Archive - July, 2010

Ministry Inside.12

July 28, 2010 in Ministry with 8 Comments

(Normally, Ministry Inside appears on Thursdays. However, I am going to publish a day early.)


1. Two important posts by John Frye (author of Jesus the Pastor ). See Jesus the Discernment Artist and Do We Believe in the Spirit?

2. You might want to read John Mark Hicks’ post The Church Has Left the Building. John Mark, a theologian, is always thoughtful and reflective in his writing.

3. It is difficult for a church family to rise above the level of its leadership. It is very difficult for people to imagine a faith or a life of discipleship that they have not witnessed in their ministers, preachers, pastors, elders, or others whom they might look to as their models.

I don’t say this in order to be critical of church leaders. I do think we need to wake up. So often leaders believe that what they need to do is to just get the church moving in a certain direction. We may devise various plans in order to get this done. However, this can easily become just another well meaning attempt at constructing a future. Maybe one of the most important places to start in approaching the future is in addressing one’s own soul transformation. refresh.jpg

4. There are several tools that I use for my own personal organization. I use Google calendar to record all appointments, special dates, events, etc. Google calendar is easy to use and accesible both on my laptop and iPhone. I enter the information online and also keep a hard copy of my calendar in my notebook. I also use Backpack as a way to organize my projects and the tasks that are necessary in order to complete these projects. (My organizational page is set up with an approach that I have learned through David Allen’s Getting Things Done .) In my notebook, I have a hard copy of each project (anything that requires more than one step in order to get it done.) Under each project, I have listed various actions that must take place in order to make progress on this project.

On my Backpack page and in my note book is a page called, “Next Actions.” This is the closest thing that I have to a “to do” list. The next actions are broken down into the following categories:

  • Really Important (two or three actions that are really important today)
  • Big Things this Week (one or two actions that really need to take place this week)
  • E-Mail (someone whom I need to write)
  • On the Phone (someone whom I need to call. Maybe a word beside the name reminding me of the subject)
  • Talk with (someone whom I need to talk with)
  • To Go (errands I need to do)
  • At the Mac (something that I need to do at my computer. Maybe a book to be ordered or something I need to look up)
  • Waiting on (someone whom I am waiting on for an ok, for confirmation, for information, etc.)

Strengthening the Soul (1)

July 26, 2010 in Books, Renewal, Self-Care, Spiritual Disciplines, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Life with 11 Comments

Last week, I was in Chicago for a three-day class at Wheaton College with Ruth Haley Barton, author of Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. busy.jpg

The class was great.

It was an opportunity not only to listen to Barton but to reflect on my life and relationship with God. There were wonderful times of silence, teaching, prayer and conversation. One of the blessings of the week was getting to be with the four wonderful people at my table.

Much of her material came from her book. What was incredibly helpful was the opportunity to spend time in another setting thinking my life and about my ministry.

The following are several statements that she made in class that were significant to me. (The quotes here are directly from the book.)

  • If Jesus were speaking to us today, he might also point out that when leaders lose their souls, so do the churches and organizations they lead. (p. 13)
  • These cries are gut-wrenching and consistent: there has to be more to life in leadership than many of us are experiencing. In all this listening to my own life and to the lives of others, I have become convinced that the more that we are looking for is the transformation of our souls in the presence of God. (p.14)
  • Truly, the best thing any of us have to bring to leadership is our own transforming selves. (p. 19)

I once knew a person in a church who routinely referred to the ministry of the church as “business as usual.” He spoke as if this were a good thing! Listen, business as usual is what is killing churches. In far, far too many churches, good, well meaning people are incredibly busy with church activity and yet experiencing no real life. They are simply doing what their leaders are doing. Their leaders are often good people who also are incredibly busy with church activity.

Barton is right. The best thing any of us have to bring to leadership is our own transforming selves. There is something powerful about a man or woman whose life is open before the Lord and who is experiencing real transformation into the image of Christ.

I came away from this class this week resolved to do several things:

1. I want to spend more time in solitude and silence tending to the needs of my own soul. I have just not been as attentive to these needs over the past year as I have been in previous years. I really became aware of this in this class.

2. I want to spend less time on things that just do not matter. I really enjoy this time of life. Yet, I want to spend my physical and emotional energy on things that matter. Yet, so much of the busyness of everyday life often involves doing things that just don’t matter. I find myself thinking: “Why am I doing this? How did I get in the middle of this?” So I am really giving some thought as to how I am spending my time.

(For the next few weeks, I will be posting a series each Monday entitled “Strengthening the Soul.”)


Question:

Do you sense that many people around you live with a parched soul?

What has busyness cost you?


New to This Blog?

July 22, 2010 in Conversations, Places I've Been... with 0 Comments

Welcome!

Normally, I post about four times per week. In July, they are less frequent as I am on vacation/study leave for the month.

So if you are new to this blog, you will notice that the posts will become more frequent beginning August 1. In the meantime, you might enjoy simply scrolling down and glancing at a few posts. Maybe some of these will interest you. You might immediately notice that there are a number of posts entitled “Ministry Inside” which appear each Thursday. Just keep scrolling and you will see more of a variety.

You might glance at the sidebar at the section marked “Categories.” Click on a category that interests you. (Be sure to look at the categories “10 Characteristics” and “41 Things.”

You might enjoy reading some biographical information. If so, just look on the sidebar for the words “You may be interested” and click on the word “background.”

Some of the blogs that I frequent are listed on the sidebar. Most are on my google reader.

Looking for a great video? Look for “Social Networks” and click on “God-Hungry Live.” You will find a wonderful collection of encouraging you tube videos there.

Finally, I encourage you to consider leaving a comment. Just click on the work comment at the end of each post. Feel free to leave as many comments as you wish.

(By the way, a God-Hungry app is available for your iPhone. You can get this by going to the app store on your iPhone or by going to the iTunes store. Key word is “God-Hungry”)

Update

July 21, 2010 in Places I've Been... with 2 Comments

Just wanted to update you regarding the remainder of July.

During July, I am on vacation for a few weeks and also take a few weeks for a study break. As a result, posts are not frequent during this month. “Ministry Inside” (the Thursday series) will appear again in August.

I will say more in August about what I have been doing this month. This has been a great month! In many ways it has exceeded my expectations. I am grateful to God for this.

So–I may have a post or two before August but not much more than that.

I’m looking forward to August. As always, I appreciate you for continuing to read this blog.

What Story Do You Tell Yourself?

July 19, 2010 in Emotional Maturity, My Story, Self-Care with 3 Comments

This morning I readSeth Godin’s blog and really liked what he said.

He asks a very important question:

What story do you tell yourself about yourself?

I know that marketers tell stories. We tell them to clients, prospects, bosses, suppliers, partners and voters. If the stories resonate and spread and seduce, then we succeed.

But what about the story you tell yourself?

(Read the rest of the post here.)

After reading this post, I continued to think about this. What story do I tell myself about myself? How about you? What story do you tell yourself about yourself? The stories we tell ourselves will impact what we conclude about ourselves. For instance, because of these stories some of us conclude:

  • “I can’t.”
  • “It can’t be done”
  • “I know something bad is about to happen.”
  • “I never get a break. You wouldn’t do any better if you had been through what I’ve been through”
  • “You can’t expect much from me. I am a victim.”
  • “If it wasn’t for ______, I would have done much better.”


Question:

What is your experience with this? What has been the impact of the stories that you have told yourself?

Ministry Inside.11

July 15, 2010 in Ministry with 3 Comments

1. Chris Brogan, who describes himself as “non-religious,” recently spoke of a book he liked regarding the author’s journey from atheism to faith. I have not read the book. However, I think it might be useful for ministers to simply listen to Chris in this video explain why he liked this book. It is very, very important that those who are on the edges of faith be heard. You can find the video and the post by Chris coffee cup (1).jpg here.

2. Porn addiction via the Internet is a HUGE problem in this culture and this includes many people in churches. Recently, radio personality Kim Komando addressed this issue from a technical perspective on her website. (She has a nationwide weekly radio show in which she discusses the lifestyles of those who live in the digital age.) On her website, she addressed some technical issues that might be helpful for those who wish to block adult sites. This can be especially helpful for one who is fighting against porn addiction. You can find this discussion here. (This might be particularly helpful as you work with people who are trying to overcome this addiction.)

3. I like Facebook. Through Facebook I have been able to get in touch with many, many people who I have known through the years, including some people I went to high school with. This has been great. At the same time I realize that some people have used Facebook to develop inappropriate and sinful relationships. You might want to at least be aware of a discussion taking place regarding this. One interesting article is: “Facebook Becoming a Prime Source for Divorce Case Evidence .” You might also be interested in reading: “Facebook Didn’t Destroy Your Marriage” and “Facebook Destroying Marriages?”

4. July is the month that I try to do a lot of thinking about who I am and what I do. Part of what I do during July is expose myself to thoughts/ideas that are stimulating. Right now I am glancing at the many resources available from the Aspen Ideas Festival. (Bob Buford of Leadership Network attended this as he has for years.) You might enjoy looking through their website.

5. This afternoon I spent some time in the Dallas Theological Seminary library and then the bookstore. I find this extremely helpful. For many years I have practiced going into a library and surveying most of their present periodicals. For example, today I slowly walked up and down each periodical aisle looking at the cover of each journal or magazine. I glance at the authors and titles of articles. Often this serves as an excellent snapshot of what is being discussed. As I am walking up and down these aisles, I will see an entire journal or one article that looks especially interesting. I will collect these journals (today there were about 10) and then sit in a carrel either thumbing through the entire journal or reading the article. I do this a few times a year and generally come away with ideas, articles, and some thoughts.

Question: What Are The Issues at Work?

July 13, 2010 in Jesus, Spiritual Formation with 4 Comments

I am thinking through some of the issues related to being a Christ-follower at work. What are some of the issues that you have faced as you have tried to follow Christ in the midst of your career? What are some of the issues that your friends have faced?

work hard work.jpg

I first began thinking about this issue (how to be a Christ-follower at work) when my friend Steve began to follow Christ and his teachings. After a tragedy in their family, my friend began to take seriously the call of Christ to follow him. Steve took his baptism seriously and repentance seriously and began living out the teachings of Jesus.

One night Steve called me and asked if we could meet for coffee. We met at a local resturant late that evening. My friend explained to me that the following morning, he would speak with his boss and that conversation would mean the end of his job. I asked him why he was so sure that a job loss would be the end result of this conversation. He said, “I am going to tell him that I have become a Christian and I can no longer close my eyes to some things that are going on in this company.” (My friend was in business with a man whom he had known since he was a child.)

Sure enough, the next day Steve called me and told me about the conversation. It went as he expected. Steve no longer had a job.

This story has reminded me that many, many people face great challenges as they follow Christ and attempt to go about their work and career.

My question to you is:

What are some issues at work that you have faced which challenged you as a Christ-follower? What are some of the challenges? What are some of the temptations?

(I really appreciate your comments and input to these questions. Thanks!)

Ministry Inside.10

July 8, 2010 in Ministry with 0 Comments

1. You might enjoy reading this excellent post on family by my friend Tim Spivey. Tim raises the question: “How much should we focus on the family?” This is a very good post by a good thinker. Tim consistently writes good posts on his blog.

2. Recently I mentioned that I was reading The Drama of Scripture by Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew. The book is excellent. Now I am reading another book by the same two authors that is basically a sequel to the book I just mentioned. This book, Living at the Crossroads (An Introduction to Christian Worldview) is very good as well.

3. Some time ago, I heard about the “Give a Goat”  ministry but was reminded yesterday about this fine ministry. (Thanks to my friend Grady King for the coffee35.jpgtweet regarding this.) If you are not familiar with this ministry, you may want to look at this website.

4. A number of years ago, I noticed that when we would visit another congregation and hear someone else preach, that my thoughts tended to be critical. I would listen to a person focused on how I would say this or that differently or how this preacher had missed the meaning of a text. I think this critical spirit stemmed from my own sense of insecurity about my ministry.

The other day, Charlotte and I visited a congregation about 30 miles from our house. (I am on vacation.) I listened with a completely different perspective than those early years. Instead of finding fault, I focused on what this person was doing right, doing well, and what a blessing he was to that church. I don’t ever want to revive that old critical spirit again.

5. I continue to find very good resources from Leadership Network. This is a good website and has a number of links which can connect you to good resources.

6. What a story! “Kermit’s Song” (From ESPN’s Outside the Lines) I found this story about former NFL player, Kermit Alexander, to be very moving.

7. All of us who are ministers need to remember that there are people in our churches who are shy, quiet, hesitant, reserved, etc. In fact, if we don’t really make an effort to speak to these people when the church assembles, we may never really have a conversation with them.

This really was stressed to me a number of years ago immediately after a Sunday morning service. A candid (but truthful) school teacher approached me and said, “You are going to have to make more of an effort to speak to these people!” (Speaking of a particular family who was rather quiet and passive.) She went on to tell me that there are just some people who for whatever reason just don’t have the confidence to initiate a conversation. I’ve never forgotten her words and am so grateful that she called my attention to this. Can you relate?

What Kind of Future Do You Envision?

July 5, 2010 in Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Life with 2 Comments

The other day I read a story about the relationship between actor Michael Douglas and his father, legendary actor Kirk Douglas. Michael Douglas is 65 and Kirk Douglas is 93. Kirk Douglas has been in 80 movies. Michael Douglas is a star in his own right.
KirkDouglas.jpg
When Michael Douglas was 65 years old, he had both knees replaced. One day his dad called to check on him. Michael Douglas told him that he had been in some pain since the surgery. His father told him, “Michael, I was 88 when I had my knees replaced.” Michael said that he knew he could say no more.

Imagine being 65 years old, a grandfather, and having your father check on you after your knee replacement surgery.
I doubt that either one of these men could have envisioned this in their future.
Maybe it is difficult to envision your own future. I know it is for me. I really don’t have a clue about the details of my future. Yet, I do want to enter the future on purpose. I want to be a certain kind of person.

For example, I would like to enter the future, whether tomorrow or five years from now, with these characteristics in my life:

1. Missional. This summer, I am focused thinking and reading about the “big story” of Scripture. God has been doing something in this world since creation and he has not quit doing it yet. He now invites us all to be a part of the mission of God in this world. He will one day bring everything to a grand culmination and it will be good.

2. An Instrument of Blessing. During the course of an ordinary day, I want to ask: “Today, what can I do to bless those who are in my presence?” Are people blessed by your presence where you work? Is God working through you to bless others? If someone goes to lunch with you, are they blessed by your presence? Some people do not bless. Instead the are a real pain to be with. They whine and complain. They are rude and obnoxious and then act as if they did nothing wrong. Some people want to be with others for what they can get, not what they can give.

I would like to be the kind of person who is refreshing to be with. In fact, I would like to be a person who others find energizing and encouraging.

3. A Positive Cheerful Attitude. I can’t exaggerate the importance of having a positive, cheerful attitude–in spite of the circumstances. Attitude is incredibly important. I once knew a church leader was actually quite knowledgable on many fronts. However, his attitude was so foul that he was more discouraging than encouraging to those in his presence. On the other hand, it is possible to brighten a room by having a good attitude.


Question:

What about you? As you envision the future, what would you like to characterize your life?   

     

  

The Looking

July 2, 2010 in God, Grace, Jesus, Spiritual Formation with 10 Comments

(The following is my second attempt at poetry. Thanks to L.L. Barkat for her encouragement regarding this attempt. See her very good blog here and her new book, God in the Yard, here.)


The Lookingmirror.png

In the mirror one day,
I saw a self.
Body.
Mind.
Emotion.

I took a closer look and peered into my soul.
The things I saw?
Brokenness.
Fear.
Envy.
Lust.
Insecurity.

One more time I looked into the mirror.
This time I saw a redeemed self
This time I saw a beautiful self.
This time I saw, in the background, Jesus.

By his grace he redeemed me.
Now he is making me into
the self I want to be,
the self that I really am.


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