Day 137 and for the first time in two days I'm catching my breath with my Netbook open. What a last two days.
Yesterday was a great trip to Tacoma, WA and good time with my friend John Sims. We are waiting for things to explode (there's been enough imploding over the past few years) in the church he pastors. Great trip - but it is an 18 hour day.
Today .....boom urologist visit. New guy, younger guy - hopefully got some newer, fresher thinking on whatever has been going on in that area for 2 years! Nothing sinister, but really annoying. Then back to back to back to back meetings .....and then .......2 hours of High School Scholarship awards (aaargh!!!!!).
So now, 9.30pm, open the blog and try to write.
Flying gives you time to think, to read, to focus (especially with Horizon Air and their complimentary microbrews! ). Read Gregory Boyd's new book Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now. Very simple book and there was nothing particularly theologically stirring unlike Boyd's others books.
Taking the teaching of two ancients (well older than most of us) and one modern contemplater, Boyd urges us to see that right now, this very second God is present. But ....we so often miss him.
Why???
DUH!!!
Gave the book away today to a guy who so needs to find the Divine Presence at a very difficult time in his life.
Boyd's simplicity was somewhat refreshing. God is right now with us. But are we AWAKE to His presence.
So maybe for the past two days I've run at 100mph and not had time to blog ....but even at my fast pace God can keep up and He remains totally present.
My intentional follow is to stay AWAKE to His presence ...nothing less, but maybe nothing more.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Day 135 - a little more on entropy.
Day 135 and I'm coming back to last nights blog and "Scott's" comments.
Last night we commented that Redeemer's Church sitting around 800 people has to watch out because often churches of this size plateau and then decline.
Not always, but often - sadly too often.
Church guru's and consultants and have written on this stuff significantly over the last decade. from examining hundreds of churches of this size (perhaps not having reached this size in the short time Redeemer's have), and repeatedly something happens that stops the growth.
Why?
I'm not big into always looking to general management literature to examine the church. Although Augustine reportedly said "all truth is God's truth", and if there's something in that, listen to the 'truth' written by two management guru's :
"The entropic process is a universal law of nature in which all forms of organization move toward disorganization or death." [written by R.L. Kahn & D. Katz]
A leaders role is to lead a church/an organization away from this lurking entropy.
Now probably this topic is better explored under the other weekly leadership blog I write [www.clanofissachar.blogspot.com] but for me, as a leader, this is about my daily intentional following of Christ.
I grew up with a theology that preached 'small things', especially small things in these the last of the last days. It was a branch of pretty firm dispensationalism. I found that this 'small things' philosophy sometimes excused poor leadership and/or discipleship. Old fashioned and ineffective methodology was covered over by a theology that said 'we're not called to be fruitful but faithful and in the end days most will turn from God and only a remnant, a few will hold on.'
Subtly underneath this theology lay an excuse for no church growth, in fact, underneath it lay an excuse for entropy and decline.
The local church I grew up in reached a peak of 200 back when I was a teenager, and today that local church sits around about 40 people, and the group of churches they belonged to which at their peak had 25,000 participants today has around 10,000 participants.
Was their theology correct, and yet/or, was it cover for poor leadership.
God does call us to be faithful, but God also calls us to be fruitful.
So where am I going?
A leaders job is to define reality. As I read, reflect, watch other local churches and follow the journey of Western Christianity from the 19th, 20th into 21st century - decline is the constant.
Rather than turn to a theology that could be seen to justify such, I turn to philosophy if not anthropology to explain what's happening.
Entropy is universal.
We naturally move towards decline.
Death behooves us.
But God specialises in taking death and through death bringing life.
While entropy may be natural, resurrection is biblical.
while entropy sits within the laws of a fallen world, dying to self to bring forth new life sits within the law of the Spirit.
therefore, if a church, a christian, a Christian leader walks the way of the Spirit - that church, that Christian that leadership can lead something away from entropy towards life - renewed life, but still life.
My intentional following as a local church pastor is to be aware of the natural law of entropy and lead away from it through resurrection and renewal.
This implies if not signifies change ...change of vision, change of method.
Does this help?
Last night we commented that Redeemer's Church sitting around 800 people has to watch out because often churches of this size plateau and then decline.
Not always, but often - sadly too often.
Church guru's and consultants and have written on this stuff significantly over the last decade. from examining hundreds of churches of this size (perhaps not having reached this size in the short time Redeemer's have), and repeatedly something happens that stops the growth.
Why?
I'm not big into always looking to general management literature to examine the church. Although Augustine reportedly said "all truth is God's truth", and if there's something in that, listen to the 'truth' written by two management guru's :
"The entropic process is a universal law of nature in which all forms of organization move toward disorganization or death." [written by R.L. Kahn & D. Katz]
A leaders role is to lead a church/an organization away from this lurking entropy.
Now probably this topic is better explored under the other weekly leadership blog I write [www.clanofissachar.blogspot.com] but for me, as a leader, this is about my daily intentional following of Christ.
I grew up with a theology that preached 'small things', especially small things in these the last of the last days. It was a branch of pretty firm dispensationalism. I found that this 'small things' philosophy sometimes excused poor leadership and/or discipleship. Old fashioned and ineffective methodology was covered over by a theology that said 'we're not called to be fruitful but faithful and in the end days most will turn from God and only a remnant, a few will hold on.'
Subtly underneath this theology lay an excuse for no church growth, in fact, underneath it lay an excuse for entropy and decline.
The local church I grew up in reached a peak of 200 back when I was a teenager, and today that local church sits around about 40 people, and the group of churches they belonged to which at their peak had 25,000 participants today has around 10,000 participants.
Was their theology correct, and yet/or, was it cover for poor leadership.
God does call us to be faithful, but God also calls us to be fruitful.
So where am I going?
A leaders job is to define reality. As I read, reflect, watch other local churches and follow the journey of Western Christianity from the 19th, 20th into 21st century - decline is the constant.
Rather than turn to a theology that could be seen to justify such, I turn to philosophy if not anthropology to explain what's happening.
Entropy is universal.
We naturally move towards decline.
Death behooves us.
But God specialises in taking death and through death bringing life.
While entropy may be natural, resurrection is biblical.
while entropy sits within the laws of a fallen world, dying to self to bring forth new life sits within the law of the Spirit.
therefore, if a church, a christian, a Christian leader walks the way of the Spirit - that church, that Christian that leadership can lead something away from entropy towards life - renewed life, but still life.
My intentional following as a local church pastor is to be aware of the natural law of entropy and lead away from it through resurrection and renewal.
This implies if not signifies change ...change of vision, change of method.
Does this help?
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Day 134 - 998 pages later.
Day 134 and sorry its been a few days been plowing my way through Organization Change: A Comprehensive Reader.....and believe me its comprehensive - all 998 pages.
Real interesting story:
The artillery division of the British Army in the First World War determined that an artillery unit was to consist of loaders, an aimer, discarders and three persons to hold the horses because of noise.
At the start of the Second World War the guns were now all mechanized - but you guessed it - the three horse holders were still part of the artillery unit!
Change.
Been thinking a lot about change and change leadership as Redeemer's Church and I have been together for 7 years.
Seen great changes in the past 7 years.
But ......more's coming.
It's the 7 year cycle.
Good things happening, much growth, new ideas, new things, new people.
But now's the time we need to take bigger steps of bigger change.
Normally churches plateau at the 800 number.
Things are good, people around, a buzz.
But entropy lurks and subtly you wake up 3 years later and its too late.
So ...998 pages of reading, much prayer and rethinking all adds up to a fun Saturday and an intentional follow of Jesus Christ for an assistant kingdom builder based in Reedley, CA!
Real interesting story:
The artillery division of the British Army in the First World War determined that an artillery unit was to consist of loaders, an aimer, discarders and three persons to hold the horses because of noise.
At the start of the Second World War the guns were now all mechanized - but you guessed it - the three horse holders were still part of the artillery unit!
Change.
Been thinking a lot about change and change leadership as Redeemer's Church and I have been together for 7 years.
Seen great changes in the past 7 years.
But ......more's coming.
It's the 7 year cycle.
Good things happening, much growth, new ideas, new things, new people.
But now's the time we need to take bigger steps of bigger change.
Normally churches plateau at the 800 number.
Things are good, people around, a buzz.
But entropy lurks and subtly you wake up 3 years later and its too late.
So ...998 pages of reading, much prayer and rethinking all adds up to a fun Saturday and an intentional follow of Jesus Christ for an assistant kingdom builder based in Reedley, CA!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Day 130 No comparison.
Day 130
As I work on this Sunday's preach a quote from Henri Nouwen has stirred me: "Spiritual greatness has nothing to do with being greater than others. It has everything to do with being as great as each of us can be."
Good isn't it.
It is so counter cultural to the way things operate in our American society. We live in a comparison culture. At every level from the school yard to the corporate jungle, we are pushed to measure ourselves from the standard of others.
I had a professor in seminary who graded on the dreaded curve. He would only give one A, and student's grades were calculated in comparison to every other students. Forget how well you did to the actual test, it was about how you did compared to your fellow students!
In steps spirituality and unlike sports, Greek exams, or corporate success it has nothing whatsoever to do with the person sitting next to you, it has everything and only to do with you.
Thanks Henri for removing the stink of comparison for the sweetness of unadulterated simple devotion.
Intentional follow Day 130 ......a quiet time of prayer and Scripture reading with no need to perform for the applause of others!
As I work on this Sunday's preach a quote from Henri Nouwen has stirred me: "Spiritual greatness has nothing to do with being greater than others. It has everything to do with being as great as each of us can be."
Good isn't it.
It is so counter cultural to the way things operate in our American society. We live in a comparison culture. At every level from the school yard to the corporate jungle, we are pushed to measure ourselves from the standard of others.
I had a professor in seminary who graded on the dreaded curve. He would only give one A, and student's grades were calculated in comparison to every other students. Forget how well you did to the actual test, it was about how you did compared to your fellow students!
In steps spirituality and unlike sports, Greek exams, or corporate success it has nothing whatsoever to do with the person sitting next to you, it has everything and only to do with you.
Thanks Henri for removing the stink of comparison for the sweetness of unadulterated simple devotion.
Intentional follow Day 130 ......a quiet time of prayer and Scripture reading with no need to perform for the applause of others!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Day 128 finally got my pc back!
Day 128 and wasn't that I was still sick, it was that our other pc got sick and so my wife stole my little Netbook and therefore my means of blogging.
Today was Mother's Day. Well done boys on getting your mum a great gift.
It also was a day we preached about not bowing down to the idol of family.
I have been reading Tim Keller's book Counterfeit Gods and his handling of the story of Abraham was masterful. my reading and discussing of this book with some guys in my leadership group caused me to turn to this story to examine the danger of bowing down to the idol of family.
Idol's normally come from a good thing that we elevate to a supreme thing.
It's not something bad that kills us it is something good.
Idolatry for us is also subtle.
slowly and subtly something moves from a good healthy position to a supreme bad position.
Perhaps family is one of the biggest threats to our spiritual allegiance in the 21st century.
This was Abraham's situation.
His deepest desire for an heir, a good desire for a son, ended up in that son replacing God.
And - it was God who gave him that son.
How often does God risk being demoted by the very things he decides to give or grant us?
Why would God grant us something that in turn could led us to idolatry and away from Him?
I guess its the accusation Satan has constantly used against God. 'People will only follow/serve God if they don't have a choice! Give them a choice and they'll choose not to follow God!'
The amazing thing is, God is up for that challenge, and repeatedly God provides the alternative for us to follow.
Amazing grace; amazing love.
Maybe this is the bones of next week preach beginning. God needs idols!!
Going to be an interesting week of study.
Today was Mother's Day. Well done boys on getting your mum a great gift.
It also was a day we preached about not bowing down to the idol of family.
I have been reading Tim Keller's book Counterfeit Gods and his handling of the story of Abraham was masterful. my reading and discussing of this book with some guys in my leadership group caused me to turn to this story to examine the danger of bowing down to the idol of family.
Idol's normally come from a good thing that we elevate to a supreme thing.
It's not something bad that kills us it is something good.
Idolatry for us is also subtle.
slowly and subtly something moves from a good healthy position to a supreme bad position.
Perhaps family is one of the biggest threats to our spiritual allegiance in the 21st century.
This was Abraham's situation.
His deepest desire for an heir, a good desire for a son, ended up in that son replacing God.
And - it was God who gave him that son.
How often does God risk being demoted by the very things he decides to give or grant us?
Why would God grant us something that in turn could led us to idolatry and away from Him?
I guess its the accusation Satan has constantly used against God. 'People will only follow/serve God if they don't have a choice! Give them a choice and they'll choose not to follow God!'
The amazing thing is, God is up for that challenge, and repeatedly God provides the alternative for us to follow.
Amazing grace; amazing love.
Maybe this is the bones of next week preach beginning. God needs idols!!
Going to be an interesting week of study.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Day 123 - my guts churning.
Day 123 and the flu still has me down and out.
Hey - lost 6lbs in the past 4 days, so back to my optimal running weight.
Been trying to read away the hours.
Saturday had me reading 2 very helpful books, today's 2 books equally helpful.
Book #1
The Myth of a Christian Religion: Losing Your Religion for the Beauty of a Revolution @ Gregory Boyd.
Gregory Boyd stands in a camp of the Evangelical church that I best associate with - skeptical if not cynical. Not in a sinful/sarcastic way, but in a valuing critiquing way. Boyd doesn't cynically deconstruct leaving everything demolished, he attempts to build something new, better, truer.
This book takes his earlier controversy - The Myth of a Christian Nation - and veers it to radical questions of personal living.
Good read ....and despite people assuming his position is left rather than right - his position is centrally Christ and being authentic to His Kingdom.
Book #2
Becoming a Contagious Church @ Mark Mittelberg.
This revised edition with still too strongly a modernistic/formulaic/propositional approach to evangelism than I'm comfortable with still stabs and stirs in many ways. Mark starts by pulling no punches - contagious Christianity is only contagious as you are.
Am I living an evangelistic lifestyle?
When I shop, eat or run am I contagious?
Today I am ....this flu is highly contagious!!!
Sit around me and boom ....you'll have an instant weight loss gift!
But what about my faith, my belief, my Christianity ....sit around me and would you catch that also?
Mark's book might be too linear for me ....but his punch has me troubled.
Take them both together - Gregory's revolutionary lifestyle and Mark's call to being contagious - take them beyond books and reading to action and priorities ......yep ....being stuck in reading, has got my gut churning more.
And ...because I'm home more not only is my gut churning, my head hurts ....Carolyn has recorded back to back episodes of "7th Heaven" (aargh) .....whats worse sore gut or hurting head!!
Hey - lost 6lbs in the past 4 days, so back to my optimal running weight.
Been trying to read away the hours.
Saturday had me reading 2 very helpful books, today's 2 books equally helpful.
Book #1
The Myth of a Christian Religion: Losing Your Religion for the Beauty of a Revolution @ Gregory Boyd.
Gregory Boyd stands in a camp of the Evangelical church that I best associate with - skeptical if not cynical. Not in a sinful/sarcastic way, but in a valuing critiquing way. Boyd doesn't cynically deconstruct leaving everything demolished, he attempts to build something new, better, truer.
This book takes his earlier controversy - The Myth of a Christian Nation - and veers it to radical questions of personal living.
Good read ....and despite people assuming his position is left rather than right - his position is centrally Christ and being authentic to His Kingdom.
Book #2
Becoming a Contagious Church @ Mark Mittelberg.
This revised edition with still too strongly a modernistic/formulaic/propositional approach to evangelism than I'm comfortable with still stabs and stirs in many ways. Mark starts by pulling no punches - contagious Christianity is only contagious as you are.
Am I living an evangelistic lifestyle?
When I shop, eat or run am I contagious?
Today I am ....this flu is highly contagious!!!
Sit around me and boom ....you'll have an instant weight loss gift!
But what about my faith, my belief, my Christianity ....sit around me and would you catch that also?
Mark's book might be too linear for me ....but his punch has me troubled.
Take them both together - Gregory's revolutionary lifestyle and Mark's call to being contagious - take them beyond books and reading to action and priorities ......yep ....being stuck in reading, has got my gut churning more.
And ...because I'm home more not only is my gut churning, my head hurts ....Carolyn has recorded back to back episodes of "7th Heaven" (aargh) .....whats worse sore gut or hurting head!!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Day 120 and my flu has me pasting!
Day 120.
Posted this over on my leadership blog.
Maybe you'll enjoy it; maybe you'll be intrigued:
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.
Posted this over on my leadership blog.
Maybe you'll enjoy it; maybe you'll be intrigued:
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.
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