Graceformations

Translation

2011-04-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

Just watched the segment on "Morning Joe" regarding the divinity of doubt. This is also an interesting discussion in light of newer translations of the Bible this week changing the translation of Issiah's reference to the "virgin" being born. What this lawyer didn't mention (and maybe he did not know) is that the NT writers for the most part, did not have access to the Hebrew scriptures in Hebrew. The most prominent scriptures available (and most scholars from a wide swath of convictions demonstrate this) were the Greek Scriptures, otherwise noted as the Septuagint (LXX). In this version, the word employed is, "parthenos." I looked it up in Bauer & Gingrich (a standard Greek-English Lexicon), and the English equivalent is, "virgin" (p. 632) It is used in wider Greek literature as well with this meaning. Philo and Josephus use it in this way. It is also used for men. So, when the writers of the LXX addressed this text, they went with the sexual connoted use of the term. This version predates Christianity by about 400 yrs or so. So, if this lawyer had really done his homework (or perhaps he did it in the book and didn't have time to express it on the set), he would've addressed the use of the LXX in the writings of the NT.

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Rejoined!

2011-04-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I am trying to pick this up again. I hope as I discover more and more out there of interest, at least to my small mind, I can post it here. I hope this can be a resource for those traversing the highways and byways of our digital age. I hope to make less commentary and let the "parties" speak for themselves. One of the greatest challenges in the macro and micro environments of today remains our capacity to correctly (or accurately) represent those with whom we disagree most passionately. My hope here, as part of the graceformational journey of life, will focus on providing a place of information. After all, part of transformation requires information. So....stay tuned as I return to my "post." -- John

Christian America?

2009-04-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

Is it? Was it ever? I resonate with this discussion because there is this sense among many of us that this nation is a divinely appointed nation to be a light to the world. I do not doubt that some who came over early on to this land believed this, the "wilderness experiment." What tends to follow from this is a kind of line which reads, "If we are ever going to become the greatest nation, the blessed nation, we must get back to our roots, to our Christian roots." The assumption is dangerous. And, as has been pointed out elsewhere (see Marsden et al, The Search for a Christian America and Greg Boyd's, The Myth of a Christian Nation), our nostalgia of that may be just that. So, check out the 12 minute discussion below!

Later!

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Ortberg Strikes Again

2009-04-14T10:48:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that John Ortberg serves as one of the most influential humans in my life. I have enjoyed his preaching for years, his ability to meld both theology and the underlying psychology together in a way that doesn't violate both.

I just read his article, Your Hidden Curriculum. It is precisely what I wish I could say in the way he has written it. This addresses part of the underlying stuff that goes on in ecclesiastical cultures. We must be willing to address these, to examine these. In fact, an unwillingness to examine these probably serves as one of the greatest indicators that fear dominates the culture. I find more and more that ecclesiastical cultures tend to operate more from fear than we are led to admit. Our formal curriculum may declare the opposite. Again, the more we confess how free we are of fear may indicate how much fear does dominate.

So, read the article, look at his questions posed at the end, and give prayerful reflective thought of how your religious organization honestly answers the questions. And know...He is strong!

Until...

Evangelistic Metrics

2009-03-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

As Hiebert describes the Colonial period of mission service, one descriptor stands out:

"They measured communication by what they said, not by what people heard."

Wow! What if we changed the metric? What if our "evangelism" (here the word is used largely in the sense of communicating with words) was measured not by the content of what is presented (though this is important) but by what is heard? What if we decided to see what people were "hearing" from Christians? This appears to be what Kinnaman seeks to reveal in his book, Unchristian.

So, here is a question for us as we seek to share the good news: What are people around the world, in various places and during various times, what are they hearing from us? What are the affective as well as cognitive "hearings" they detect?

Until next time...

New Book

2009-03-29T06:08:00.000-07:00

I have dived in as well to Paul Hiebert's work, Anthropological Reflections on Missiological Issues. I find his work informative. People who serve overseas as missionaries are required to enter an intense training before arriving. Yet, for those of us in North America, how much "training" is their for our mission here? Yes, we grew up here. Yes, we very familiar with our "culture," maybe too familiar. Or are we?

Hiebert takes a look at missions through the eyes of anthropology, identifying historically how we have, in many cases, brought not only the gospel, but our culture as well--unable to separate the two. He identifies shifts in the approach to mission over the years. There are three:

1. Colonialism
2. Anticolonialism
3. Globalism

In each, through a filter of four (Missions, Anthropology, Theology, and Epistemology), he identifies 24 elements for consideration. These consist of things like the way other religions are viewed, what is the need addressed during each shift, and the attitude of the missionary toward the indigenous people.

As I continue the pursuit of my project, I can't help but think this may provide a way through to a new creation of some kind. Stay tuned.

Until next time...

Inequitable vs. Equitable

2009-03-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

Can you say, "AIG?" Nielsen's work reveals that organizations rank-based produce a serious imbalance in the way rewards are distributed. Notice his observation:

"Rank-based: Those higher in rank are entitled to a far greater share of the organization's resources in the form of compensation than those lower in rank."
"Peer-based: Distributing the organization's resources more equitably in the organization will generate far greater returns to everyone in the long run."

It is easy to demonize others as unequal distributive but the question might be asked, "Are there ways we unequally distribute other sources of power, other symbols of success?" What are those resources? What are the symbols of success that may get unequally distributive? Perhaps in our world today, event in local congregations, the most significant resource is information and yet, that information is distributed unequally.

Give it some prayerful reflection...until next time.

Individualistic vs Community

2009-03-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

This one appears pretty obvious. Organizations that are ranked-based experience little community. Ah, the question arises, "What is 'community'?" Great question! Some believe "community" is the absence of conflict, the experience of harmony, or some other Utopic construct. Here is what Nielsen observes:

"Rank-based logic finds people at work are just replaceable cogs in the machinery of business."
"Peer-based logic finds people are by nature social animals who seek and enjoy working with others."

Wow, "enjoy working with others!" Ever met someone at a counter, check-out line, on the phone who didn't seem to enjoy "working with others?" Yes, perhaps it is the cog mindset. I find we in ecclesiastical settings get rather sophisticated in our demonstration of the "cog" mindset. It is easy to see people as "gifts" first and people second. IOW, all in the name of "need" we find the "gifted" and rush to their "recruitment" (all in the name of "calling") and ignore that that they are people, sons and daughters, spouses, etc. I close with this sobering observation by Nielsen:

"When the organization encounters hardships, the assumption is that those below should be sacrificed to protect the privilege of those above."

Until...

Scarcity Based vs Abundance Based

2009-03-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

Yep, time to continue on as we head into Spring Break here in the Bay Area. The tragedy of Oakland cannot be lost in the midst of the global crisis. The anxiety of people appears so high right now--as if we are experiencing a financial 9/11, especially in a place like California where unemployment is over 10% and the projected budget of 2010 will be 40+ billion in the red. Anxiety.

So, amidst this anxiety, can organizations, can institutions and their basic attitudes hold to an Abundance mentality? The "scarcity-based" organization will see people as generally greedy, selfish, and unwilling to invest or share. "Abundance-based" organizations will see people as eager to contribute, to make a difference, as willing to share and work together. Of course, in our environment now, this whole notion will be challenged.

As Christians, how do we see people, what does our text reveal? Does it only reveal darkness or is there light? The question of human nature gets partly at the heart of our message. What does Creation reveal? What does the Fall reveal? What does the message of Jesus reveal? How did he see people? Do we see people as he does?

Until next time...

Domineering vs. Participating

2009-03-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

Nielsen here addresses what we believe is the basic motivation for people when it comes to their involvement in any organization. In some ways, it really gets to the issue of whether we truly trust people or whether we believe it is necessary to coerce people. The question is this, "Do we believe coercion draws out the best in a person?" Does coercion reach the soul of a person? Or, does it shut it down? Coercion can almost be understood as a drug--the more it is utilized, the more the dosage of coercion must be upped to get the desired effect.

I find this particularly insightful during times of crisis, such as what our world experiences right now. Perhaps through the way formal leadership seeks to handle the tension and anxiety reveals where they fall on the value line of domineering vs. participating. Is there an invitation to participate or is there a language and practice that basically says, "We know more than you and therefore, here is the solution?" Indeed, perhaps communication (or the lack thereof) demonstrates where leadership falls on this spectrum.

Finally, he re-states the well-worn dictum, "People support best what they themselves create." So, in this hour, at this moment, how are we responding? Are we widening the circle of participation (beyond the norms of boardrooms and small committees) or are we shrinking them, holding information close to the vest?

Until....

Commanding vs. Influencing

2009-03-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

Continuing with Nielsen's work, I can't help but pay kudos to the author for identifying this distinction. The whole notion of coercion as a means of "leading" or "managing" fails to take into account the human spirit. Since when is compliance the goal of leadership?

Here again, in the issue of influencing, I return to the significance of "Dialogue" as a way of "influencing." Dialogue, as outlined by Isaacs, includes the following four capacities for action.

Listening: "I have always prepared myself to speak. But I have never prepared myself to listen."
Respecting: "To respect someone is to look for the springs that feed the pool of their experience."
Suspending: "When we listen to someone speak, we face a critical choice. If we begin to form an opinion we can do one of two things: We can choose to defend our view and resist theirs or we can learn to suspend our opinion and the certainty that lies behind it."
Voicing: "To speak your voice is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of genuine dialogue. Speaking your voice has to do with revealing what is true for you regardless of other influences that might be brought to bear."

If I were to improve on just one of those capacities for action, imagine how much less "coercive" I could actually be? The challenge is for me to put these into play requires I become a different kind of person. The notion of being the same person and putting forth these actions so that I can influence is only manipulation--something that long-term destroys community. This is why I say the first question is not, "What shall I do?" but, "What shall I be?"

Until tomorrow...

Exclusive vs. Inclusive

2009-03-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

According to Nielsen, rank-based organizations hold that power positions are only to be shared with a few, the few who climb to the top. The emphasis here is that only those in those formal places of power can be trusted with the power to make decisions, etc. So, in this kind of organization, organizational issues are handled only by the top officers and those decisions are then passed along to the "rank and file."

Peer-based organizations, however, see in all the capacity to contribute in the issues that face organizations. In dire and difficult circumstances, all are invited to share in the exercise of power, the exercise of seeking solutions. Solution creation comes throughout all levels and departments. Whereas in the rank-based, officers only genuinely relate to those at the top of the organization, at the peer-based organization, this kind of genuine relationship crosses all levels. In fact, the distinction of levels doesn't exist. There is no "those-in and those-out" kind of categories.

Finally, there is no "top" feel in the peer-based organizations. There is no hidden agendas or "club memberships." There is a standing invitation to bring in all perspectives, all points of view. There is this kind of being around the table and asking each person, regardless of their view, to honestly and openly express their point of view. Quoting one business leader, "We believe in rewarding communication even if it's communication about failure."

So, what does your organization feel like?

Rank-Based vs. Peer-Based Assumptions, Part I

2009-03-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here is another installment of Nielsen's work regarding the contrast between a "rank-based" organization and a "peer-based" organization. I will give you the overall scheme on their particular "logic," and then spend the rest of this week outlining the particulars to each. Here's a first pass.

Rank-Based Logic--------Peer-Based Logic
Exclusive----------------------Inclusive
Commanding-----------------Influencing
Domineering-----------------Participating
Scarcity based----------------Abundance based
Individualistic----------------Community formulated
Inequitable-------------------Equitable

As you can see, the column on the left contains those elements that are part of the logic of rank-based organizations, while the column on the right identifies the logic of peer-based organizations. I will spend the rest of the week further developing these distinctions. Which column favors your organization?

Dialogue

2009-03-01T20:53:00.001-08:00

Here I open up a new chapter at this place. Several years ago I went through William Isaacs work, Dialogue. I will be presenting some of what I identify as his core elements of what he defines as "dialogue." How many times have I heard someone present a subject and say something like, "Let's dialogue about it" and then continue with a monologue! Before getting into his definition of "dialogue" (another post), here is a quote I believe which could inform local churches: "There is a deep hunger in the modern world for meaning and the core practices whereby human beings make meaning together...We have an insatiable desire to live lives of dignity and meaning."

If there is any organization who's central mission centers on "meaning," it seems the church is the place for this to occur. How strongly will we pursue a mission of meaning? If meaning is mission, what meaning do we provide, a meaning merely prepackaged and rehearsed or meaning that brings into bear the context of our modern world?

Ciao!

Rank-Based vs. Peer-Based Assumptions

2009-02-25T13:29:00.000-08:00

Going through Nielsen's work, The Myth of Leadership, I find this distinction of assumptions valuable for evaluating my own leadership. So here it is:

Rank-Based Assumptions------ Peer-Based Assumptions
Employees are lazy ------ Employees are productive
Employees are selfish ------ Employees are caring
Leaders are heroic individuals ------ Each individual is unique
Leaders command and control ------ General input and participation
Knowledge at the top ------ Knowledge at all levels
Manipulation ------ Cooperation

So, there you have it. Of course, here is our own particular challenge as human beings. When we see words like "manipulation" or "selfish," we instinctively more often than not rush to denial. The power of self-deception runs high. How often does anyone consciously say, "Let's manipulate the group today?" Not often. Yes, there is this danger of saying, "I know more." How often does the "top" say, "We know better?" Nielsen's distinctions are dangerous for they challenge the very foundation of our own belief system.

Yet, interestingly enough, we have within our own faith tradition, an example of a "peer-based organization:" we call it, "The Trinity."

Until next time...

Transactional vs. Transformational

2009-02-24T05:24:00.000-08:00

While working on my doctoral thesis proposal, I've been reading Leighton Ford's, Transforming Leadership. (If you look to the right sidebar, you will see it on my Shelfari Shelf.) Written back in '91, he summarizes the work of renowned scholar, writer, and consultant, Bernard Bass (the father of taking Burns' Transforming Leadership and finding ways of measuring it). His summary serves as a great point of discussion. I quote him below:

"Transactional leaders work within the situation; transformational leaders change the situation.
Transactional leaders accept what can be talked about; transformational leaders change what can be talked about.
Transactional leaders accept the rules and values; transformational leaders change them.
Transactional leaders talk about payoffs; transformational leaders talk about goals.
Transactional leaders bargain; transformational leaders symbolize." (22)

Quite an evaluation! While I would like to believe I am transformational, more often than not I find myself transactional. Why just the other day as I was reflecting on the direction of a conversation I was having with someone, I realized I was much more willing to bargain than to symbolize. I know, there are some who will try to blunt the sound of what Ford has summarized as a way of playing it safe. I wonder, though, "Did God play it safe?" Ouch!

His,
John

Race to Ideas

2009-02-23T11:54:00.000-08:00

Just read an article from HBR on leading when not the boss. It reminded me of something I observe when speaking with people about situations: Most of us rush to ideas. We all want to make a contribution, an action that makes a difference in our local environment. We see things, hear things, and then we, more often than not, hurry to not only a conclusion but an action, or a suggested action. Notice what the author says:

"Effective leaders, by contrast, learn to think systematically--that is, they gather and lay out the necessary data, analyze the causes of the situation, and propose actions based on this analysis. In a group, leaders help keep participants focused by asking appropriate questions. Do we have the information we need to analyze this situation? Can we focus on figuring out the causes of the problem we're trying to solve?"

One of my improvement areas is finding ways to ask better questions. Honestly, I tend to direct much more than ask. This isn't always the best. In our race to ideas, our race to action to face a situation, sometimes the situation appears to offer little time and thus, viola, we race to an action solution.

So, I'll conclude with the question posed above: "Can we focus on figuring out the causes of the problem we're trying to solve?" Or, will we continue to blow through stop signs and drive dangerously, wondering why blue lights flash behind?

Until next time!

Individual & Community

2009-02-20T11:04:00.001-08:00

Won't spend much time on this. Yet, the very issue of the individual vs. the collective is a classic tension retained in all walks of life, including local churches and denominational offices. What happens when the necessities of the individual and the necessities of the community collide? Does it necessarily follow that they do collide? This tension is dynamic to be sure, lurching at times toward one end of the spectrum and then to the other.

If I could characterize scripture for a moment, it would appear the Hebrews scripture center mostly on the community elements of a shared faith while the Christian scriptures tend to move more toward the individual--though there is still a strong communal role. The beauty of this tension is that we are now able to see the church as a system, very much a family system. Edwin Friedman has written much about this. Again, what has been so helpful to my own understanding and practice is to recognize this individual (member) and community (system) way of examining interactions.

Finally, what is scary is the observation by Friedman that more often than not, a local congregation will over time take on the family system of the pastor/priest's family of origin. Now, there's a sobering image as I head off into the weekend! Happy Weekend!

Permanently Suspicious

2009-02-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

Those who know me, know one of the most influential writers in my life has been Vaclav Havel. His speech entitled, "The Anatomy of Hate," is one of the best I've ever come across on the subject of the insidiousness of our own self-deception.

I came across this quote by him this week: “Again, being in power makes me permanently suspicious of myself. What is more, I suddenly have a greater understanding of those who are starting to lose their battle with the temptations of power.”

I am constantly reminded of my own self-deception, partly the belief that I am better than I really am. Serving near a graveside today reminded me that we are all headed to the same place, a la Ecclesiastes. The question is, "What path shall I take there?" Will it be the path where I believe I alone stand or will it be the path that claims my own sinfulness and weakness as the opportunity for God's strength and righteousness?

I am reminded of this as I head into a difficult finance committee meeting at our school, recognizing the challenges we face are greater than our own human attempts. I believe part of leadership is the recognition that I am in over my head and moments like gravesides and board rooms remind me of this.

Ciao!

Ideas

2009-02-18T05:38:00.000-08:00

As I have begun visiting various "core leadership" in our church, I've discovered there are many with a whole host of good ideas. Ideas are good. We need ideas. What my hope is that over time, we can recreate the context from which those ideas come. IOW, ideas flow from some way of seeing the world, what is commonly referred to as "paradigms." In our particular part of the world, pragmatism appears to be one of the highest values. We rush to ideas. Yet...I wonder....

What if we caught different visions, identified the deep roots of life, those things so basic to the way we live life that we rarely ever stop to ask, "Is this the only way to see?" If the radical story of Jesus concerns itself with a radical difference in the way we relate to this Divine God, then the way we relate to self and others probably will be radically different. "If a grain of seed falls and dies," seems to be the theme.

The life of the church extends from the ongoing and ceaseless activity of a Spirit that penetrates the deep places of every person open to walking the Way. Ideas are great...but what about the corridors of the soul from whence those ideas flow?

Back in the Saddle

2009-02-17T15:30:00.000-08:00

Okay. I know, it's been a while. Honestly, my friend asked about my blog and I decided, "Hey, what a good time to get back into the saddle." So, here I go. I am currently editing my thesis proposal, hoping to have something concrete to send for a first inspection to my advisors by the end of the week.

Came across this quote, a really great quote that I believe inspires a dream, a dream for what leadership can be like, for hopefully, I can become. Consultant, professor, and writer Jeffrey Nielsen makes two observations about organizations:

Genuine communication occurs only between equals
Secrecy frequently breeds corruption and abuse of power

He continues, "In the absence of equality, you'll seldom have honest, open communication. You tell those above you only what you think they want to hear, and you tell those beneath you only what you think they need to know. This creates not only low levels of trust between individuals, but a growing gap between business reality and the world of the top executives." Doesn't this sound like a part of what is going on in our meltdown? He makes the distinction between "Rank-based leadership" and "Peer-based leadership." Let's see how he tracks over the coming weeks together!

Anyways, back in the saddle. Time to keep writing--after all, I have a thesis to complete. TTFN.

Values II

2008-09-24T10:44:00.001-07:00

As I've reflected more in the pursuit of certain situations, I have come more and more to believe values are the cement holding the journey together. The journey of pursuing a vision and/or implementing a strategy is held together by whether basic human values are in play during the journey. Violate basic human values and regardless of how compelling the vision is or how strong the strategy, there will be a huge disconnect. The result of a vast disconnect? Distrust.

When an organization shifts its strategy to seek greater growth while violating basic human values, the result will be demotivation, encouraged passive-aggressive behavior, and a deafening silence (wrongly interpreted as acceptance). Erosion over time begins to take the organization in directions never intended and soon, organizational mojo heads south. Take stock.

The obvious question asks, "What are these basic human values?" Why not ask those in your organization, your immediate contacts and see what answers arise. You might be surprised!

Values

2008-09-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

Lots of discussion about values. What are values? Today I spoke on the phone with a pastor friend of mine as their church seeks to identify their particular values. A real quick note. There are two types of "values" in every organization. The first are our stated values. These values are the ones we print everywhere, we proclaim everywhere, we openly talk about and tell stories about. However, there is a second kind of value: operational values. These are actually the values at work in a specific culture or organization. These are the ones actually moving in and out through the doings of the organization. They are ones we endorse and there are ones not endorsed, even desired. I will speak more about this at another time.

Here is how I define values: these are the ways we go about doing while we pursue our vision and mission. IOW, how we pursue vision and mission defines our values. What guides the way we go about our daily operation? Let me give an example. If respect, dignity, and honor are three stated values, I now ask, "How as I go about implementing this new strategy, how will my respect for the others influence the way I go about the implementation process?" To use church language, "evangelism" is not a value. "Discipleship" is not a value. "Encouraging dissent" may be a value. "Honesty" may be a value.

Values are these soft ways of being as we pursue vision, mission, and life together. If we say we value "people," what is it about "people" we value? And finally, again, how we treat people as we pursue vision reveals our operational values much more than what we state.

"Family"

2008-09-16T14:07:00.001-07:00

Leadership so often focuses on the traits or skills of leadership. Honestly, a leadership focusing on the external forces of leadership fails to take into consideration the power of leadership. Leadership begins with being, not doing. Who the person is says much more about the capacity for leadership than the skill level.

There is more to family than being just a family. The question is not "family" but the health of a family. My goal as a father/husband is to become a healthy person while in the process of living out those roles (among others).

Leadership within a "family" environment requires increasing health. I recognize how far I have to go on my journey to health. "Family" can be defined as a biological or an organization, whether public, gov't, or private organizations. How much can I link the meltdown of Wall Street with this notion of leadership as being? IOW, a leadership substantiated on being may not have provided the kind of direction that set up an economic system that would eventually return to earth.

Why do I say this? The ability of leadership to make the difficult and hard choices directly correlates to the state of being of those involved. Leadership often defined by those moments will require a health that goes beyond just being "family." Leadership use of words like "team" and "family" and "working together" only become valid if the leadership involved demonstrates a health born out of a state of being, a healthy person. What happens if we begin to discern leadership which demonstrates a healthiness more than (or at least equalled to) results? Friedman outlines 5 Characteristics of a Chronically Anxious Family. See where they line up with your organization, your "family." I do this with mine all the time now:

Reactivity
Herding
Blame Displacement
A Quick-Fix Mentality
Failure of Nerve in Leadership

I will write more about these in detail. Stay tuned!

Leadership

2008-09-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

"In a conversation there is always more than one voice, and one of the voices must be our own or it is no conversation at all. We do not try to overpower others at work with our voice in order to have a conversation, nor do we substitute someone else's for our own, but we are there, we are present, we are heard. We play the tension like a violin string at concert pitch." (David Whyte, Crossing the Unknown Sea, 56)

I came across this quote this morning at my normal SB place of learning. It struck me because there swirls around at this moment the attempts by some to "overpower" the conversation, all the while claiming to be a team. The day for back room deals done without the participating conversation are done. In a wider cultural shift toward relational models of life, the continued attempts to insist up on the parent-child model of relationships no longer respect and honor the Imago Dei.

BTW, this notion of "participating conversations" stems from a Triune model of relational leadership and power originating from this original, non-earthly model. The tension of a Trinitarian model challenges our notions of tension-relief, where, rather than living with a courage born from the nature of a gospel, we seek to relieve the tension by refusing the messy process. Process is always of equal value to outcome. The greatest demonstration of this universally is a God who will not force an outcome but invigorates the relational trust by demonstrating Himself more and more through the process than the outcome. We still live outside the Garden because this Trinitarian model decided long ago that process has equal value to outcome. Sure, holding this value of both (process and outcome) is messy and risky. We can easily come to despise (even hate) this God because He will not short-circuit the process to make haste to the outcome.

What does this mean? We who claim to take the path of His Way must always be open to the "Other." Is it messy? Yes. Was the cross messy? Messiness doesn't give us the option of short-circuiting because it is "easier" or "less messy." When positional leadership purposefully ignores the necessary conversations and are unwilling to broaden participation for the purpose of "fiscal responsibility" or other reasons, there will be a messiness that is worse. The violation of dignity, respect, and honor creates a chaos normally unintended.

Here is where the parent-child model of leadership turns destructive. This model in the workplace violates this very Imago Dei for it does not treat people in the workplace as equals but as children. "We know better" is the impression handed down from deals done in the bedroom. Those who voice dissent are regarded as trouble. I believe what people are looking for as a "distinctive" is not a doctrinal or lifestyle purity but an organization that truly operates differently, an organism that operates with the incredible combination of hand, head, and heart.

There is always more than one voice in a conversation. Do we practice this or do we mouth the empty and vain words? Stay tuned!

Back

2008-08-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

Yep, almost 8000 miles later, I am finally back in the saddle here in Napa. The highlight of my time was the two day conference on leadership held at the Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago. As many of you know, as one working on my doctoral work in leadership, I am always energized by this conference. The only downside was that I had been captured by a virus that dominated my health over those two days. Yet, it was still powerful.

One of my take-homes was a reminder: I cannot stay away from these kinds of gatherings if I am going to be the leader necessary for family and community. I don't have the internal resources to pursue the path of leading. Leading takes heart and these conferences always connect heart, mind, and leading. Sometimes what I really do not appreciate is the "do these 10 steps and you can lead as I have led." Well, if it were that easy, we wouldn't need to come back every year and the market wouldn't be exploding with books galore. Leading isn't easy. What I may often need more than anything is the courage to explore the context of life, loving, learning and leading in order to be more effective. Figuring out what leadership incarnates in a local context is always a challenge. In some ways, the community characteristics will influence what leading looks like. This is the incarnational model of leading.

Sure, there are a number of domains. Leading in a profit context may incarnate differently than the non-prof context. Leading at home may incarnate differently than at the local little league level. Leading in the educational domain may again incarnate differently than in a medical domain. The cultures of those domains influence in many ways the way a team leads.

Anyways, I am getting back in the blogging saddle again. On a final note, it is very cool to get re-connected to many friends from my formative years through the technology of Facebook. Personally (pardon, my age is showing), I enjoy Facebook more than MySpace because it is cleaner, less cluttered, and fewer ads. I can't believe all the people I am contacting that I have not contacted for a long time (in some cases, decades). I look forward to getting back on this saddle. I plan to stay atop this blogsite moreso than the past. If you are one of those people I am reconnecting with, thanks for coming here. So much to learn, so much to grow, so little time. Can't microwave graceformation!

Later,
jg

Religion & Politics

2008-05-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

Yep, a dicey combination. Yet, cannot be ignored. Here is an entry from one of my favorite preachers. Good writer. Hits the balance. Let me know what you think. Just click on the title of today's entry.

American Idol--and Shout to the Lord?

2008-04-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you caught American Idol last week, both on their "American Idol Gives Back" and their Thursday night who's eliminated program. In both, the 8 Finalists sang together, "Shout to the Lord," the wildly popular praise song. Could it be the producers of AI recognize the reality that many watching may in fact be Christians? Such a pop icon as AI including this song demonstrates the difficult separation that we so desire between Christ and Culture. What would be necessary for a community of people to seriously engage in a dialogue and action that seeks to find ways of integration rather than isolation? How often do we merely dismiss what we dislike out of an unthoughtful fear? Encountering what we believe to be "The Other" perhaps may be our greatest challenge as disciples. I am reminded of the story of the disciples and Jesus when they came across a group of "Other" who didn't allow them passage and their response was, "Shall we call down fire?" Perhaps we have created more sophisticated ways of "calling down fire" that make us appear correct, right, etc. God, give me your grace to discover "the Other."

Who Do Men Say I Am?

2008-04-16T10:33:00.000-07:00

Attending the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las Vegas this week has been an out of this world experience. It has been so because it is an industry I have never seen up close and personal. I am here so I can begin to work with our media group here at our Napa Church. Being one of the first 25 in line for a book signing, I rec'd a free copy of, Branding Faith. The author basically invites nonprofits to ask the question, "When people think of us, what comes to their mind?" This echoes the question of Jesus to his disciples. His website gives background to what he is all about. What I love about his approach is his willingness to engage the media culture with a mindfulness that doesn't simply abandon it to hell. He is as equally critical about our own Christian media subculture as he is about nonChristian subculture. A conference with 115,00o people in attendance is a reminder about a whole other world most of us in local churches ignore. We may enjoy (or berate) the products they create. One final interesting note: The whole conference in its opening session opened with...a word of prayer. Who would've thunk?

No Excuses

2008-03-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while. No excuses. Just read an interesting note on Brett Favre, now retired (?) quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. The writer, a prof from GW, compares the more somber elements of Catholicism and the more exuberant elements of Evangelicalism. I have found both present in each. It does remind me of an Op-Ed piece in the NYT several years back outlining how it is that Catholicism focuses more on the death of Christ and Evangelicalism focuses more on the Resurrection.

The biblical record, if stock was taken of it, demonstrates much more a delving into the darkness of our world and less on the light. Yes, the light is strong and present but perhaps its presence is even more noticed because of the pervasiveness of the darkness. Scripture doesn't cut corners when it presents the darkness as part of our world. It doesn't leave us in darkness, either. Such a profound inclusion!

I say this because my observation is that Evangelicalism doesn't seem as comfortable in talking about darkness. Fundamentalism (yes, i make a distinction) seems preoccupied not only with darkness, but in naming the darkness. We move quickly to resurrection and rarely discuss the presence of darkness. Thus, when someone like Mother Theresa writes about the darkness of her soul, we all may seem surprised. Can we hold the pain of darkness long enough to experience the incredible power of light?

One last thing, I know, it may sound like we do, but I end with a question: Do we need hell in order to know heaven?

Skiing today--yeah!

Legalized Grace

2008-01-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

Something I’ve observed over time is in our attempts to describe/define grace: we have a tendency to rush off to the law. the law is an extension of a relationship, yet, is not the defining point of the relationship. biblical attempts to reveal the incredible intensity and desire of God to be close to His creation naturally center on a law. yet, I wonder, does the centrality of a law have something to do with the context of an emerging immigrant community leaving behind the dust of Egyptian oppression? does the centrality of law in the New Testament have something to do with both a highly formed Jewish economy centered on the law while at the same time a wider, political context where the rule of law (a Roman legacy) served as ample metaphors to give a window into this Divine desire?

my point may be that our attempts to explain grace through the prism of the law may, while being biblical, be somewhat narrow. does scripture provide other metaphors, other windows, into the centrality of grace? i believe it does. before there was the rule of law, there was a Creator-Created relationship. IOW, relationship becomes a central fulcrum for the establishing of grace as the core component of our intimacy with God. using legal means as the sole proprietor of grace seems to narrow the vast depth of grace. if the poison is mysterious (sin), then can in some way the antidote (grace) be mysterious?

a legalized grace, I find, weakens the depth and power of grace. what strengthens grace, I find both in life and love, is the centrality of the I-Thou, the core component of desire for the Other. grace centralizes through an equivalent desire for the Other. the image of Jesus standing at the door knocking, waiting to be asked out on a date, is one that goes beyond legaleeze. it transcends stone and documentation and moves on to flesh and blood. one can twist legal language to redefine “is.” however, I cannot twist language to rebuild the relationship. the heart knows things the mind can never touch.

so, what power can we find in other metaphors, metaphors much more central and core in a contemporary culture today often defined more by litigiousness than by grace? how has our “rule of law” changed so drastically that perhaps we must find other analogies and metaphors that can capture not just the imagination of people but the heart and soul of a guilt-ridden person? search on, I say, search on!

Welcome to My Library

2008-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

one of the cool places i was introduced to by a friend was shelfari. it is a community for book lovers who post the books they've read, want, or are currently reading. to the right now, you will be able to see what books i currently read.

yes, there are a number of them. how do i read so much? well, i watch little to none in the way of television (especially now that my Bears are out and the Cubs haven't started--though Lost is set to return). second, i do try to read two hours every day, keeping an active journal. i believe an active mind is a young mind and one way i stay active is to read. one day i was looking at Hitchens book, God is Not Great, and my son asked, "why would you want to read that?" Perhaps one of my greatest spiritual disciplines is to learn from those with whom i disagree.

so, i do little else but read when i'm not doing stuff with my family (yes, okay, you're right, i've got no life!). i usually arise by 5:30am and get in at least a solid hour. however, i still have a ways to go on my doctoral work so that encourages me to read as well.

anways, just wanted to update you on my booklist. i went with the books i am currently reading.

peace,
jg

Race & Creeds

2008-01-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

i just wanted to alert you to a couple things i found rather inspirational over the past two days. utilizing my small nanopod, i've been able to listen to a couple interviews of note. the first was with professor Shelby Steele from Stanford U. his discussion about Obama and the issue of race in our country was incredibly helpful to me. growing up in Chicago, being as a white, a minority, was a great experience. yet, his insight into what he calls "bargainers" and "challengers" was very, very keen.

when i walk around the school where my kids go, the students ask me what i'm listening to! they can't believe it is only a podcast. i listen to anything by NPR, a sermon here and there, a number of book review podcasts. 2 gb is not nearly enough. i'm hoping for my birthday this year i can get a 80gb video ipod!

the second podcast i listened to was one with Krista Tippet and Jaroslav Pelikan. he is one of my favorite historians. he spoke about the need for creeds. it was a very interesting discussion and made me think about my own faith tradition, one that claims to be creedless, and yet, in many ways, behaves creededly. he discovered around 2000 creeds around the world from a variety of religions.

so, how does a discussion about racism and a discussion about creeds tie together? not sure, other than to say if we take serious the central tenet of Jesus, the call to love one another "as i have loved you," i must risk pain, rejection, exposure, and change. Pelikan described how his shift from being a Lutheran to an Orthodox Christian was not a change but a recovery, in some ways, of what he found he had always been. which may be why the shift occurred when he was in his late 70's. i find the mystery of human beings as equal as the mystery of galaxies, except that it is much more personal.

shalom,
jg

"A Desperate Ambition"

2008-01-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite writers, former Czech president, Vaclav Havel, gave one of the most insightful speeches i've seen on hatred. i've loaded it at my public doc holding site. you can download it by clicking on the title of this entry.

"Just as a lover longs for the loved one and cannot get along without him, the hater longs for the object of his hatred. And like love, hatred is ultimately an expression of longing for the absolute, albeit an expression that has become tragically inverted."

these words describe how our longing for absolutes leads us to hatred, something very worthy of reflection for fundamentalism in any form. the relationship between the demand for absolutes and the presence of hatred struck me as very, very sobering. the journey of seeking to engage life as it is while not seeking to control life as i meet it is a rather challenging journey. for me, it is itself part of my sacred pilgrimage.

i'll close with one personal point. i try to limit my entries at this blog to be shorter, less comprehensive. however, i only describe the tip of a discussional iceberg. i appreciate those who visit and those who comment. i hope to begin later in the year to create another blog that will be far more extensive and include a library of other stuff i've written, more lengthy in nature. i am so glad i've discovered a place where i can post stuff i've come across. i have literally close to 2,000 other documents on my hard drive covering a broad gamut of stuff. i will post here in a bit my book list as a way of keeping in touch with all those who come to share here.

pax,
jg

A Delightful Balance?

2008-01-14T15:10:00.000-08:00

while preparing for the upcoming weekend, i couldn't help but reflect on the tension between doing and being. specifically, there is this tension between information about God and experiencing God. i call this an "informed" experience of God.

over the past decade there has been this evangelical thrust to "experience God," something i am all for and glad to see. how much of it is our own response to what may have been a dry modernism remains to be seen.

the question is, can we experience God in such a way that we find out more about the way he incarnates himself, not only in our experience, but in the experience of others? does God incarnate himself throughout the world today? does God incarnate himself in and through culture? this balance of an informed experience with God guides at this window of my life the way i pursue God--all the while he pursues me.

so, let's see what this week holds, what this day holds...
holding my breath!

Pearls Before Breakfast

2008-01-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

A way is found, i hope! please check out the link and see if you can download it and let me know. if this works, i may have found a way to begin passing along in very concrete form articles as i come across that may be appealing to you.

all you have to do is click on the title of this entry and viola! you should see a window pop up asking you if you want to download or save the pdf document.

here we go! bon voyage!

Jeans, Baseball Cap, and Incarnation

2008-01-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

Well, i've had a great time just relaxing a bit during the holidays, taking an aside from this place and just chilling. Now, the new year has begun and i'm hoping to step up my knowledge regarding blogs so that i can provide more information to those of you who kindly visit. i know there are some contact because you've told me!

this past weekend's message regarding the incredible story of Joshua Bell's playing in a D.C. Metro station a year ago was quite an awakening for me. i knew going in i couldn't do justice to the story--and to the incredible parallels of an incarnation. we who live lives hurried enough to miss this kind of gift, probably would miss the Gift at the time it walked the earth.

here is the question they posed as central to their quest, a question which goes beyond the immediate to anyone with an ear: "In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?" This taps into maybe three of the greatest virtures in Western history: truth, beauty, goodness.

here is what their experiment was to be: "An experiment in context, perception, and priorities.” here is a challenge to we who are hurried Christians, what the author observed and asked, "Each passerby had a quick choice to make, one familiar to commuters in any urban area where the occasional street performer is part of the cityscape. Do you stop and listen? Do you hurry past with a blend of guilt and irritation, aware of your cupidity but annoyed by the unbidden demand on your time and your wallet? Do you throw in a buck, just to be polite? Does your decision change if he’s really bad? What if he’s really good? Do you have time for beauty? Shouldn’t you? What’s the moral mathematics of the moment.”

the title of the article is, "Pearls Before Breakfast." it is my hope that by the end of the week i will have posted the article here so that you can access it directly here. it is just a matter of me being able to find out how to do it and do it.

this year will bring many changes to this post, i hope. i want to offer people resources and glimpses into a journey of faith, a seeking of the deeper meanings of life. right now i am reading Abernathy and Bole's work, The Life of Meaning.

So hang on, check back, as i seek to post something new at least three times a week.

carpe diem!

Church, Christ, Culture

2007-12-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, part of this title comes from Niebuhr’s work. There is much discussion today on the relationship between the three. If we are to be people of sustainable credibility, we must be as critical about our own “Christian” subculture as we are about the wider, nonChristian subculture. I read somewhere that perhaps Christians today are seeking to be more relevant because there is this almost unconscious awareness that we are not as spiritually heavy as we should be, therefore…

Examine the history of Christianity and when can it be said that at the core of our depths, Christians were ever spiritual heavyweights? Go all the way back to the original twelve and we discover they were bumbling fools, most of them. They argued more about their own popularity or place than they did about the noisy children wanting to see Jesus. Has there ever been a moment in our history where all was good? Where we reached our gracious potential? Not that I am aware.

Yet…we keep wanting to believe yesterday (or the day before, year before, decade before, century before, millennium before) was better and we must return. I always wonder, “To what?” Yes, there were those who were martyred—yet, letters had to be written for those who may have chosen to abandon faith rather than suffer torture. The existence of the Pauline epistles demonstrates in spades the continuous struggle of the followers of the Way to continue on. Golden eras don’t exist.

Any appeal to such an “era” represents, possibly, our tacit admittance that all is not well right now, and b), we have no idea what to do. Throughout Christian history, there are traces of the existence of both—seemingly aligned to Jesus’ story of the wheat and the tares. Perhaps we long for the good old days because a) the present days stink or b) we truly carry forth no hope for tomorrow.

Every generation must wrestle with the question of Church, Christ, Culture. It is the ongoing dialogue (see William Isaacs) generating renewable wineskins and/or earthen jars that can serve as a spiritual discipline if we are willing. Sometimes in our endeavors to speak clearly and concisely, we run through the nuances like a driver at a stop sign. Using the analogy of LOTR and the distinction between Boramir and Faramir, the first had incredible power and strength of will but failed to slow down long enough to take into account the subtle nuances of the Ring itself. Faramir slowed down long enough to understand those nuances and how they would eventually not only destroy his soul but the kingdom he longed to save.

There seems to be this line of thought which says, “Christians engage culture because they are strangers from God and therefore seek alliances with the world.” What is interesting is how Western these arguments appear to be. The question I wrestle with more than merely protecting what is ours (is it really ours?) is this: What does the Incarnation look like today, after two millenniums of dominantly church influences in the Western World? If the church is to be “counter-cultural,” what will that look like in a deeply multi-cultural, globalized world?

Indeed, we engage culture because that is what the One we worship did. He engaged both the wider culture of his day (see Wise men from the east and the Greeks who visited him at the end of his days) and his own Jewish subculture. Church, Christ, Culture—these three abide but the greatest of these…

Freedom Writers

2007-11-29T10:42:00.001-08:00

Before I head out for a lunch appointment with a good friend of mine (we are going through the book, From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics together), I thought I’d comment about a couple things that came together over the past several days for me. As Cristina has been teaching, she wanted me to find some information on Sarah Winchester, whose Mystery House is not far from here. Sarah’s story is tragic. Lost an only child to death and then lost her husband a year later. All this, with her multimillion dollar fortune inherited from the Winchester bloodlines (creator of the Winchester Repeating Rifle), she decided to rebuild a house.

However, she decided to visit a medium to discover what she could do with her pain. The medium told her that as long as a hammer continued banging away at her house, all the spirits of those who had been killed by the rifle would not bother her. So, she built this elaborate house, with staircases to ceilings, etc. Sad.

I was then reminded from the message this past week about the sadness of the final years of Howard Hughes’ life. A recluse who lived in jaded fear. Both these people, isolated, lonely, entirely too fearful.

Commonality? Among other things, fear. How does fear direct our lives? Fear to speak forth when words are necessary? Fear to be silent when words aren’t necessary. Fear to launch due to failure? Fear to admit weakness and failure when it does occur? How is it that fear drives?

Again, my guess is we rarely pause to take stock of our fears and how they play out in our lives. Courage is not the absence of fear but the pushing on through fear, believing in a higher vision, a deeper calling, a life-altering value. Fearing the unknown, we settle for simplicity and apathy.

Having watched Freedom Writers with Cristina this past week, I could not help but see how fear did not force a teacher out, nor her students and their willingness to seek a better life than what they or their parents had. The death of football player Sean Taylor is the a sad reminder. Too early to tell (I’m sure someone knows something), but if someone is trying to break away from a checkered past to a more glorious future, there may be some not happy. Having lived in Miami, grown up in Chicago, the ridicule and scorn can create fear. Yet, as the movie depicts, the courage of students to move forward is more than encouraging. It is miraculous. As was mentioned in the film, they are the “heroes.”

A word on heroes—they are not perfect but they do not let fear dictate the terms of life!

BTW, waiting for the local library to notify me that a copy is ready for me. Can't wait to read it...

Culture, Paradigm, and Willow

2007-11-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

as i've been following the continuous threads regardig REVEAL (Willow's study of it's own church and others), it still amazes me! i read comments from some who say it is just another program to sell itself more, etc. i find the arguments less than convincing. understanding that some from the emerging generations cohort may not like the "slickness" of the willow model, i am reminded even as they write how culture continues to inform and express our faith.

people do not like large churches for various reasons. our family has a friend who is a member of willow. it would seem if willow really want to sell themselves, they head into the television market, something they have resisted doing. critiques of willow (saddleback, etc) also arise from a particular framework, a particular paradigm--both with cultural components throughout.

scripture was written within the context of certain cultural components which informed and shaped the contours of its composition (and collection into one bound book). we then attempt to read this sacred text from our own context back into the biblical context. yet, how often do we stop and reflect what those components may be and how they may be informing our reading, our interpretation?

more to follow... have a great thanksgiving!

Find "Community"

2007-11-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

It was great to come across this website this morning. for those who come from my own faith tradition (Seventh-day Adventist), you may want check out this blog. while the web seems to have brought the world together, it is atomized it as well.

http://reinventingsdawheel.blogspot.com/2007/11/masters-workshop-all-you-need-to-know.html

i was reminded that worship has taken on so many forms as it has evolved over the past two decades. i wonder if anyone has come across someone who has written about the evolution of media usage through the past fifty years. i say this because i read so many from the emerging generations who now take shots at the older (i.e. boomers) generations, at megachurches, seemingly uninterested in how the cultural forces have shaped those churches and that indeed, right now, there are just as equally powerful cultural forces shaping the emerging generations. while i may not agree with all of Strauss & Howe's conclusions, their work on the generational cohorts i believe can contribute to our understanding. the central, core principle is the incarnational principle for ministry in context. this gets back to my earlier post on the three texts of ministry: life (experience), scripture, and culture.

this has led me to become more interested in sociology and anthropology, understanding the wider ramifications for how we express what is at the core of our "belief." as Fowler and others have indicated, "belief" is not merely the ascent of the mind, it is the engagement of the whole being, the leaning into something that draws the whole person.

anyhow, i am puzzled by those act surprised by Willow's admission. how many organizations, much less churches, when they've conducted some kind of "organizational audit," have discovered that what they had been doing in some arena was not working? every church attempts a "program" to accomplish something, whether it be a "alt. worship" or some involvement in the community, or some kind of Christian education pursuit. find me a church that hasn't had to make course corrections. how many churches have equated activity with spiriual formation?

one final inconsequential note, the bears continue the roller coaster ride.

happy trails!

"Rock" Worship

2007-11-07T13:05:00.001-08:00

Okay, so i came across a NYTimes video report on "rock" worship and thought i'd post it here to get feedback. unfortunately, my skill level at the blog level is low so i cannot embed the video here but i've put the link. maybe one day when i get my dmin project complete, i can go to the next level in blogging. today, i got a phone call from a "coach" in the dmin prog who really helped give me some direction toward my dissertation. kudos, kenley.

finally, not being a musician (my wife is), what constitutes "rock?"

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=02dc92c26aaaea495b5ccf52a7f42897c19bf70d

This Week

2007-11-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

This week i head into examining the relationship between context, culture and spiritual formation. rarely have i seen considered these two important two components in spiritual formation. typically as Christians we say to read your bible, study, pray, witness and yet rarely do we examine how our context and culture influence the ways we go about doing these kinds of things, or how they inform our Christian practices.

if i am going to attempt to optimize those practices for the purpose of spiritual development, i must understand how particular contexts and cultural factors come into play in my spiritual development.

this past weekend we launched our spiritual development class with about 15 in attendence. i look forward to building a little community with this group over the course of the next several months. i am amazed at the grace of God in bringing people together. to see a multi-generational group gathered is encouraging. i am hoping we can also experience a mult-cultural group that will add to both our learning and practice. off we go--let's see where God leads!

Conservative and Traditional

2007-10-31T09:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, i'm a little slow, freely admit it. it came to my attention while speaking with a friend of mine this morning there is a distinction to be made between "traditional" and "conservative." perhaps there is a political side to this distinction, i do not know. but in local churches there are people who hold to conservative views and yet, can let go of traditions. then there are others who cannot separate the two.

i know, labels are a mess. i don't like to use labels (can't tell from the previous paragraph, huh?). they serve more to exclude then include. i use it as a means of distinguishing--never wanting to exclude. no part of the spectrum has got it all. for example, it could be said that Warren and Hybels are indeed conservative. yet nobody would ever say they are traditional.

btw, why do people brake at green lights? how's that for random?

Creative Cold Needs a Cure

2007-10-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

i came across this post today and found it particularly articulate of my own experience. the post http://www.evotional.com/2007/10/creative-margin.html partly answers why i read and track bloggers. life has a way of narrowing down stuff so that i miss larger pictures, clearer images, sharper focusses that broaden and expand. as the journal i edit suggests, all of life becomes truly technicolored if i am willing to cross-discipline train and live. each discipline provides an angle to life, a way of seeing, a way of opening the mind to new expressions.

again, the 3 Texts (3T) gives me a foothold to practice, evaluate, and ongoing learning. reading, writing, tracking significant bloggers becames a way to continue the journey. besides, he pointed out to me another book on SB, what can i say:)

3 Texts

2007-10-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

the more i think about all of life, the more i see my life through three texts: the text of life itself, primarily my own experience along with the experience of those closest to me; the text of scripture, the sacred text which has passed through the community of faith over the centuries of time; and the text of culture, the ways God reveals himself throughout time and space. the question more and more is how do these three texts interact throughout my journey?

i listen now to Annie Lennox sing the theme from the LOTR3, recalling the scene where the grey ships came to pick up Gandalf, Froto, and Bilbo. what is it that every story has an ending? why is there always an ending to something and a beginning? does this not say something about the nature of life? threshholds and transitions, they seem to dot the landscape of each life.

so, i ask as i embark on a journey with a class regarding spiritual formation (the rough outlines of graceformation), what does each text say about life, about all that is, about the nature of all that is? am i open to the interaction of these three so that life may be richer (not in a mere economic sense), fuller, more meaningful, more fruitful? how can i learn to better live as a result of engaging these three texts?

Bon voyage!

Curse Obliterated!

2007-10-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

yeah, watched the final game, as a lifelong Cub fan happy for the Red Sox (never the white sox), wondering if a world series on the North Side will happen in my lifetime. honestly, tired of the excuses given as to why it cannot. one reason i'd love to have Cuban is because i know he wouldn't be concerned with money. nope, don't want to be the yanks and rent a team. what red sox have done is developed a good nucleus and then filled the cracks from the farm system. finally, what is a-rod thinking, not only in leaving but the timing of the announcement. if he ever was on a world series team, would he want to upstage all the others on the team right after they won?

oh, well, wait till next year!

Catching Up

2007-10-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

It's been longer than i've wanted since getting back on the blog. Yet, joyfully, here i am. Had a great time this past weekend, being treated to a "pastoral appreciation" sunday by being chaufeurred to an undisclosed location for a Hawaiian party. it was great! a busy weekend! Skate night sat night for our kids.

just a brief comment about the "willow mistake." I think people are making this bigger than it reallly is. What organization, even the church, doesn't have to make course corrections? some who appear to dislike megachurches for whatever reason seem to make this an opportunity to pile on, if there is anything to pile on!

had a fun time teaching this past weekend in a class where we looked at crucibles. identified some good books to consider when reflecting on the heated moments of life. here's the list i presented:

Geeks & Geezers: How Era, Values, and Defining Moments Shape Leaders. Warren Bennis and Robert J. Thomas
The Way of Transition: Embracing Life's Most Difficult Moments. William Bridges
Reaching for the Invisible God. Philip Yancey
The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth. Gerald May

what can the "heroe's story" contribute to the crucibles? this is something worth considering another time. needless to say, examining the texts of life, culture, and scripture must all come into play if i am to continue as a lifelong learner.

Another Voyage

2007-10-15T10:03:00.001-07:00

Well, had a great weekend. Catching up on emails, etc. from the weekend. BTW, where is the biblically evidence for "redeeming culture?" I enter the blogosphere never knowing what awaits. Right now, I am preparing for a seminar I will hold on the relationship between human development (specifically lifespan development) and spiritual growth. I read the recent Barna report (I hope to embed the links once i learn how to do that) about younger nonChristians and their view of Christians. Some of it is expected because of the issues of human development and the need for differentiation.

I videoed the segment on Joel Osteen and can understand his central thrust. I have felt what he has said. My sense is that most people get beat up much during the week and don't need it more on the weekend. Is there an island of hope? Is there a place to "carefront" life and my own blindness and still be hopeful? The Jukhari Window reminds me that I have many blindspots. Is there hope for my blindspots?

This week is another week, living and yet preparing to live. Sometimes i think i spend more time preparing to live than living. Stay tuned!

One Size?

2007-10-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

Whew! We are finally getting close to our next issue of The Journal of Applied Christian Leadership to go to press. Hopefully by this time next week it will be in the hands of our subscribers. We are working on getting our next issue out by the end of year. I love being a part of the conversation of leadership taking place in Christian circles. If we truly believe in what local churches can become, we must invest many resources in understanding how best leadership can be developed in local churches--including studying and resourcing ways.

Browsing the bloglines today, I couldn't help but notice the churches considered most influential by pastors. These are megachurches, many of them influencing me. My question is this: what percentage can a megachurch influence, really, a church of 220 in attendence? How do things like the organizational stage, the organizational culture, the undergirding basic assumptions of a megachurch (largely built on a megapastor) influence a church in Smalltown, USA? How much take home is there? I know for myself, these churches influence me in that they encourage me to lead. The how's and way's of leading get much muddier in my local context. Transposing larger percentage of megachurch learnings can get dicey in microchurch settings. We can learn, the question is what can we learn?

Final, ambivalent note. Cubs go in a whimper and Bears appear to have come off life support!

Influential Writers

2007-09-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

As i've been catching up on my blogsites this morning, i came across this one identifying influential thinkers and began to reflect on mine. This will lead to "influential leadership thinkers," "influential movies," influential...yep, you guessed it, the list could go on and on. Since time is short, i will launch with the central writer/thinker of my life--Clive Staples Lewis, without a doubt. His ability to capture the imagination, to examine the larger questions, to unabashedly direct his best thinking and writing to the difficult questions of life, all the while examining life in all its complexity, inspires me to slow down and give consideration. Yet, what may be most influential was his willingness to create an immediate community around him (Inklings) that, in themselves, kind of became the "Fellowship of the Ring." Have I done this? To some extent. We all need a community.

Simplicity

2007-09-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

Having been a follower of megachurches and keeping an eye on the ecclesiastical blogs, there appears to be a trend shifting from the complexity megachurches offer to the simplicity of a "quieter" life. Possibly this may be driven by emerging generations now being weened off the polished creations of their parents to a more raw (i.e., "real") engagement with church and God. I am not sure, however, that this solely derives from a "Christian" perspective. The shift seemingly takes place on the small screen. The continued success of AI (this acronym more known as American Idol rather than "Artificial Intelligence," --though both might be considered synonymous:)) and Survior demonstrate the wider cultural shift influencing the Christian subculture. Once again, i find we cannot so easily separate the wider movements of the "host" culture (i.e., North American culture) from the intimate shifts within Christian subculture. As much as we'd like to denounce such intimate connections, they are present (and always have been). Perhaps our failure to either admit or honestly see the relationship between the Hellenistic, Judaic, Roman host culture and the emerging church of the First Century created almost an "institutional defense mechanism" that has allowed us to put our heads in the sand.

Perhaps in a future blog, i will discuss more this relationship between the cultural shifts in our wider culture with the cultural shifts in the Christian subculture. Stay tuned.

As i re-read this post, irealize one of my intentions is only to join the ongoing dialogue taking place as we seek to better serve God and those around us. One of the greatest gifts we can present to those we serve is an honest assessment (thus, dialogue) regarding our own influencers and condition. It seems our greatest challenge can be our own blindness! I know i have blind spots. I'm reminded every day as i drive about this "truth."

Welcome to Graceformations!

2007-09-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

Several years back, I was struck at the centrality of grace for my life. Whether it be the undeserved kindness of the driver to let me enter her lane, the cashier asking me honestly how my day was, or one of my kids coming by and just giving me a hug without asking for something--all these kinds of happenings reminded me that grace is at the heart of life. I don't know, it seems that our globe today experiences a lot of anxiety. Any person who flies knows about that anxiety. Yet, there are these outcroppings of grace continually bubbling through. It slowly dawned on me (as these kinds of things normally do with my molasses mind), if I will get out of the way, grace will have her way and my life will be transformed throughout the short days of my existence. Grace can transform and form me.

So, this website is dedicated to the transforming power of grace. Of course, one of my favorite recent stories of grace flows from the popular Broadway musical (adapted from Hugos classic), Les Miserables. The transformation of Jean Valjean through the story and the implications from his reception of grace, model the power of graceformation. So, here, at the outset of this journey of graceformation, I hope to periodically identify through the passion areas of my life this rebellion of grace. Stay tuned. Enjoy the ride!

Finally, this picture was taken about a year ago with my wonderful wife, Cristina, and my two boys, Jason and Kristofer. Every day, they are grace incarnated in my life!