bill ....keeps countries needing aid and keeps US farmers growing more crops than they need both depressing prices (hurting smaller farmers) and relying on aid payments which kills indigenous small foreign farmers.
Basically, while the US's generosity has grown (half of all international food aid is provided by the US) - it has had as much to do with self-interest than global benefactoring.
Interesting statistic - the size of American generosity is tied directly to conditions on the American farm, not the Ethiopian, Kenyan, Malian or any other struggling nations farms.
Many times, in multiple situations our helping actually hurts.
Many times, in multiple situations .....American farmers, and Midwest economic prosperity, need hungry Africans!
Go on read the book - well written, carefully documented and trying to guide us to a better solution. If you read that one, another helpful book on helping is entitled When Helping Hurts: How To Alleviate poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself @ Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert ...a required read for any people in our church travelling with us to our global partners.
But this whole strange, disturbing equation got me thinking of leadership.
How often do we as leaders make decision about the whole but really only to impact the leader?
How often do we use decisions to better ourselves and not better the church or organization?
How often do we need a crisis or a failure to always be there to necessitate our existence? Do we ever generate one to justify our leading?
The book was a stimulating read about why people are still going hungry in a world where there is more than enough food.
The book stimulated thoughts about cycles of dependency that we create to warrant our leadership roles.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Week 42 and a leader who equally loves the loo!
Week 42 and I'm just finishing Tony Blair's masterful autobiography.
irrespective of your political position - these are the memoirs of a global leader who for 10 years held one of the highest offices of leadership, bringing huge influence, and impacting generations to come through the decisions he made as a leader. These memoirs are filled with leadership insights and learning's.
I've blogged on some of the early learning's already, here are some of the latter learning's:
Tony led with ordered thoughts.
Time after time in the book he mentions pausing before speaking, withdrawing to a side room and gathering his thoughts; stepping away from the media/public to gather his thoughts. the mental togetherness he practices is highly commendable.
To succeed you have to be more than clever. You have to be able to connect and you have to be able to articulate that connection in plain language. The plainness of the language then leads people to look past the brainpower involved.
A leader has to both manage complex situations and to judge them.
In the fickleness of our times, moods always trumps the policy every time!
In this matter, the public aren't always logical, but that's their prerogative.
In my reading I discovered perhaps why I like Blair so much. Here's what he writes about global travel:
"The one problem is that travel does play havoc with the digestive system. You need to eat healthily and with discipline. I am very typically British. I like to have time and comfort in the loo. The bathroom is an important room and I couldn't live in a culture that doesn't respect it."
Yep .....he and I are very alike!!!
More learning's:
Basically, most people are psychological itinerants in search of someone who wants to hear about them, who is interested in what they have to say, and who will regard what they say as both sage and stimulating.
Leaders live with the worry of what comes next - of the next call, the next slip of paper, the next confrontation, the next frisson of fear.
Blair changed the face of prime ministers. While he took office as the leader of a country, our time and generation made him into a global leader. This is unique to our time and era - leaders are much more global than 20 years ago. That global might be in different countries, or that global might be in different cultures, ethnicity's, contexts. Communications, a flat world and the 6 degree reality.
I highly recommend Blair's autobiography.
irrespective of your political position - these are the memoirs of a global leader who for 10 years held one of the highest offices of leadership, bringing huge influence, and impacting generations to come through the decisions he made as a leader. These memoirs are filled with leadership insights and learning's.
I've blogged on some of the early learning's already, here are some of the latter learning's:
Tony led with ordered thoughts.
Time after time in the book he mentions pausing before speaking, withdrawing to a side room and gathering his thoughts; stepping away from the media/public to gather his thoughts. the mental togetherness he practices is highly commendable.
To succeed you have to be more than clever. You have to be able to connect and you have to be able to articulate that connection in plain language. The plainness of the language then leads people to look past the brainpower involved.
A leader has to both manage complex situations and to judge them.
In the fickleness of our times, moods always trumps the policy every time!
In this matter, the public aren't always logical, but that's their prerogative.
In my reading I discovered perhaps why I like Blair so much. Here's what he writes about global travel:
"The one problem is that travel does play havoc with the digestive system. You need to eat healthily and with discipline. I am very typically British. I like to have time and comfort in the loo. The bathroom is an important room and I couldn't live in a culture that doesn't respect it."
Yep .....he and I are very alike!!!
More learning's:
Basically, most people are psychological itinerants in search of someone who wants to hear about them, who is interested in what they have to say, and who will regard what they say as both sage and stimulating.
Leaders live with the worry of what comes next - of the next call, the next slip of paper, the next confrontation, the next frisson of fear.
Blair changed the face of prime ministers. While he took office as the leader of a country, our time and generation made him into a global leader. This is unique to our time and era - leaders are much more global than 20 years ago. That global might be in different countries, or that global might be in different cultures, ethnicity's, contexts. Communications, a flat world and the 6 degree reality.
I highly recommend Blair's autobiography.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Week 41 and my Anabapist heritage has found me out!
Week 41 (ouch, only 11 weeks left in 2010!)
Spent the weekend reading some excellent books. None more so than one entitled "The Naked Anabaptist" @ Stuart Murray.
This was a few-hours-don't-put-it-down-didn't-expect-to-enjoy-this-so-much kind of book.
28 pages turned down and a lot of underlining ....means this is a pretty interesting book.
Basically a history of the Anabaptist movement, Murray is drawing a contrast between the movements original context and what it means for faith in our context. If historical Anabaptism was a challenge to the era of Christendom, modern Anabaptism is a way to effectively, missionally live in today's post-Christian era.
Its a good read.
What I really enjoyed was the learning of the modern Anabaptist's core convictions, and the deeper explanation of the first core conviction in chapter 3. Here are the core convictions:
Spent the weekend reading some excellent books. None more so than one entitled "The Naked Anabaptist" @ Stuart Murray.
This was a few-hours-don't-put-it-down-didn't-expect-to-enjoy-this-so-much kind of book.
28 pages turned down and a lot of underlining ....means this is a pretty interesting book.
Basically a history of the Anabaptist movement, Murray is drawing a contrast between the movements original context and what it means for faith in our context. If historical Anabaptism was a challenge to the era of Christendom, modern Anabaptism is a way to effectively, missionally live in today's post-Christian era.
Its a good read.
What I really enjoyed was the learning of the modern Anabaptist's core convictions, and the deeper explanation of the first core conviction in chapter 3. Here are the core convictions:
- Jesus is our example, teacher, friend, redeemer, and Lord. He is the source of our life, the central reference point for our faith and lifestyle, for our understanding of church, and our engagement with society. We are committed to following Jesus as well as worshipping him. [Brilliant comment!!]
- Jesus is the focal point of God's revelation. We are committed to a Jesus-centered approach to the Bible, and to the community of faith as the primary context in which we read the Bible and discern and apply its implications for discipleship.
- Western culture is slowly emerging from the Christendom era, when church and state jointly presided over a society in which almost all were assumed to be Christian. Whatever its positive contributions on values and institutions, Christendom seriously distorted the gospel, marginalized Jesus, and has left the churches ill equipped for mission in a post-Christendom culture. As we reflect on this, we are committed to learning from the experience and perspectives of movements such as Anabaptism that rejected standard Christendom assumptions and pursued alternative ways of thinking and behaving. [The comments about how Christendom distorted the gospel, marginalized Jesus and has left churches ill equipped ...equally brilliant.]
- The frequent association of the church with status, wealth, and force is inappropriate for followers of Jesus and damages our witness. We are committed to exploring ways of being good news to the poor, powerless, and persecuted, aware that such discipleship may attract opposition, resulting in suffering and sometimes ultimately martyrdom. [Another excellent insight.]
- Churches are called to be committed communities of discipleship and mission, places of friendship, mutual accountability and multivoiced worship. As we eat together, sharing bread and wine, we sustain hope as we seek God's kingdom together. We are committed to nurturing and developing such churches, in which young and old are valued, leadership is consultative, roles are related to gifts rather than gender, and baptism is for believers. [Perhaps this one misses the ethnicity challenge of the modern church; it might also tend towards idealism ...yet it pushes us to rethink certain forms of the modern church.]
- Spirituality and economics are interconnected. In an individualist consumerist culture and in a world where economic injustice is rife, we are committed to finding ways of living simply, sharing generously, caring for creation, and working for justice.
- Peace is at the heart of the gospel. As followers of Jesus in a divided and violent world, we are committed to finding nonviolent alternatives and to learning how to make peace between individuals within and among churches, in society, and between nations.
It was nearly 8 years ago that I ate lunch with a local Mennonite (Anabaptist) church pastor. His concluding question, after we ate and talked was "does the Baptist church you pastor know they have an Anabaptist as their pastor?"
Anyone else wish to raise their hand and join in some excellent core convictions??
Of course, for all you Baptists out there, do you realize how much you owe your beginnings to the Anabaptist influence!!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Week 40 and what I really think about visiting Africa!
Week 40 and time to be honest.
Not that I'm dishonest at other times. But, sometimes I choose not to share my more personal or vulnerable thoughts. This blog is me going to a more personal level than other times - and hence, more honest.
Here's my honesty - I don't really like going to Kenya, Africa.
I love the guys we partner with; I love our driver/agent Ben; I love all that's happening in the Furaha Community Huruma Centre, part of the Furaha Community Foundation; I love the first thing in the morning and the smells, aroma and sunrise of Kenya. But, i don;t really like going to Africa.
It's a hard journey - two major long flights.
It's a hard place to stay - my guy hurts for the entire time I'm there.
It's a hard place to lead - as team leader you are constantly aware that you are in a desperate city, a city that saw a terrorist attack against Americans; a city filled with desperate people seeing white people as targets; it's a place where the word police does not always equal justice but more often equal corruption.
It's a hard place to relax - travel through 10 time zones, hit the ground running, force yourself to sleep at the wrong times, swallow malaria meds, avoid the bad bacteria you are surrounded by; travel in a matatu with dust pouring into your lungs ...as well as hitting potholes, enduring near misses, sit in pollution clogged air, constantly watch over your shoulder.
Entering Kenya, Africa is hard and I don't really like doing it.
But during the past three years I've lead a team into a large slum in Nairobi twice a year.
This visit one of our team asked me why I keep going on the trips?
My answer - I have to, for my sake!
Not that I want to appear selfish, but, I have to find a way to keep myself exposed to some of the worst poverty on the face of the globe.
I have to find a way to keep myself aware of the reality of 60% of the world's population.
I have to find a way to be among the poorest of the poor and be where Jesus would be.
My spiritual leadership is dependent upon understanding true reality, and that reality has to involve the reality of what's happening in our globe and with the majority of humanity.
If I don't go, and go regularly (we so easily forget or switch off) I will move towards a self focused existence and a skewed view of reality.
But it does more.
It pushes me to maintain spiritual leadership as a faith exercise.
Let's be honest. Sometimes in the leading of a local church autopilot can kick in.
I've been doing this for over 10 years. Putting together a preach, leading staff, leading a congregation can too easily be done out of experience and not out of faith.
But when you enter Huruma slum and you see the chaos, hopelessness, desperateness of daily life, the though about seeing transformation come through the presence of Christ - the only way such could happen is through a moving of God. that is a act of faith, not an act of experience or professional pastoring.
Going to Kenya, Africa and the hardness of going ......renews the call of faith, the cry for more faith, the reliance upon faith and faith alone.
Going - is a spiritual necessity for effective spiritual leading.
Anyone want to join me?
Anyone want a shot of renewed, invigorated, desperate faith?
Not that I'm dishonest at other times. But, sometimes I choose not to share my more personal or vulnerable thoughts. This blog is me going to a more personal level than other times - and hence, more honest.
Here's my honesty - I don't really like going to Kenya, Africa.
I love the guys we partner with; I love our driver/agent Ben; I love all that's happening in the Furaha Community Huruma Centre, part of the Furaha Community Foundation; I love the first thing in the morning and the smells, aroma and sunrise of Kenya. But, i don;t really like going to Africa.
It's a hard journey - two major long flights.
It's a hard place to stay - my guy hurts for the entire time I'm there.
It's a hard place to lead - as team leader you are constantly aware that you are in a desperate city, a city that saw a terrorist attack against Americans; a city filled with desperate people seeing white people as targets; it's a place where the word police does not always equal justice but more often equal corruption.
It's a hard place to relax - travel through 10 time zones, hit the ground running, force yourself to sleep at the wrong times, swallow malaria meds, avoid the bad bacteria you are surrounded by; travel in a matatu with dust pouring into your lungs ...as well as hitting potholes, enduring near misses, sit in pollution clogged air, constantly watch over your shoulder.
Entering Kenya, Africa is hard and I don't really like doing it.
But during the past three years I've lead a team into a large slum in Nairobi twice a year.
This visit one of our team asked me why I keep going on the trips?
My answer - I have to, for my sake!
Not that I want to appear selfish, but, I have to find a way to keep myself exposed to some of the worst poverty on the face of the globe.
I have to find a way to keep myself aware of the reality of 60% of the world's population.
I have to find a way to be among the poorest of the poor and be where Jesus would be.
My spiritual leadership is dependent upon understanding true reality, and that reality has to involve the reality of what's happening in our globe and with the majority of humanity.
If I don't go, and go regularly (we so easily forget or switch off) I will move towards a self focused existence and a skewed view of reality.
But it does more.
It pushes me to maintain spiritual leadership as a faith exercise.
Let's be honest. Sometimes in the leading of a local church autopilot can kick in.
I've been doing this for over 10 years. Putting together a preach, leading staff, leading a congregation can too easily be done out of experience and not out of faith.
But when you enter Huruma slum and you see the chaos, hopelessness, desperateness of daily life, the though about seeing transformation come through the presence of Christ - the only way such could happen is through a moving of God. that is a act of faith, not an act of experience or professional pastoring.
Going to Kenya, Africa and the hardness of going ......renews the call of faith, the cry for more faith, the reliance upon faith and faith alone.
Going - is a spiritual necessity for effective spiritual leading.
Anyone want to join me?
Anyone want a shot of renewed, invigorated, desperate faith?
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Week 38 The Chair.
Week 38 and here's the line that every leader knows too well:
"Everyone not sitting in the leader's chair can have a discussion about it. Those not in the seat can point to the cost or the price, but they don't have to say which prevails. That's what the leader does."
And, the leader also knows, indecision is also decision.
This is what separates leaders from mangers.
Prophets from preachers.
Kingdom builders from aquarium keepers.
You felt the heat of this one recently?
We've just pulled the trigger on a huge step forward in the expansion of the Kingdom of God through Redeemer's Church. A step that few have tried, even fewer have seen it work. Add to this a recession year. Add to this its coming on the back of 7 hard fast years with energy levels lower. Add to this negative voices. Add to this other options.
But when you sit in the leader's chair while you can listen to the discussion around it, others' opinions can be acute but they aren't ultimate. The ultimate is made by the leader in the chair.
And, omission and commission both have consequences.
It's these kinds of decisions that define.
They seperate out.
Are you leading?
You'll know what this chair is like.
When you step out of that chair - you're no longer leading.
It's that simple.
"Everyone not sitting in the leader's chair can have a discussion about it. Those not in the seat can point to the cost or the price, but they don't have to say which prevails. That's what the leader does."
And, the leader also knows, indecision is also decision.
This is what separates leaders from mangers.
Prophets from preachers.
Kingdom builders from aquarium keepers.
You felt the heat of this one recently?
We've just pulled the trigger on a huge step forward in the expansion of the Kingdom of God through Redeemer's Church. A step that few have tried, even fewer have seen it work. Add to this a recession year. Add to this its coming on the back of 7 hard fast years with energy levels lower. Add to this negative voices. Add to this other options.
But when you sit in the leader's chair while you can listen to the discussion around it, others' opinions can be acute but they aren't ultimate. The ultimate is made by the leader in the chair.
And, omission and commission both have consequences.
It's these kinds of decisions that define.
They seperate out.
Are you leading?
You'll know what this chair is like.
When you step out of that chair - you're no longer leading.
It's that simple.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Week 37 - learnings from a brillaint leaders. Guess who.
Week 37 and I'm reading a fascinating book on leadership. In fact a book I highly recommend for any pastor/leader. Probably not a book you would naturally reach for - but trust me, its got brilliant insight.
A Journey: My Political Life @ Tony Blair.
It's hot off the press, its immediately made the best seller lists in UK and it has surprised me.
I have always admired Tony Blair, the ex-prime minister of the United Kingdom for 10 years. 10 years leading at the highest levels - nationally and internationally.
Tony introduced me to New Labor and to a political position that I could and did embrace. Thus began my many years of voting for a progressive, compassionate, intellectual yet pragmatic form of socialism.
But as this is a leadership blog, let me list for you 7 of the best, and initial leadership insights you get from reading Tony's autobiography:
A Journey: My Political Life @ Tony Blair.
It's hot off the press, its immediately made the best seller lists in UK and it has surprised me.
I have always admired Tony Blair, the ex-prime minister of the United Kingdom for 10 years. 10 years leading at the highest levels - nationally and internationally.
Tony introduced me to New Labor and to a political position that I could and did embrace. Thus began my many years of voting for a progressive, compassionate, intellectual yet pragmatic form of socialism.
But as this is a leadership blog, let me list for you 7 of the best, and initial leadership insights you get from reading Tony's autobiography:
- There are two types of crazy people; those who are just crazy and who are therefore dangerous; and those whose craziness lends them creativity, strength, ingenuity and verve. These types of crazy you need, yet you will never tame them. The same thing that makes them different and brilliant is the same thing that means they don't conform to normal, predictable modes of behaviour. And, they are always on the edge.
- I have a few rules about people I work with really closely. Work comes first. No blame culture. Fun, in its proper place, is good. Disloyalty has no place. Look out for each other. Stick together. Respect each other. It helps if you also like each other.
- Leaders need to learn how to think, not just how to 'pass exams'. Think - analyse, dissect a problem from the first principles, and having deconstructed it, construct a solution.
- Don't forget: communication is 50% of the battle in the information age. Say it once, say it twice and keep on saying it, and when you've finished, you'll know you've still not said it enough. (Quoting Bill Clinton a fellow modernizing socialist worth learning from.)
- Every year there is a new height to be attained so that the momentum is not lost.
- Intensity of the focus is the common in leadership.
- Each step is fearful, yet each refusal (by yourself out of fear) means not only remorse at an opportunity missed, but, worse, despising yourself for not even summoning up the courage to try.
- When you speak - speak with utter confidence; use humor; keep a thread running throughout; build the argument don't just plonk it down. Battles are won by generals not preachers.
- Go beyond the confines of the debate and think about the world that was not debating trivial matters but were focused on life, hope and health versus death due to the ravages of poverty, conflict and disease. Focus always on the big.
- Creating time for a leader is a near-sacred task. Show me an ineffective leaders and I will show you a badly managed schedule.
All within the first 100 pages.
Its a long but a great read.
Read it.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Week 36 - and a fatwa issued on dogs!
Week 36 and I'm back.
Excuse the 10 week break.
......but for all those deeply committed pastors who have worked through the entire summer with maybe a weekend off as a sign of your devotion to Christ and His church - I'll remind you of that come December and you're out of steam!
Funny how we either deny the Sabbath principle or feel guilty for enjoying it.
So what's happened since my last blog?
Nothing stands still.
Certainly Redeemer's Church didn't stand still.
So did my sabbath break help?
I'm chasing my tail ....and its the first day in September.
But I've got energy to chase it.
I've had the time to sit above the urgent and figure out the bigger picture for the next period of leadership.
I didn't stand still.
Yes I wasn't doing my normal. but I was doing something, and something that helped me as a leader:
reading I would never get to; soul nourishing that I've dieted on for the last 11 months; good, healthy perspective that I was losing.
The University of Denver reported that 47% of the books acquired between 2000 and 2009 were never checked out. The University of Arizona reported that they spent $19 million on books over the past decade that were never used.
A waste.
A leader who doesn't refresh or refuel - a waste or a disobedience.
Live the sabbath - find the right rhythm for you.
Check this out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11139960
Excuse the 10 week break.
......but for all those deeply committed pastors who have worked through the entire summer with maybe a weekend off as a sign of your devotion to Christ and His church - I'll remind you of that come December and you're out of steam!
Funny how we either deny the Sabbath principle or feel guilty for enjoying it.
So what's happened since my last blog?
- Spain won the World Cup ......and most of America missed that.
- President Obama cut US contributions to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria ....and most of America missed that.
- The Afghanistan war budget has increased to where we could start 20 schools for the cost of 1 solider per year there .....we all missed that one.
- The YMCA has finally owned up and announced they will be known for the "Y" - the "C" isn't that important.
- John Stott wrote his final book ....nearly missed that one but for the recommendation by a friend. The Radical Disciple - a LAX to FAT read.
- The Global Leadership Summit had their best first day teaching in their history - if you missed that one, you missed a good one.
- The Oakland Raiders have changed their names to the Oakland Tulips and promise to be kind to everyone. They will now wear pink instead of pirate black.........did you miss that one??
- Nothing much has changed in earthquake devastated Haiti.
- Relatively speaking - has much changed in Hurricane Katrina hit Gulf Coast after 5 years?
- The US Supreme Court ruled that a Christian student group must accept non-Christians as members if they were to be officially recognised - I think that could help most Christian groups!
- China officially became the second largest global economy.
- An Iranian cleric issued a fatwa against keeping dogs as pets ......why could he not have issued it against cats.
The point?
10 weeks and some big things as well as some pretty trivial things have happened.Nothing stands still.
Certainly Redeemer's Church didn't stand still.
So did my sabbath break help?
I'm chasing my tail ....and its the first day in September.
But I've got energy to chase it.
I've had the time to sit above the urgent and figure out the bigger picture for the next period of leadership.
I didn't stand still.
Yes I wasn't doing my normal. but I was doing something, and something that helped me as a leader:
reading I would never get to; soul nourishing that I've dieted on for the last 11 months; good, healthy perspective that I was losing.
The University of Denver reported that 47% of the books acquired between 2000 and 2009 were never checked out. The University of Arizona reported that they spent $19 million on books over the past decade that were never used.
A waste.
A leader who doesn't refresh or refuel - a waste or a disobedience.
Live the sabbath - find the right rhythm for you.
Check this out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11139960
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Week 26 - the tension of church growth and church health.
Week 26.
Just read these words in one of my summer reads (see my list of books over on my daily blog - although make sure you grab Hunter's book - ouch!):
"We have substituted a gospel of church growth for a gospel of reconciliation."
John Perkins wrote that back in 1982.
But of course we all want growth.
Warren was right back when he wrote The Purpose Driven Church (1995), the evidence of church health is not simply faithfulness but fruitfulness....and that has to include more people coming to faith in Christ.
But somewhere in the messiness of leadership church growth and church health get confused.
Neither is exclusive, both are required ...its more a question of priority, or aiming, or focus.
Week 26 in my desire to be an intentional leader - figure out, in my context, what growth looks within our desire to have health.
I have a feeling the paradigm is about to shift - considerably.
A few weeks of reading, learning, listening, asking ......watch this space.
Excuse my absence for a couple of weeks .....got that reading, learning, listening and asking to do!
Just read these words in one of my summer reads (see my list of books over on my daily blog - although make sure you grab Hunter's book - ouch!):
"We have substituted a gospel of church growth for a gospel of reconciliation."
John Perkins wrote that back in 1982.
But of course we all want growth.
Warren was right back when he wrote The Purpose Driven Church (1995), the evidence of church health is not simply faithfulness but fruitfulness....and that has to include more people coming to faith in Christ.
But somewhere in the messiness of leadership church growth and church health get confused.
Neither is exclusive, both are required ...its more a question of priority, or aiming, or focus.
Week 26 in my desire to be an intentional leader - figure out, in my context, what growth looks within our desire to have health.
I have a feeling the paradigm is about to shift - considerably.
A few weeks of reading, learning, listening, asking ......watch this space.
Excuse my absence for a couple of weeks .....got that reading, learning, listening and asking to do!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Week 25 - a must read for summer.
Week 25.
Leadership idea of the summer.
Read.
Especially read - To Change The World: The Irony, Tragedy, And Possibility Of Christianity In The Late Modern World @ James Davison Hunter, Oxford University Press, 2010.
Read it.
Make it a summer read goal.
Brilliant insight.
Leadership idea of the summer.
Read.
Especially read - To Change The World: The Irony, Tragedy, And Possibility Of Christianity In The Late Modern World @ James Davison Hunter, Oxford University Press, 2010.
Read it.
Make it a summer read goal.
Brilliant insight.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Week 24 - when a Senior Pastor changes his position!
Week 24 and for all your 'Baptists' out there ....have a read of this one and confirm my heretic status! It's a copy of my daily blog over at http://scottishpastormusings.blogspot.com
Day 163 and yesterday we saw 52 people baptized.
It was our first Wash Over Me Baptism Ceremony and a great Saturday afternoon.
There was one other baptism not in that 52, a 53rd - my own.
Strange.
When I was 13 years old I was baptized. With a mixture of 'the right thing to do', being obedient and wanting people to know that I was a Christian.
All good, all real to where I was and what I was feeling.
But over the past few years my views on baptism have begun to shift.
It's more centrally become sacramental.
But this year something bigger happened - its moved from being a fidecentric emblem to a Christocentric emblem.
This is for me a significant movement, and a movement that required me to do more than appropriate this into the baptism I had many years ago, to do the whole thing again.
Probably best that I speak into this odd site of the church's Senior Pastor being baptised by the church's staff.......
For years I've held to the idea that baptism is a result of my faith. I've come to believe in who Christ is; I've received by faith His salvation and I then take this further step in demonstrating my faith for others to see.
This is the classic believers' (converts) baptism.
Of course Christianity is divided between two types of baptism - believers' baptism or infant baptism. The more theological terms are credobaptism or paedobaptism.
I grew up credobaptist.
But in the past few years I've been restless with not so much with what is attached to credobaptism, more I've been restless with what's missing from credobaptism.
Initially I felt it minimized the Divine movement as a sacrament. Everything seemed to revolve around my movement. It was me who was moving to show my faith; it was me who was stepping in the waters and displaying my devotion; it was me identifying with Christ.
This seemed to wrestle baptism away from being sacramental. As a sacrament the movement is always from God. This is the case in every sacrament. God descends to meet us in the sacrament.
But in the past few months my restless has intensified.
Is it really all about my faith?
Is it not all about Christ?
And this began me re-reading the paedobaptist position.
[Thank you Sinclair Ferguson and your excellent defense/summary of infant baptism in Baptism: Three Views edited by David F. Wright.]
For me the issue I'm revising is not whether it is believers or infants that get baptised - for me it is what movement is happening and where does it start.
This returns us to the fidecentric emblem or Christocentric emblem.
Fidoecentric says it is my faith that is being outworked in baptism.
Christocentric does not minimize the role of faith but stressed that what is symbolized in baptism is not faith but the Christ in whom faith rests.
This is a defining difference.
This pushes it to being a sign and a seal rather than a symbol or testimony.
This pushes it away from faith towards grace......towards what God does, not what I'm doing.
This is a major part of the paedobaptist argument.
Maybe I'm exploring a third way, a way that takes the truth of believers' baptism but embraces some of the excellent theology behind the paedobaptist position.
Who says there's only two views.
maybe its bigger than we've previously known.
Yesterday .....quietly at the end of the ceremony as people headed for food.... staff and one pastor decided to experiment with a third way.
Day 163 and yesterday we saw 52 people baptized.
It was our first Wash Over Me Baptism Ceremony and a great Saturday afternoon.
There was one other baptism not in that 52, a 53rd - my own.
Strange.
When I was 13 years old I was baptized. With a mixture of 'the right thing to do', being obedient and wanting people to know that I was a Christian.
All good, all real to where I was and what I was feeling.
But over the past few years my views on baptism have begun to shift.
It's more centrally become sacramental.
But this year something bigger happened - its moved from being a fidecentric emblem to a Christocentric emblem.
This is for me a significant movement, and a movement that required me to do more than appropriate this into the baptism I had many years ago, to do the whole thing again.
Probably best that I speak into this odd site of the church's Senior Pastor being baptised by the church's staff.......
For years I've held to the idea that baptism is a result of my faith. I've come to believe in who Christ is; I've received by faith His salvation and I then take this further step in demonstrating my faith for others to see.
This is the classic believers' (converts) baptism.
Of course Christianity is divided between two types of baptism - believers' baptism or infant baptism. The more theological terms are credobaptism or paedobaptism.
I grew up credobaptist.
But in the past few years I've been restless with not so much with what is attached to credobaptism, more I've been restless with what's missing from credobaptism.
Initially I felt it minimized the Divine movement as a sacrament. Everything seemed to revolve around my movement. It was me who was moving to show my faith; it was me who was stepping in the waters and displaying my devotion; it was me identifying with Christ.
This seemed to wrestle baptism away from being sacramental. As a sacrament the movement is always from God. This is the case in every sacrament. God descends to meet us in the sacrament.
But in the past few months my restless has intensified.
Is it really all about my faith?
Is it not all about Christ?
And this began me re-reading the paedobaptist position.
[Thank you Sinclair Ferguson and your excellent defense/summary of infant baptism in Baptism: Three Views edited by David F. Wright.]
For me the issue I'm revising is not whether it is believers or infants that get baptised - for me it is what movement is happening and where does it start.
This returns us to the fidecentric emblem or Christocentric emblem.
Fidoecentric says it is my faith that is being outworked in baptism.
Christocentric does not minimize the role of faith but stressed that what is symbolized in baptism is not faith but the Christ in whom faith rests.
This is a defining difference.
This pushes it to being a sign and a seal rather than a symbol or testimony.
This pushes it away from faith towards grace......towards what God does, not what I'm doing.
This is a major part of the paedobaptist argument.
Maybe I'm exploring a third way, a way that takes the truth of believers' baptism but embraces some of the excellent theology behind the paedobaptist position.
Who says there's only two views.
maybe its bigger than we've previously known.
Yesterday .....quietly at the end of the ceremony as people headed for food.... staff and one pastor decided to experiment with a third way.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Week 22 - those dang vuvuzelas!
Week 22 and as we get ready for the greatest show on earth (come on you yanks, the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa!!) - one British TV reporter went to see what all the fuss was over the vuvuzelas!
Ever heard of them?
They are like plastic trumpets that loads of fans play during the game.
Watch Gabby's report and listen to the noise: http://bit.ly/bn11uU
It's Africa, and with the World Cup being held in Africa for the first time - let it be an African World Cup.
I say that (with truth and desire), but i know if i was attending the world cup (sadly I tried unsuccessfully to arrange a vital missions trip to South Africa in June!!!) after 20 minutes of enjoying the vuvuzelas noise and the African feel ...I'd want them to shut up!!
This is our tension, and its a tension we don't always do well at living within - to the decrement of the Gospel.
It's hard to live out true diversity, we tend more towards uniformity at worst or similarity at best.
For decades the missiological push has been for homogeneous mission. Think of a book like Unchurched Harry & Sally; or the definition of Saddleback Sam. The phrase 'people like us' was a missiological phrase to help churches achieve maximum growth.
We avoided the tension by pulling towards similarity, homogeneity.
But today's church in today's America can no longer bypass the tension.
Homogeneity is not the way of the 21st century, nor the call of the postmodern, emerging society, of even greater significance - nor is it the Gospel.
Leaders must learn to live with the noise of the vuvuzelas. In truth, leaders must learn to enjoy the noise of the vuvuzelas.
Watch this blog as over the next few months we engage further on this topic. For more reading try this very helpful webblog: http://djchuang.com/multi/
Ever heard of them?
They are like plastic trumpets that loads of fans play during the game.
Watch Gabby's report and listen to the noise: http://bit.ly/bn11uU
It's Africa, and with the World Cup being held in Africa for the first time - let it be an African World Cup.
I say that (with truth and desire), but i know if i was attending the world cup (sadly I tried unsuccessfully to arrange a vital missions trip to South Africa in June!!!) after 20 minutes of enjoying the vuvuzelas noise and the African feel ...I'd want them to shut up!!
This is our tension, and its a tension we don't always do well at living within - to the decrement of the Gospel.
It's hard to live out true diversity, we tend more towards uniformity at worst or similarity at best.
For decades the missiological push has been for homogeneous mission. Think of a book like Unchurched Harry & Sally; or the definition of Saddleback Sam. The phrase 'people like us' was a missiological phrase to help churches achieve maximum growth.
We avoided the tension by pulling towards similarity, homogeneity.
But today's church in today's America can no longer bypass the tension.
Homogeneity is not the way of the 21st century, nor the call of the postmodern, emerging society, of even greater significance - nor is it the Gospel.
Leaders must learn to live with the noise of the vuvuzelas. In truth, leaders must learn to enjoy the noise of the vuvuzelas.
Watch this blog as over the next few months we engage further on this topic. For more reading try this very helpful webblog: http://djchuang.com/multi/
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Week 20 - Vimeo make you take a long hard look.
So one of my Brit friends linked me to this vimeo (see end of blog).
Funny.
We're just about to go on staff thinking day and one of the questions is "what's happening on a Sunday morning."
Ironic.
Sarcasm
Timely.
Disturbing.
Exaggerated.
Helpful.
Take a look: http://vimeo.com/11501569
Funny.
We're just about to go on staff thinking day and one of the questions is "what's happening on a Sunday morning."
Ironic.
Sarcasm
Timely.
Disturbing.
Exaggerated.
Helpful.
Take a look: http://vimeo.com/11501569
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Week 18: Adaptive Leadership
Week 18 and leadership never slows or stops.
Ever found that.
Even on off days - the leadership gift that you have been entrusted with doesn't switch off.
Is this a curse, or just a burden.
Sometimes in some settings you just want to be led, not a leader.
Even today.
Flu day number 2, no chores, no yard, no work ....but the leadership antenna remains on.
For me - today became a reading day, a vital part of leading.
Two books:
James White's A Brief History of Christian Worship. Helpful and insightful. Pushing me further down the path of being baptized again as I read early church and first six century's understanding of baptism.
Second book was Bill George's 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis.
George has delivered another good book.
It's in the Warren Bennis Signature Series - should be good.
My major learning from George comes from him citing Kevin Sharer (CEO of Amgen). Sharer leads from his favorite biology analogy: "What species survives? The biggest? The strongest? The fastest? No, it's the most adaptive."
There's insight.
After the week I've had where a new vision has impaled itself in my imagination, perhaps even my soul, a vision that has radical and revolutionary components in it; boundary breaking angles to it ....this quote brought amazing affirmation.
Adaptive leadership.
George's take on adaptive leadership is that the penalty for non-adaptive leading is severe.
We live in a changing, moving culture - adapt or perish.
This all sits within George's 1st lesson for leading in crisis - "Face Reality" (borrowing Max DePree's mantra).
It was this core leadership task that had spurred me on to rethink, re-envision, re-engineer the next many years. Look around, see what's around, feel what's around and then adapt vision and direction to that reality.
As I read today even more affirmation came ....as well as a grasping of the size of the mountain ahead of us.
It's been a good day.
It's been an adapting day.
It's been a leading day.
Ever found that.
Even on off days - the leadership gift that you have been entrusted with doesn't switch off.
Is this a curse, or just a burden.
Sometimes in some settings you just want to be led, not a leader.
Even today.
Flu day number 2, no chores, no yard, no work ....but the leadership antenna remains on.
For me - today became a reading day, a vital part of leading.
Two books:
James White's A Brief History of Christian Worship. Helpful and insightful. Pushing me further down the path of being baptized again as I read early church and first six century's understanding of baptism.
Second book was Bill George's 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis.
George has delivered another good book.
It's in the Warren Bennis Signature Series - should be good.
My major learning from George comes from him citing Kevin Sharer (CEO of Amgen). Sharer leads from his favorite biology analogy: "What species survives? The biggest? The strongest? The fastest? No, it's the most adaptive."
There's insight.
After the week I've had where a new vision has impaled itself in my imagination, perhaps even my soul, a vision that has radical and revolutionary components in it; boundary breaking angles to it ....this quote brought amazing affirmation.
Adaptive leadership.
George's take on adaptive leadership is that the penalty for non-adaptive leading is severe.
We live in a changing, moving culture - adapt or perish.
This all sits within George's 1st lesson for leading in crisis - "Face Reality" (borrowing Max DePree's mantra).
It was this core leadership task that had spurred me on to rethink, re-envision, re-engineer the next many years. Look around, see what's around, feel what's around and then adapt vision and direction to that reality.
As I read today even more affirmation came ....as well as a grasping of the size of the mountain ahead of us.
It's been a good day.
It's been an adapting day.
It's been a leading day.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Week 17 Christocentric.
Week 17 (yep, somewhere along the lines I've miscounted and lost 3 weeks!)
Working just now on a presentation about the missio dei. Trying to highlight that Christ is the centre of the mission of God and hence what we do and how we do it needs to have a core christocentric DNA.
Here's some of my initial thoughts - would value some input and expansion:
Christocentric worship. We lift Christ up in our worship and as that happens non-believers are drawn mystically to Christ. This includes not only sung worship (the urgent need to examine our song lyrics and ensure they have Christ as the object and not our emotions); but is essentially seen in the sacrament of communion.
Christocentric teaching. Our task is to preach to people’s greatest needs – knowledge of Christ. Care needs to be taken that we do not preach felt needs; that we do not elevate the Bible to a place of worship. We preach Christ ….that in the handling of the Word, Christ is present. Christ is bigger than a sermon, than an illustration, than a drama, than a media clip. Everything needs to be brought under his redemptive use.
Christocentric leading. Our church governance surrenders to the headship of Christ. Vision and values are fully connected to Him. We do not attach Him to our vision and values. The question here is ‘who leads the church?’
Christocentric atmosphere. It is the presence of Christ that makes the church a safe place. Our welcoming environment draws on the belonging Christ invites people to have. [Belong, Believe, Become] A Christocentric welcome is a grace filled welcome. Can the people Christ came to save, belong in our churches.
Christocentric scope. It is Christ who defines our audience. That audience is everyone. Christocentric scope expands our Un-churched Harry & Sally. In particular for most communities this expands us to a definitive multicultural scope.
Christocentric spirituality. The church is a community of character more than belief. Christ is our spirituality. Beyond a program, a group, a study, a discipline, we are inviting people to define themselves by being ‘in Christ.’
Christocentric eschatology. Christ is the climax of all things. Whatever our ending theology, it must glorify Christ and share in his ending of time. It is therefore glorious not mediocre or minimal; it is salvic not escapist; it is the climax of everything – the church, the planet, the world. This is Christus Victor. This is Christ’s Gospel that we live now.
Christocentric ecclesiology. The Church is One – diversity is our cultural reality, unity is our historic reality; the Church is Holy – like Christ we are fully divine yet fully human; The Church is Catholic – wherever Jesus Christ is there is the Church; the Church is Apostolic – local, present leadership shares in what has been handed down in the life of the Church through the centuries.
How different would our churches be if this DNA saturated everything going on.
Anyone able to add or dialogue with me on this - helpful.
Working just now on a presentation about the missio dei. Trying to highlight that Christ is the centre of the mission of God and hence what we do and how we do it needs to have a core christocentric DNA.
Here's some of my initial thoughts - would value some input and expansion:
Christocentric worship. We lift Christ up in our worship and as that happens non-believers are drawn mystically to Christ. This includes not only sung worship (the urgent need to examine our song lyrics and ensure they have Christ as the object and not our emotions); but is essentially seen in the sacrament of communion.
Christocentric teaching. Our task is to preach to people’s greatest needs – knowledge of Christ. Care needs to be taken that we do not preach felt needs; that we do not elevate the Bible to a place of worship. We preach Christ ….that in the handling of the Word, Christ is present. Christ is bigger than a sermon, than an illustration, than a drama, than a media clip. Everything needs to be brought under his redemptive use.
Christocentric leading. Our church governance surrenders to the headship of Christ. Vision and values are fully connected to Him. We do not attach Him to our vision and values. The question here is ‘who leads the church?’
Christocentric atmosphere. It is the presence of Christ that makes the church a safe place. Our welcoming environment draws on the belonging Christ invites people to have. [Belong, Believe, Become] A Christocentric welcome is a grace filled welcome. Can the people Christ came to save, belong in our churches.
Christocentric scope. It is Christ who defines our audience. That audience is everyone. Christocentric scope expands our Un-churched Harry & Sally. In particular for most communities this expands us to a definitive multicultural scope.
Christocentric spirituality. The church is a community of character more than belief. Christ is our spirituality. Beyond a program, a group, a study, a discipline, we are inviting people to define themselves by being ‘in Christ.’
Christocentric eschatology. Christ is the climax of all things. Whatever our ending theology, it must glorify Christ and share in his ending of time. It is therefore glorious not mediocre or minimal; it is salvic not escapist; it is the climax of everything – the church, the planet, the world. This is Christus Victor. This is Christ’s Gospel that we live now.
Christocentric ecclesiology. The Church is One – diversity is our cultural reality, unity is our historic reality; the Church is Holy – like Christ we are fully divine yet fully human; The Church is Catholic – wherever Jesus Christ is there is the Church; the Church is Apostolic – local, present leadership shares in what has been handed down in the life of the Church through the centuries.
How different would our churches be if this DNA saturated everything going on.
Anyone able to add or dialogue with me on this - helpful.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Week 14 and I'm in reflective mood.
OK, I don't do this often but Week 14 of my leadership blog is Day 102 of my dfaily blog from
http://scottishpastormusings.blogspot.com/ so enjoy reading what I blogged:
Day 102 finds me in a reflective mood.
Been thinking about the difference between compassion and justice. We have several global partnerships (Kenya, Tijuana, Guatemala and perhaps something new in Haiti emerging), in each partnership we act with compassion but been reflecting on where our justice is. We treat the wound but not the cause of the wound.
Been thinking about what we do every Sunday on our campus. Is it incredibly easy to invite people to church on Sundays? Who am I inviting in? Are we filled with Christians who invite?
The new Reveal publication "Focus" reminds us again that to be missiological is to understand the culture and the culture wants to be wowed on Sundays. For right or for wrong we need to live in our culture, while being counter cultural. There is a difficult line to hold to where you are cultural enough to be attracting, but counter cultural enough to not be selling out.
But my biggest reflection these past few days comes from a thought in the book by David Olson The American Church in Crisis. Here's what he writes "On any given Sunday, the vast majority of Americans are absent from church and if trends continue, by 2050, the percentage of Americans attending church will be half of what it is today."
He then goes on to suggest to avoid this dismal future the American church needs to engage with three critical transitions:
1. The transition from a Christian to a post-Christian society.
2. The transition from a modern to a post-modern society.
3. The transition from a mono-ethnic to a multi-ethnic society.
The first transition was the reason the INS accepted me to work in the US. I come from a post-Christian society (the UK). In my lifetime it has shrunk from 25% church attending to 4% attending. For years the church did not waken up to this reality. Not waking up costs it dearly.
Sadly, I see mirrored in most US churches and denominations a stubborn but ignorant refusal to accept reality. We are moving fast to a post-Christian society with secular overtones. Been heading this way for the past 20 years .....we are only a few years away from full arrival.
The second transition from modern to post-modern freaks the life out of most Christian leaders. For years I've been reading and studying in this arena and while I cannot claim full knowledge I can agree that a seismic shift is happening at the philosphical level and we actually have already moved somewhere. To too many church leaders this shift is a threat to truth and orthodoxy. Not so. But this fear is causing us to react too slowly and too abstractly. In many ways we are in danger of remaining holding onto the flannel graph in the digital age.
As for the third transition - this is huge. Possibly only 8-9% of Evangelical churches are multi-ethnic or multi-cultural. WOW!! We have been amazed that Redeemer's Church is 50% white, 45% brown and 5% other! Amazing. But my reflection is to realise that we are not too sure how this has happened (not great leadership) and, we are guilty of putting on the cruise control and not digging deeper and being passionate about truly outworking what God has been doing. This one needs more fuel added to it and needs my leadership placed fully on it. Watch out Redeemer's!!!!!
Intentional follow of Jesus ...reflective consideration of where we are, where we are going, and what needs to be done.
A`Sabbath' activity.
http://scottishpastormusings.blogspot.com/ so enjoy reading what I blogged:
Day 102 finds me in a reflective mood.
Been thinking about the difference between compassion and justice. We have several global partnerships (Kenya, Tijuana, Guatemala and perhaps something new in Haiti emerging), in each partnership we act with compassion but been reflecting on where our justice is. We treat the wound but not the cause of the wound.
Been thinking about what we do every Sunday on our campus. Is it incredibly easy to invite people to church on Sundays? Who am I inviting in? Are we filled with Christians who invite?
The new Reveal publication "Focus" reminds us again that to be missiological is to understand the culture and the culture wants to be wowed on Sundays. For right or for wrong we need to live in our culture, while being counter cultural. There is a difficult line to hold to where you are cultural enough to be attracting, but counter cultural enough to not be selling out.
But my biggest reflection these past few days comes from a thought in the book by David Olson The American Church in Crisis. Here's what he writes "On any given Sunday, the vast majority of Americans are absent from church and if trends continue, by 2050, the percentage of Americans attending church will be half of what it is today."
He then goes on to suggest to avoid this dismal future the American church needs to engage with three critical transitions:
1. The transition from a Christian to a post-Christian society.
2. The transition from a modern to a post-modern society.
3. The transition from a mono-ethnic to a multi-ethnic society.
The first transition was the reason the INS accepted me to work in the US. I come from a post-Christian society (the UK). In my lifetime it has shrunk from 25% church attending to 4% attending. For years the church did not waken up to this reality. Not waking up costs it dearly.
Sadly, I see mirrored in most US churches and denominations a stubborn but ignorant refusal to accept reality. We are moving fast to a post-Christian society with secular overtones. Been heading this way for the past 20 years .....we are only a few years away from full arrival.
The second transition from modern to post-modern freaks the life out of most Christian leaders. For years I've been reading and studying in this arena and while I cannot claim full knowledge I can agree that a seismic shift is happening at the philosphical level and we actually have already moved somewhere. To too many church leaders this shift is a threat to truth and orthodoxy. Not so. But this fear is causing us to react too slowly and too abstractly. In many ways we are in danger of remaining holding onto the flannel graph in the digital age.
As for the third transition - this is huge. Possibly only 8-9% of Evangelical churches are multi-ethnic or multi-cultural. WOW!! We have been amazed that Redeemer's Church is 50% white, 45% brown and 5% other! Amazing. But my reflection is to realise that we are not too sure how this has happened (not great leadership) and, we are guilty of putting on the cruise control and not digging deeper and being passionate about truly outworking what God has been doing. This one needs more fuel added to it and needs my leadership placed fully on it. Watch out Redeemer's!!!!!
Intentional follow of Jesus ...reflective consideration of where we are, where we are going, and what needs to be done.
A`Sabbath' activity.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Week 13, so what did happen at Easter?
So what do the regular round of Easter weekend services actually produce?
Been hearing a little of the big crowds at various GHC churches across the region, including our own (just on the 1,000 people).
But what does it all produce, or mean?
Leadership has to define reality. Void of reality, leadership can be morass or deluded.
Easter weekend. Hours of preparation. Big services. Extra services. More people than usual, many more people than usual.
What's happening?
Be a good blog discussion - join in.
Is it a tradition thing, pseudo-Christians in a pseudo-Christian land. Time to go to church on 1 of the 3 times people think about going each year.
Is it the 1 or 2 Sundays of the year that all the church come at the one time. Average church in the US sees only 60-70% of church any given weekend. But on Easter they all come?
Where is spiritual seeking on Easter Sunday?
Is it happening?
Or is it more conscience seeking than spiritual seeking?
Is it 'our turn now' celebrating; the Christian celebration of the year and Easter special services are filled with Christians together celebrating the resurrection.
Perhaps this coming Sunday tells us more what happened on Easter weekend than Easter weekend itself tells us.
Maybe counting this weekend is more important than last weekend.
What happened at our Easter services?
Righteously, we could say 'only eternity will tell us'.
Diligently, we need to try to find the answer now.
Any ideas out there?
One of the staff discussions about Easter services I got involved in revolved around regarding many people who might come to Redeemer's Church would be self-righteous Christians coming one of the three times a year.
Questions is - do you engage as Jesus did with the self righteous and give your severest warning, or do you see them as lost souls needing to find Christ.
Do you treat them as Jesus did, or as spiritually needy?
I don't think any pastor out there does not for one minute think that some of the Easter surge is the self-righteous, three-times-a-year thinking they are Christians. But none of us preached judgement on their self-righteous heads!
So why don't we do what Jesus did?
The Gospels are pretty clear on this.
Why do we treat them differently?
Of course they weren't the full crowd - but in most of our churches they were many of the crowd.
So, who's bold enough or obedient enough to start planning Easter 2011 and a sermon Jesus style?
Just a thought.
Any other out there?
Beyond our staff discussion, here's my leadership thought:
I'm thinking the next three weeks will tell us what happened at Easter ....watch carefully. Define reality well.
Been hearing a little of the big crowds at various GHC churches across the region, including our own (just on the 1,000 people).
But what does it all produce, or mean?
Leadership has to define reality. Void of reality, leadership can be morass or deluded.
Easter weekend. Hours of preparation. Big services. Extra services. More people than usual, many more people than usual.
What's happening?
Be a good blog discussion - join in.
Is it a tradition thing, pseudo-Christians in a pseudo-Christian land. Time to go to church on 1 of the 3 times people think about going each year.
Is it the 1 or 2 Sundays of the year that all the church come at the one time. Average church in the US sees only 60-70% of church any given weekend. But on Easter they all come?
Where is spiritual seeking on Easter Sunday?
Is it happening?
Or is it more conscience seeking than spiritual seeking?
Is it 'our turn now' celebrating; the Christian celebration of the year and Easter special services are filled with Christians together celebrating the resurrection.
Perhaps this coming Sunday tells us more what happened on Easter weekend than Easter weekend itself tells us.
Maybe counting this weekend is more important than last weekend.
What happened at our Easter services?
Righteously, we could say 'only eternity will tell us'.
Diligently, we need to try to find the answer now.
Any ideas out there?
One of the staff discussions about Easter services I got involved in revolved around regarding many people who might come to Redeemer's Church would be self-righteous Christians coming one of the three times a year.
Questions is - do you engage as Jesus did with the self righteous and give your severest warning, or do you see them as lost souls needing to find Christ.
Do you treat them as Jesus did, or as spiritually needy?
I don't think any pastor out there does not for one minute think that some of the Easter surge is the self-righteous, three-times-a-year thinking they are Christians. But none of us preached judgement on their self-righteous heads!
So why don't we do what Jesus did?
The Gospels are pretty clear on this.
Why do we treat them differently?
Of course they weren't the full crowd - but in most of our churches they were many of the crowd.
So, who's bold enough or obedient enough to start planning Easter 2011 and a sermon Jesus style?
Just a thought.
Any other out there?
Beyond our staff discussion, here's my leadership thought:
I'm thinking the next three weeks will tell us what happened at Easter ....watch carefully. Define reality well.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Week 12 and self-leadership quiz.
Week 12 and it sees myself and at least one other GHC pastor applying the self-leadership principle.
How's that going for you?
Self-leadership.
I spent the past 3 days at the coast with my family - despite this being the biggest weekend of the Christian calender.
Self-leadership.
Bill Hybels first spoke about it. Leading up, leading down, leading across .....leading inwards! We more often than not forget the leading inwards direction - self leadership.
I've got one staff member who will congratulate me on taking this one serious. (Didn't always think I did - so thanks for the compliment Deborah!)
But this week I did.
Three days at Carmel by the Sea; golf with my boys; good food; limited emails; some books to read; running the coastline; beautiful scenery.
And all the time thinking about death!
Yep .....with a major preach coming in 4 days time ...still had to let it percolate.
But this percolating was done carefully and still I was able to be gone and enjoy family time.
I'm not saying you demonstrate self-leadership only when you break from work on the busiest week of the year. What I am saying is - self leadership can be done.... no excuses.
Self-leadership is not applying the sabbath principle. That's a given.
Self-leadership is more than the normal. It is an investment beyond to go beyond.
So how do you know if you are not giving self-leadership enough attention?
Here's a helpful grid I've been using, courtesy of Nancy Beach I heard her give several years ago; its a series of questions about the state of our hearts. Worth doing it .....I know it's worth me asking these questions again:
1- A heart in trouble has flat-lined…it can’t feel deep emotion any more.
Healthy hearts can feel the spectrum of emotion such as love, sadness, joy, excitement, anger and empathy. Hearts in trouble can’t celebrate even when life is wonderful.
2- A heart in trouble no longer engages in the moment or celebrates the good things of life. Healthy hearts have the ability to seize the day and be with people in the moment.
3- A heart in trouble no longer has room for fun, laughter or spontaneity.
Healthy hearts don’t take life so seriously that they miss the fun of life.
4- A heart in trouble has lost compassion for those hurting. Healthy hearts don’t look at people in need as intrusions but are able to extend love and concern.
5- A heart in trouble has lost the capacity to hear God’s voice and respond. Healthy hearts are soft, attentive and open to the gentle prompting of God.
(To get a copy of Nancy’s message HEART CHECK FOR THE CHRISTIAN ARTIST, go to
www.willowcreek.org. It can be found under the ARTS Conference 2000.)
Self-leadership. Miss it too often and guess what - too late and its not just self-leadership you'll have been missing it will be all forms of leading.
How's that going for you?
Self-leadership.
I spent the past 3 days at the coast with my family - despite this being the biggest weekend of the Christian calender.
Self-leadership.
Bill Hybels first spoke about it. Leading up, leading down, leading across .....leading inwards! We more often than not forget the leading inwards direction - self leadership.
I've got one staff member who will congratulate me on taking this one serious. (Didn't always think I did - so thanks for the compliment Deborah!)
But this week I did.
Three days at Carmel by the Sea; golf with my boys; good food; limited emails; some books to read; running the coastline; beautiful scenery.
And all the time thinking about death!
Yep .....with a major preach coming in 4 days time ...still had to let it percolate.
But this percolating was done carefully and still I was able to be gone and enjoy family time.
I'm not saying you demonstrate self-leadership only when you break from work on the busiest week of the year. What I am saying is - self leadership can be done.... no excuses.
Self-leadership is not applying the sabbath principle. That's a given.
Self-leadership is more than the normal. It is an investment beyond to go beyond.
So how do you know if you are not giving self-leadership enough attention?
Here's a helpful grid I've been using, courtesy of Nancy Beach I heard her give several years ago; its a series of questions about the state of our hearts. Worth doing it .....I know it's worth me asking these questions again:
1- A heart in trouble has flat-lined…it can’t feel deep emotion any more.
Healthy hearts can feel the spectrum of emotion such as love, sadness, joy, excitement, anger and empathy. Hearts in trouble can’t celebrate even when life is wonderful.
2- A heart in trouble no longer engages in the moment or celebrates the good things of life. Healthy hearts have the ability to seize the day and be with people in the moment.
3- A heart in trouble no longer has room for fun, laughter or spontaneity.
Healthy hearts don’t take life so seriously that they miss the fun of life.
4- A heart in trouble has lost compassion for those hurting. Healthy hearts don’t look at people in need as intrusions but are able to extend love and concern.
5- A heart in trouble has lost the capacity to hear God’s voice and respond. Healthy hearts are soft, attentive and open to the gentle prompting of God.
(To get a copy of Nancy’s message HEART CHECK FOR THE CHRISTIAN ARTIST, go to
www.willowcreek.org. It can be found under the ARTS Conference 2000.)
Self-leadership. Miss it too often and guess what - too late and its not just self-leadership you'll have been missing it will be all forms of leading.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Week 11 - the anonymous stuff needs to stop!
Week 11. Come on folks quit the 'anonymous' stuff!
A leadership blog. Weekly we bring a leadership issue to the surface and engage with it.
This week is the topic of conviction and courage.
Maybe the church in America is declining faster than any other time in this nations history because leaders have such a lack of courage.
Let's take 'anonymous' blog replying!
If you really have convictions in what you blog reply and the reaction to what I write, surely conviction would be backed with courage to let others know who you are!
This lack of courage is partly why Christianity is being hammered by secularists, humanists and pluralists.
Courageous leaders tackle the real issues and the real challengers to The Faith; cowardly leaders take pot shots and hit their own ....anonymously.
It's just sad.
So .....excuse my rather impatient blog, but could anonymous guys get a little more courage - for the sake of the Kingdom and to give some honest, but slightly different thinking Christian leaders a break.
Thanks.
A leadership blog. Weekly we bring a leadership issue to the surface and engage with it.
This week is the topic of conviction and courage.
Maybe the church in America is declining faster than any other time in this nations history because leaders have such a lack of courage.
Let's take 'anonymous' blog replying!
If you really have convictions in what you blog reply and the reaction to what I write, surely conviction would be backed with courage to let others know who you are!
This lack of courage is partly why Christianity is being hammered by secularists, humanists and pluralists.
Courageous leaders tackle the real issues and the real challengers to The Faith; cowardly leaders take pot shots and hit their own ....anonymously.
It's just sad.
So .....excuse my rather impatient blog, but could anonymous guys get a little more courage - for the sake of the Kingdom and to give some honest, but slightly different thinking Christian leaders a break.
Thanks.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Week 10 - when vision fails.
Week 10 and I've copied one of my daily blogs from
Spent the evening working on some papers about values.
During two conversations this week I've been asked if our vision/mission is written down any where.
My answer is slightly surprising to some - especially fellow GHC pastors........
NO, and never will be.
Redeemer's Church is only the sum total of what we do - our values.
Aubrey Malphurs says it this way "You won't do ministry that really matters until you define what matters".
In the real world, everyone will know what your church is about not by a statement written but by seeing what it is you are actually doing, and you do what you value.
I'm not saying that at Redeemer's Church we haven't spent time thinking through our vision, even writing it down in staff and leadership settings, but it is meaningless, if not sinful, if you aren't doing it.
[Excuse me if I seem slightly distracted I am actually watching a really funny episode of The Office as I try to write this ........some distraction before heading to the sack.]
Values.
No matter what you write or say - you are only doing what you're doing!
This is my bottom line,.
So, at Redeemer's we focus on modeling our values, talking about them - formally and informally, we try to make sure our values are actionable ...they can be done, not just said.
I think part of this conviction is driven by the emerging culture where genuineness is core. To some degree vision/mission statements are from modernity - linear thinking. Today's generation do not seek linear paths, they seek authenticity - "are they doing what they say they are supposed to be doing?"
It's a bit like a church name. Do we do inside what the label says outside; are we making false promises; are we misrepresenting ourselves?
So many vision and mission statements do just this. Grand statements that have no bearing on current reality.
If you want to go this way, don't call it a mission or vision statement - call it an "aspiration statement."
Or better ...... don't print one, instead major on values.
http://scottishpastormusings.blogspot.com
Spent the evening working on some papers about values.
During two conversations this week I've been asked if our vision/mission is written down any where.
My answer is slightly surprising to some - especially fellow GHC pastors........
NO, and never will be.
Redeemer's Church is only the sum total of what we do - our values.
Aubrey Malphurs says it this way "You won't do ministry that really matters until you define what matters".
In the real world, everyone will know what your church is about not by a statement written but by seeing what it is you are actually doing, and you do what you value.
I'm not saying that at Redeemer's Church we haven't spent time thinking through our vision, even writing it down in staff and leadership settings, but it is meaningless, if not sinful, if you aren't doing it.
[Excuse me if I seem slightly distracted I am actually watching a really funny episode of The Office as I try to write this ........some distraction before heading to the sack.]
Values.
No matter what you write or say - you are only doing what you're doing!
This is my bottom line,.
So, at Redeemer's we focus on modeling our values, talking about them - formally and informally, we try to make sure our values are actionable ...they can be done, not just said.
I think part of this conviction is driven by the emerging culture where genuineness is core. To some degree vision/mission statements are from modernity - linear thinking. Today's generation do not seek linear paths, they seek authenticity - "are they doing what they say they are supposed to be doing?"
It's a bit like a church name. Do we do inside what the label says outside; are we making false promises; are we misrepresenting ourselves?
So many vision and mission statements do just this. Grand statements that have no bearing on current reality.
If you want to go this way, don't call it a mission or vision statement - call it an "aspiration statement."
Or better ...... don't print one, instead major on values.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Week 9 - wisdom from others.
Week 9 (I think?)
It finds me reading two excellent books recommended by others.
First book The Apostolic Congregation: Church Growth Reconceived for a New Generation.
Its classic George Hunter III.
His earlier books How to Reach Secular People and The Celtic Way of Evangelism were ahead of his time, this one brings his thinking right to the 21st century and worth reading.
The second book Switch:How To Change Things When Change Is Hard @ Chip & Dan Heath.
Like their first book Made To Stick, this book follows the same formula - insightful leadership thinking surrounded by interesting stories and examples.
If my leadership blog this week is weak in content - its not weak in its wisdom. Read these two books and enjoy strong and wise content.
See you next week with a little longer blog.
It finds me reading two excellent books recommended by others.
First book The Apostolic Congregation: Church Growth Reconceived for a New Generation.
Its classic George Hunter III.
His earlier books How to Reach Secular People and The Celtic Way of Evangelism were ahead of his time, this one brings his thinking right to the 21st century and worth reading.
The second book Switch:How To Change Things When Change Is Hard @ Chip & Dan Heath.
Like their first book Made To Stick, this book follows the same formula - insightful leadership thinking surrounded by interesting stories and examples.
If my leadership blog this week is weak in content - its not weak in its wisdom. Read these two books and enjoy strong and wise content.
See you next week with a little longer blog.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Week 11 - you don't make camp on a bridge!
Week 8 and I wonder why people who read words like 'deconstruction' or 'emergent', always seem to attack from the position of they being the only ones who know the Bible. Ever notice that. Ever read the responses to the blogs I've written on new thoughts, new ways of thinking; raising questions about faith, church and life! Ouch folks.
Everybody seems to think they know the Bible, and anyone questioning or bringing any new thoughts seems to have thrown the Bible away and seems to know nothing about it. As for honoring the Word or maybe even believing the Word as God's truth- it seems that anyone with questions or some new thoughts doesn't!
But people need to engage more intelligently and perhaps elegantly with what's happening rather than so emotively. There is a sacredness in questioning (title of a pretty good book!).
Surely the most anti-deconstructionist/"has it all in a nice box Christian" must agree that what Christianity looks like today is very different that 1st or 2nd century Christianity.
Surely.
What wise questioners and/or revisionists are saying is - the building on top is a 19th or 20th century building ...but today is the 21st century - this necessitates change.
11am Sunday services - began in the late 19th and 20th century?
Baptism by immersion .....when did that start?...remembering that 60% of Christians hold to paedobaptism not believers baptism!
Formal church memberships?
The Sunday School movement .....19th century invention!
Church buildings?
Organ music to hymns.?
Dispensationalism - first 18 centuries didn't have that going ...built by a couple of English separatists!
Or, when did we quit the holy kiss?
When did we quit sharing our possessions with everyone else?
What happened that women quit long hair; what happened that we quit ........ ??
Most people are with me to this stage ...hard to argue against history. We have to accept that some of what we believe is more what we prefer ...but to some extent that's OK
But then it gets harder for some people to stay with the debate, but in truth again its historic.
When did the Gospel become individual instead of the communal/corporate theology of the New Testament?
When did it become formulaic ... 'say this prayer and you're saved'; 'learn the 4 steps to peace'; 'do the roman road' ......is all this really true to New Testament teaching?
Surely the New Testament gospel has a solid emphasis on 'following' rather than checking boxes, or raising a hand? One is "built" on top of the Scriptures; one is within Scripture.
We could go on .....but critics need to be honest to history. So much of what revisionists are dialogue-ing on is about stuff that is not in the text ...but our add ons, preferences, cultural expressions/representation.
If liberals cut parts out of the text, many conservatists/fundamentalists have added too much into the text.
Both are wrong.
Both have strong reasons why they've done what they've done - but both are wrong.
Now what would be clearly wrong is for any revisionist to say what we/they are doing is now the only right reading of the text.
But let me pull this blog over. A core quality of a leader is to define reality - even if that reality is on how the historic Scriptures have been mishandled in the 20th century.
Of course - revisionists have to stand on the bridge of 20th century interpretation as they stood on the bridge of 19th century interpretation. It's not a new bridge that's needed, we just need to keep moving along on the bridge.
But that's bridges - we use them to keep moving forward.
You don't make camp on a bridge.
Everybody seems to think they know the Bible, and anyone questioning or bringing any new thoughts seems to have thrown the Bible away and seems to know nothing about it. As for honoring the Word or maybe even believing the Word as God's truth- it seems that anyone with questions or some new thoughts doesn't!
But people need to engage more intelligently and perhaps elegantly with what's happening rather than so emotively. There is a sacredness in questioning (title of a pretty good book!).
Surely the most anti-deconstructionist/"has it all in a nice box Christian" must agree that what Christianity looks like today is very different that 1st or 2nd century Christianity.
Surely.
What wise questioners and/or revisionists are saying is - the building on top is a 19th or 20th century building ...but today is the 21st century - this necessitates change.
11am Sunday services - began in the late 19th and 20th century?
Baptism by immersion .....when did that start?...remembering that 60% of Christians hold to paedobaptism not believers baptism!
Formal church memberships?
The Sunday School movement .....19th century invention!
Church buildings?
Organ music to hymns.?
Dispensationalism - first 18 centuries didn't have that going ...built by a couple of English separatists!
Or, when did we quit the holy kiss?
When did we quit sharing our possessions with everyone else?
What happened that women quit long hair; what happened that we quit ........ ??
Most people are with me to this stage ...hard to argue against history. We have to accept that some of what we believe is more what we prefer ...but to some extent that's OK
But then it gets harder for some people to stay with the debate, but in truth again its historic.
When did the Gospel become individual instead of the communal/corporate theology of the New Testament?
When did it become formulaic ... 'say this prayer and you're saved'; 'learn the 4 steps to peace'; 'do the roman road' ......is all this really true to New Testament teaching?
Surely the New Testament gospel has a solid emphasis on 'following' rather than checking boxes, or raising a hand? One is "built" on top of the Scriptures; one is within Scripture.
We could go on .....but critics need to be honest to history. So much of what revisionists are dialogue-ing on is about stuff that is not in the text ...but our add ons, preferences, cultural expressions/representation.
If liberals cut parts out of the text, many conservatists/fundamentalists have added too much into the text.
Both are wrong.
Both have strong reasons why they've done what they've done - but both are wrong.
Now what would be clearly wrong is for any revisionist to say what we/they are doing is now the only right reading of the text.
But let me pull this blog over. A core quality of a leader is to define reality - even if that reality is on how the historic Scriptures have been mishandled in the 20th century.
Of course - revisionists have to stand on the bridge of 20th century interpretation as they stood on the bridge of 19th century interpretation. It's not a new bridge that's needed, we just need to keep moving along on the bridge.
But that's bridges - we use them to keep moving forward.
You don't make camp on a bridge.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Something extra - from Bart Campolo
I just posted this on my Musings of a Scottish Pastor blog (http://www.scottishpastormusings.blogspot.com/).
Found it just what I needed to read today. Maybe you will as well.
It's an email from my friend Bart Campolo (he's coming to Redeemer's Church on Sunday April 18 to preach at our services - great Sunday). He works in the projects of Cincinnati and he sent out this email today:
Dear Friends,
As much as she doesn’t belong there, I almost left Denise in jail. The $400 it cost to get her out is a lot of money, after all, especially for a woman surviving on food stamps in a $25 per month HUD apartment our fellowship covers to keep her off the street. Then again, we cover it because we know she’s too sick and disabled to work, let alone do jail time.
Of course, as a taxpayer I understand the county’s case against Denise, whose three kids were raised entirely on county funds despite the fact that neither parent ever paid a dollar in child support. I understand why they want the more than $15,000 she still owes, and why they call it contempt of court when she is consistently unable to pay even her $65 monthly minimum. What I don’t understand is why the judge continues her case every few months, even though it’s obvious she’s permanently broke, or how it helps anyone to lock her up for missing one of those countless court dates, like they did last week.
“I can’t do this, Bart!” she wailed into the phone. Just the night before we had celebrated her long-awaited return to our Monday night dinner, after she nearly died of pancreatitis. Now she was worried about having to move too much, and losing sleep, and missing her medications. “I’m gonna die in here,” she cried.
I felt sorry for her, of course, but I also felt frustrated and angry with her. After all the time fellowship folks have spent hustling around for her these past few years, and all the money we’ve spent on her rent and prescriptions and household needs, and all the phone calls and application forms and letters and hospital visits, how could Denise mess everything up by forgetting her court date? Forget becoming an addict and abandoning her kids in the first place; I almost left someone I claim to love in jail for the higher crime of stupidly inconveniencing me once too often.
Or maybe I almost left her there because I couldn’t stand the thought of having to listen to Denise whine and complain and blame everybody but herself for her troubles all the way home. Maybe I’m just up to here with people telling me about how it was the boss’s fault they got fired, or the teacher’s fault they got suspended, or their friend’s fault they got arrested, or their lawyer’s fault they got convicted, or their landlord’s fault they got evicted, or the minister’s fault they quit going to church.
In any case, the next morning I paid the purge order, drove down to the county jail, and gritted my teeth as Denise got into my car. And then it happened.
“Bart,” she said, “As soon as they told me I was getting out, I knew it was y’all that did it. And I’m just so thankful that I have this fellowship family that does so much for me. But all last night I was laying there feeling sorry for myself, and I got to thinking how all of this is my own fault, and how it wasn’t anybody else’s job to remind me of my court dates or take me to them or anything. I know I told you I couldn’t do it, but I was wrong. If I had to stay there for a week or a month, I decided I wasn’t gonna complain or blame anybody, I was just gonna pray to God and hang on. It was me that put me in this situation, not you or nobody else.”
To me, it was a pure miracle. My frustration, my anger, all gone in an instant. That was all I wanted, I suddenly realized. That’s all most of us want, most of the time, Almighty God included. Not perfection. Not even close to perfection. All we really want is for the people in our lives—our friends, our spouses, our children—to just take responsibility when they let us down. We can put up with a lot, we can forgive a lot, and we can help with a lot, and even do it with a smile most of the time, if only the person who blows it is just willing to admit that they are the person who blew it, not us, not somebody else. That, mixed together with a little genuine gratitude…my God, it is the jet fuel of compassion, the wonder drug for an ailing love.
I didn’t drive Denise straight home. I took her out to lunch first.
Sincerely,
Bart
Just stirred me - hope it has you.
Found it just what I needed to read today. Maybe you will as well.
It's an email from my friend Bart Campolo (he's coming to Redeemer's Church on Sunday April 18 to preach at our services - great Sunday). He works in the projects of Cincinnati and he sent out this email today:
Dear Friends,
As much as she doesn’t belong there, I almost left Denise in jail. The $400 it cost to get her out is a lot of money, after all, especially for a woman surviving on food stamps in a $25 per month HUD apartment our fellowship covers to keep her off the street. Then again, we cover it because we know she’s too sick and disabled to work, let alone do jail time.
Of course, as a taxpayer I understand the county’s case against Denise, whose three kids were raised entirely on county funds despite the fact that neither parent ever paid a dollar in child support. I understand why they want the more than $15,000 she still owes, and why they call it contempt of court when she is consistently unable to pay even her $65 monthly minimum. What I don’t understand is why the judge continues her case every few months, even though it’s obvious she’s permanently broke, or how it helps anyone to lock her up for missing one of those countless court dates, like they did last week.
“I can’t do this, Bart!” she wailed into the phone. Just the night before we had celebrated her long-awaited return to our Monday night dinner, after she nearly died of pancreatitis. Now she was worried about having to move too much, and losing sleep, and missing her medications. “I’m gonna die in here,” she cried.
I felt sorry for her, of course, but I also felt frustrated and angry with her. After all the time fellowship folks have spent hustling around for her these past few years, and all the money we’ve spent on her rent and prescriptions and household needs, and all the phone calls and application forms and letters and hospital visits, how could Denise mess everything up by forgetting her court date? Forget becoming an addict and abandoning her kids in the first place; I almost left someone I claim to love in jail for the higher crime of stupidly inconveniencing me once too often.
Or maybe I almost left her there because I couldn’t stand the thought of having to listen to Denise whine and complain and blame everybody but herself for her troubles all the way home. Maybe I’m just up to here with people telling me about how it was the boss’s fault they got fired, or the teacher’s fault they got suspended, or their friend’s fault they got arrested, or their lawyer’s fault they got convicted, or their landlord’s fault they got evicted, or the minister’s fault they quit going to church.
In any case, the next morning I paid the purge order, drove down to the county jail, and gritted my teeth as Denise got into my car. And then it happened.
“Bart,” she said, “As soon as they told me I was getting out, I knew it was y’all that did it. And I’m just so thankful that I have this fellowship family that does so much for me. But all last night I was laying there feeling sorry for myself, and I got to thinking how all of this is my own fault, and how it wasn’t anybody else’s job to remind me of my court dates or take me to them or anything. I know I told you I couldn’t do it, but I was wrong. If I had to stay there for a week or a month, I decided I wasn’t gonna complain or blame anybody, I was just gonna pray to God and hang on. It was me that put me in this situation, not you or nobody else.”
To me, it was a pure miracle. My frustration, my anger, all gone in an instant. That was all I wanted, I suddenly realized. That’s all most of us want, most of the time, Almighty God included. Not perfection. Not even close to perfection. All we really want is for the people in our lives—our friends, our spouses, our children—to just take responsibility when they let us down. We can put up with a lot, we can forgive a lot, and we can help with a lot, and even do it with a smile most of the time, if only the person who blows it is just willing to admit that they are the person who blew it, not us, not somebody else. That, mixed together with a little genuine gratitude…my God, it is the jet fuel of compassion, the wonder drug for an ailing love.
I didn’t drive Denise straight home. I took her out to lunch first.
Sincerely,
Bart
Just stirred me - hope it has you.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Week 7 - because I seem to have lost Week 6!
Week 6 - or have I missed it?
I think maybe I have.
I think this is Week 7.
Where did week 6 go to?
Yep, often I fail on the leadership level because I let days/weeks slip and I can't account for what's happened during that time! I just get busy. On a day to day basis I would say that I worked hard and it was all about serving as a church leader/teacher; I would say it's all about the Kingdom of God; at the end of every day I would say I worked really hard towards the vision of our church and our lives -but then I get to my blog and I've missed a week due to "being busy" and I makes me take a personal audit on was my busy really serving God and intentional in outworking the building and extending of the Kingdom of God.
So - welcome to Week 7.
I'm sitting in Stockton, CA listening to the story of Jeff Kristenson who has led exciting transformation in South Valley Community Church, Lemoore, CA.
As I listen to the classic story of moving an inward focused, politic playing, committee led church existing for itself to an outward focused, church existing for lost people, Kingdom of God extending healthy church.
Brilliant story and brilliant leadership.
But as I sit and listen what excites me is the ongoing vision to see more growth. Jeff is not plateauing. Jeff is not content with the 1000 people they have attending (it was 117 ten years ago when Jeff arrived); Jeff and his team yearn for greater impact for the Kingdom of God.
This is true leadership.
This is exciting.
"The appetite grows with the eating" .....might be a French proverb, but it reflects the heart and reality of effective leaders.
As you eat growth - through all the hard work, sweat, praying, thinking that goes with this - your appetite for more growth only grows. As you eat growth, you desire more.
Jesus beat the French to this proverb. Regularly Jesus spoke about to those who have more more will be asked of - or ....to those who grow their talents - more talents will be given to them, or ....Luke 6 "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap."
Is this not the same.
So, forgive me losing of Week 6. May Week 7 inspire you to eat growth, kingdom, Gospel growth.
I think maybe I have.
I think this is Week 7.
Where did week 6 go to?
Yep, often I fail on the leadership level because I let days/weeks slip and I can't account for what's happened during that time! I just get busy. On a day to day basis I would say that I worked hard and it was all about serving as a church leader/teacher; I would say it's all about the Kingdom of God; at the end of every day I would say I worked really hard towards the vision of our church and our lives -but then I get to my blog and I've missed a week due to "being busy" and I makes me take a personal audit on was my busy really serving God and intentional in outworking the building and extending of the Kingdom of God.
So - welcome to Week 7.
I'm sitting in Stockton, CA listening to the story of Jeff Kristenson who has led exciting transformation in South Valley Community Church, Lemoore, CA.
As I listen to the classic story of moving an inward focused, politic playing, committee led church existing for itself to an outward focused, church existing for lost people, Kingdom of God extending healthy church.
Brilliant story and brilliant leadership.
But as I sit and listen what excites me is the ongoing vision to see more growth. Jeff is not plateauing. Jeff is not content with the 1000 people they have attending (it was 117 ten years ago when Jeff arrived); Jeff and his team yearn for greater impact for the Kingdom of God.
This is true leadership.
This is exciting.
"The appetite grows with the eating" .....might be a French proverb, but it reflects the heart and reality of effective leaders.
As you eat growth - through all the hard work, sweat, praying, thinking that goes with this - your appetite for more growth only grows. As you eat growth, you desire more.
Jesus beat the French to this proverb. Regularly Jesus spoke about to those who have more more will be asked of - or ....to those who grow their talents - more talents will be given to them, or ....Luke 6 "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap."
Is this not the same.
So, forgive me losing of Week 6. May Week 7 inspire you to eat growth, kingdom, Gospel growth.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Week 5 - a pastors' EDGE.
Sorry folks that I missed week 4 - Africa, no internet and jet-lag.
Week 5 ..... and it revolves around the idea of EDGE.
Jack Welch and Noel Tichy write about this idea.
All leaders possess ideas undergird by values creating energy in people around them -but winning leaders bring EDGE to their leading.
EDGE is defined as "the ability to make tough decisions and the willingness to sacrifice the security of today for the sake of a better future".
EDGE.
Let me talk about our children's global charity called When I Grow Up.
Presently we help four global partnerships with the most developed partnership the one I've just returned from in Nairobi, Kenya called Furaha Community Centre. For the past few years we've helped this centre. We've seen our help grow but in truth it has remained at a fairly doable level - we can remain at this level and not hurt other growth we need to work on within our own church and within our other global partnerships.
But now as I return from another visit, I'm challenged with the reality of EDGE. Am I willing to make the tough decision? A tough decision not to stop helping, but to take our helping to the next level - a level that moves us beyond the comfortable security of what we can afford today for the sake of tomorrow.
This is an EDGE decision.
I guess Welch and Tichy call it EDGE, but Christian leaders call it FAITH!
Can we take the next step - can we take this next step along with every other next step our church and our charity are needing to take.
Growth requires EDGE / FAITH.
Growth always requires more growth. In fact the fuel of growth is more growth.
The challenge of every growth leader is the boldness, the edge, the FAITH to not settle at the level of initial growth, but push deeper beyond settledness.
This is exactly where we are at in Redeemer's Church. 800 attending, front door working, global ministry happening, healthy ministries, healthy financials, good programming. BUT - FAITH says we need to now go to the next level - the next step for our overall vision, the next step in our When I Grow Up charity, the next step in our Growth Engines ....and these three mission critical next steps will require the next step in our financials, our leadership, our strategies. This is EDGE, or better put, this is FAITH.
Do I have it?
Do you have it?
Growth requires it.
The Kingdom of God breathes it.
Week 5 ..... and it revolves around the idea of EDGE.
Jack Welch and Noel Tichy write about this idea.
All leaders possess ideas undergird by values creating energy in people around them -but winning leaders bring EDGE to their leading.
EDGE is defined as "the ability to make tough decisions and the willingness to sacrifice the security of today for the sake of a better future".
EDGE.
Let me talk about our children's global charity called When I Grow Up.
Presently we help four global partnerships with the most developed partnership the one I've just returned from in Nairobi, Kenya called Furaha Community Centre. For the past few years we've helped this centre. We've seen our help grow but in truth it has remained at a fairly doable level - we can remain at this level and not hurt other growth we need to work on within our own church and within our other global partnerships.
But now as I return from another visit, I'm challenged with the reality of EDGE. Am I willing to make the tough decision? A tough decision not to stop helping, but to take our helping to the next level - a level that moves us beyond the comfortable security of what we can afford today for the sake of tomorrow.
This is an EDGE decision.
I guess Welch and Tichy call it EDGE, but Christian leaders call it FAITH!
Can we take the next step - can we take this next step along with every other next step our church and our charity are needing to take.
Growth requires EDGE / FAITH.
Growth always requires more growth. In fact the fuel of growth is more growth.
The challenge of every growth leader is the boldness, the edge, the FAITH to not settle at the level of initial growth, but push deeper beyond settledness.
This is exactly where we are at in Redeemer's Church. 800 attending, front door working, global ministry happening, healthy ministries, healthy financials, good programming. BUT - FAITH says we need to now go to the next level - the next step for our overall vision, the next step in our When I Grow Up charity, the next step in our Growth Engines ....and these three mission critical next steps will require the next step in our financials, our leadership, our strategies. This is EDGE, or better put, this is FAITH.
Do I have it?
Do you have it?
Growth requires it.
The Kingdom of God breathes it.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Week 3 - Leaders do what isn't natural to do
Week 3 - and I'm about to head to Kenya, Africa.
I've been to Kenya several times. We have some incredible partners there who we link with to help a slum that is around half a million people. Our Kenya partners run a feeding program, AIDS clinic, school for over 500 kids, a community centre, a justice program - and all of them weave Jesus through it.
But here's the truth - I've never really fallen in love with Africa.
You read reports of people going and they fall in love with Africa. Whenever they leave to return to the West they say things like "I left a part of my heart/soul there!"
But not me.
I think the guys we work alongside are modern day heroes. I think the face of every child is the face of the most precious child there is. Each of them. I think Christ is with the poor way beyond how He's with us.
But every trip to Kenya doesn't come naturally. Every trip to Kenya takes a lot out of me.
But here's the leadership point - I know that if I don't go and lead the way ...how can I get others to follow us into doing what Christ undoubtedly wants His Church to be doing.
Despite how uneasy it is for me to go, and return and go again ....a leader has to go where he/she wants others to go.
Leadership simply is leading.
That's week 3 .....heading 11,000 uneasy/unnatural miles to help others come as well and catch the vision of God and His amazing Gospel.
I've been to Kenya several times. We have some incredible partners there who we link with to help a slum that is around half a million people. Our Kenya partners run a feeding program, AIDS clinic, school for over 500 kids, a community centre, a justice program - and all of them weave Jesus through it.
But here's the truth - I've never really fallen in love with Africa.
You read reports of people going and they fall in love with Africa. Whenever they leave to return to the West they say things like "I left a part of my heart/soul there!"
But not me.
I think the guys we work alongside are modern day heroes. I think the face of every child is the face of the most precious child there is. Each of them. I think Christ is with the poor way beyond how He's with us.
But every trip to Kenya doesn't come naturally. Every trip to Kenya takes a lot out of me.
But here's the leadership point - I know that if I don't go and lead the way ...how can I get others to follow us into doing what Christ undoubtedly wants His Church to be doing.
Despite how uneasy it is for me to go, and return and go again ....a leader has to go where he/she wants others to go.
Leadership simply is leading.
That's week 3 .....heading 11,000 uneasy/unnatural miles to help others come as well and catch the vision of God and His amazing Gospel.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Week 2: To deconstruct or not.
Week 2 of 2010 and some thoughts on churches and leadership within such.
Been introducing a group of new leaders within our church to the postmodern/modern debate. For some people the debate and its pro's and con's are old hat, but for many its a new issue.
My group was an eclectic group of differing ages, gender and ethnicity. But here's what was interesting - the idea of "deconstruction" resonated with them all. They all described aspects of the way they had been raised in churches, and/or the emphasis that they had all experienced that they knew needed to be deconstructed.
Now while many of us think the postmodern movement needs time, but only so much time, to deconstruct before they head to construction - what became even clearer to me in leading the conversation was that careful deconstruction is a key component of not only philosophical leadership but all leadership.
Deconstruction is the taking apart of the existing structure not to destroy it or demolish it, but to ensure the right bricks stay in place and the wrong bricks are removed ....to enable the structure to be stronger and have a effective future.
Deconstruction is not to destroy - but to improve.
There was not one person in the group last night who did not value deeply the Church and its mission and purpose. And because of that value they wnated to see the Church be all that the Church could be and needs to be.
Leaders should not fear deconstruction.
The question that we then raised was the question of whether or not a generation from now - removed from any postmodern/modernity debate - would the next generation see what we've built as needing to be deconstructed also?
Or, to put that question in a better way "how do we build something now that does not need deconstructed in the future?"
Is that possible?
The answer we came away with is yes. It is possible if leaders stay fluid, organic, flexible. There is a way to lead that will see what is built last and not need deconstructing. But it will require constant reading, researching, morphing.
Entropy remains a big enemy. We can experience entropy in our theology (we should be reformed and always reforming); entropy in our methods (we veer to comfort and familiar when we need to veer to courage and adventure); entropy in our practices (when we need to adapt and constantly modernise).
If we fail to battle entropy - we will see the next generation deconstruct what we are building, but if we attack entropy ......the next generation will not need to firstly deconstruct before they can build, but they can quickly stand on our shoulders and build even bigger.
Been introducing a group of new leaders within our church to the postmodern/modern debate. For some people the debate and its pro's and con's are old hat, but for many its a new issue.
My group was an eclectic group of differing ages, gender and ethnicity. But here's what was interesting - the idea of "deconstruction" resonated with them all. They all described aspects of the way they had been raised in churches, and/or the emphasis that they had all experienced that they knew needed to be deconstructed.
Now while many of us think the postmodern movement needs time, but only so much time, to deconstruct before they head to construction - what became even clearer to me in leading the conversation was that careful deconstruction is a key component of not only philosophical leadership but all leadership.
Deconstruction is the taking apart of the existing structure not to destroy it or demolish it, but to ensure the right bricks stay in place and the wrong bricks are removed ....to enable the structure to be stronger and have a effective future.
Deconstruction is not to destroy - but to improve.
There was not one person in the group last night who did not value deeply the Church and its mission and purpose. And because of that value they wnated to see the Church be all that the Church could be and needs to be.
Leaders should not fear deconstruction.
The question that we then raised was the question of whether or not a generation from now - removed from any postmodern/modernity debate - would the next generation see what we've built as needing to be deconstructed also?
Or, to put that question in a better way "how do we build something now that does not need deconstructed in the future?"
Is that possible?
The answer we came away with is yes. It is possible if leaders stay fluid, organic, flexible. There is a way to lead that will see what is built last and not need deconstructing. But it will require constant reading, researching, morphing.
Entropy remains a big enemy. We can experience entropy in our theology (we should be reformed and always reforming); entropy in our methods (we veer to comfort and familiar when we need to veer to courage and adventure); entropy in our practices (when we need to adapt and constantly modernise).
If we fail to battle entropy - we will see the next generation deconstruct what we are building, but if we attack entropy ......the next generation will not need to firstly deconstruct before they can build, but they can quickly stand on our shoulders and build even bigger.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Week 1 of 2010
So the new year has begun.
My Musings of a Scottish Pastor blog (http://www.scottishpastormusings.blogspot.com) tells you what I've decided to do with that blog for the next 365 days ......everyday blog on what intentional act that day I have done to help me live as a follower of Jesus Christ.
A daily blog - yikes!
But it got me thinking about my leadership blog and 2010.
Could I blog weekly on what leadership activity and/or learning I've done to lead more effectively in 2010.
52 blogs with 52 learnings or actions in leading a local church in extending the Kingdom of God.
So let's start.
My first learning of 2010: "health in a church is gained slowly but lost quickly."
Its gained slowly. Health often is. I'm not long over 40 - but boy its a slow hard process to keep myself healthy .....hard work, daily effort, constant wise choices - but can be lost with one bad day of eating, or stop working out for a week and boom ....its gone!
In church life - you are constantly battling against values and behaviors that remain self focused. The push to be Kingdom focused and Christ centered is a constant battle. It can take years to break old DNA's and habits.
But slowly and surely with constant teaching, modeling, challenging and coaching movement can happen and safe ground be secured.
But it can all be lost quickly - a foolish decision, a maverick leader, a reckless action, a scandal.
This means that in church leadership we are more marathon runners than sprinters. We are more like artists and poets allowing decisions and actions to perculate slowly and rise over time to maturity than a quick microwave of an idea.
Week 1: health in your church is gained slowly but lost quickly.
My Musings of a Scottish Pastor blog (http://www.scottishpastormusings.blogspot.com) tells you what I've decided to do with that blog for the next 365 days ......everyday blog on what intentional act that day I have done to help me live as a follower of Jesus Christ.
A daily blog - yikes!
But it got me thinking about my leadership blog and 2010.
Could I blog weekly on what leadership activity and/or learning I've done to lead more effectively in 2010.
52 blogs with 52 learnings or actions in leading a local church in extending the Kingdom of God.
So let's start.
My first learning of 2010: "health in a church is gained slowly but lost quickly."
Its gained slowly. Health often is. I'm not long over 40 - but boy its a slow hard process to keep myself healthy .....hard work, daily effort, constant wise choices - but can be lost with one bad day of eating, or stop working out for a week and boom ....its gone!
In church life - you are constantly battling against values and behaviors that remain self focused. The push to be Kingdom focused and Christ centered is a constant battle. It can take years to break old DNA's and habits.
But slowly and surely with constant teaching, modeling, challenging and coaching movement can happen and safe ground be secured.
But it can all be lost quickly - a foolish decision, a maverick leader, a reckless action, a scandal.
This means that in church leadership we are more marathon runners than sprinters. We are more like artists and poets allowing decisions and actions to perculate slowly and rise over time to maturity than a quick microwave of an idea.
Week 1: health in your church is gained slowly but lost quickly.
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