Write About Now

glad block

2008-09-30T08:56:00.002-06:00

My family plays The Glad Game when things aren’t going as planned. The Glad Game, which I adopted from my college roommate Sarah and which Sarah’s family got, I believe, from the movie Pollyanna, consists of taking turns finding upsides to the current not-so-up situation.

My usual first entry into any installment of the glad game is, “No one’s puking.” I have a phobia of vomit (I’ve been known to hold my breath around people with the stomach flu so I won’t inhale their germs) and an absence of these symptoms is usually a solid start to the game. Usually—once, during an episode involving my family, a 14-hour car ride, and some bad shrimp, I had to find something else.

Anyway, the glad game was created for days like today. I spent the first 40 minutes diagnosing my computer’s inability to connect to the internet. After uninstalling and reinstalling AirPort Express and restarting the modem several times, I called Comcast in desperation to find their system was down in south Nashville. I know, you Mac evangelists, I should have known it could never be AirPort’s fault. I hate Comcast.

I stomped off to continue being angry while taking a shower, during which Louie the cat threw up on my office floor. Like many native Californians, Louie has an eating disorder and throws up immediately after eating at least three times a week. This morning was not the best time.

After cleaning that up and doing my one to-do-list item not requiring internet access, I am now in the public library, getting close to lunchtime and having accomplished very little. The library must be a Comcast customer as well because their internet access stays up long enough for me to see I have 14 urgent email messages but not long enough to open any of them. I could drive to another of my free Wi-Fi haunts across town, but on top of everything else, Nashville is without gas. The hurricanes disrupted shipments to much of the Southeast, with Tennessee being hit the hardest, and most Nashville residents spent at least part of their weekend in one or two hour lines, ironically burning what gas they had left to creep up for their turn at the few stations with any supply. Since the problem’s expected to continue until Friday, I don’t want to use my remaining ½ tank chasing the internet.

So, today is a great opportunity to practice The Glad Game. Let’s see, I do still have that ½ tank and didn’t end up stranded on the road this weekend like many people. It’s a beautiful late-summer day outside. I can concentrate here without Isaiah jumping on the ceiling. Comcast is working on the internet problem and will, presumably, fix it before late summer becomes fall. And if you’re reading this, the library eventually came through.

And no one’s puking. Well, except for Louie.

P.S. I originally wrote this last Monday, but the blog site has been down. I have NOT been glad.

space invaders

2008-09-17T14:28:00.001-06:00

Two times this past week, on two of the rare afternoons I was working at home without the front door locked, my four-year-old neighbor Isaiah burst inside without knocking and looked at me in confusion.

Isaiah lives upstairs with his parents and two brothers, who enjoy jumping off their beds onto my ceiling, and Rachael, his mom, has recently mandated a more-jumping-outside policy. (For which she has my eternal gratitude.) But at dinner time, three staircases is a lot for a little guy. Sometimes he loses count--and ends up in my living room.

Both times I just said, "Hi, Isaiah. You're in the wrong house. You need to go upstairs." One time he closed the door on his way out, one time he didn't. Rachael has her hands full.

I find this small imposition funny, but after reading an article in the latest issue of Relevant magazine, I'm not sure I'd be so easygoing with a bigger version.

The article describes the experience of four couples who decided to pool their resources, buy an old house near their church, and live there together. Matt Connor, the author and church planter, initially explored the idea because he felt uncomfortable leaving his new wife home alone in the rough area of town where the church ministered. He describes how the choice also saves money, provides emotional and spiritual support, and builds community.

This last part is the tricky bit. Connor describes the very real confrontations and forgiveness required to work through the practical details of such an arrangement--the frustration of not liking dinner, of having to empty the washer of another family's wet clothes, of tolerating too-loud music.

"...It's in that tension that you realize the selfishness coloring your outlook--and what you need to sacrifice," he writes. "The same can be said for personal belongings....It's a lesson in ownership--whether we own our things or whether they own us, as the saying goes. It offers another place of forgiveness, allowing people to ruin, break, borrow, chip, bend or stain an item and not the relationship."

I love that, but I'd find it difficult. I like knowing all the mango sorbet in the freezer is mine, I like having sole possession of the remote, and I like calling the shots on the thermostat setting. Basically, I like control, and control is the opposite of community.

Yet just this weekend I complained to friends about many churches' insipid approach to communion: the weekly routine of it, the little fish food pellets of bread, the thimblefuls of grape juice, the trays shared from hand to hand without any sharing of life. It seems a far cry from the early church we supposedly emulate.

But do I really want to share life, with the messiness and work that requires? Living in community with my church family means hanging in even when I don't like the sermon, don't like the music, and don't like the person next to me. It means speaking the truth but it also means hearing the truth about myself. It means forgiving others for not being perfect and acknowledging my own brokenness. It means a deeper, richer life--and a more difficult one.

Whether it's God's place or mine, choosing community means choosing not to say, "You're in the wrong house." Is that why we're content to swallow the pellet and keep the tray moving along?

I don't have it all figured out, and the "right" expression of community life will look different for each of us. But I do hope this is the week Isaiah figures out where he lives.

Fellowship 1, Jen 0

2008-09-11T20:41:00.004-06:00

I don't usually enjoy most things IT, but I do enjoy paying my rent each month, so recently I accepted a short-term gig helping a megachurch discover how they are (or are not) using the Fellowship 1 church database they purchased a few years ago. Fellowship 1, or F1, is one of the top software programs churches can use to track attendance, create online registration for events, check children into their programming with unique security codes, and more.

Like most such initiatives without a strong champion, F1 at this church faces an uphill battle for fans. A few users, most of whom have previously worked with more primitive databases, love the system. Many more dislike its, shall we say, "less than intuitive" interface. And then there's the fun group who's never actually used it, but has lunch with the haters, and therefore also think it's terrible.

So my job is to figure out how the church can use it more effectively and then train/cajole/bribe the current staff into using it that way, with the end goal of creating absolutely raving fans who scurry en masse to get "F1 4eva" tattoed on their lower backs......or at least use it most days with a minimum of grumbling.

Now here's the deal: I am scrambling to learn as much about this system as I can, and I'd love any help you can give me. Every church's processes and programs are different, but part of the F1 joy is it doesn't offer tons of customization--so I'm betting if you're using it in some winning ways, this church could too. Does your church use F1? What has been your experience? Any tips for making ministries more productive with it? And what did you bribe your staff with?

peace and quiet

2008-09-08T16:40:00.003-06:00

Authors like Brian McLaren and Robert Webber have written about "ancient-future" worship and spiritual practices. Many churches have added more contemplative vespers or chapel services in addition to the guitars and SermonSpice videos on Sunday morning, and Taize prayer services have started to pop up everywhere from the Unitarians to the Presbyterians.

Clearly, there is a growing desire for simpler, quieter worship options, even (especially?) among the younger generations. Is this symptomatic of larger doctrinal shifts, or simply the inevitable pendulum swing after years of the other extreme in American worship?

I'm guessing both, but for me it's simply an opportunity to be still and to reflect, and I join hundreds of others the first Friday evening of each month at Christ Cathedral in downtown Nashville. Although all of the services offered at this Episcopal congregation are open to the community, they created the First Friday services as a "sacred space" especially for the city.

To pursue this mission the cathedral also offers violin and organ concerts, choral music performances, quarterly evensong services, and even something called "Liturgical Floral Design." I've attended several of these events (not the floral one) but my favorite is First Friday. Each month the 90-minute service combines traditional elements of Episcopalian and Anglican liturgy, including a complete communion service, with surprisingly modern touches.

For instance, this past Friday's service focused on the value of story as a way to communicate deep spiritual truths. A guest speaker shared several parables throughout the service (one accompanied by a dance from the church's Epiphany Dance Company), and songs included not only the expected staid hymns but also a swinging version of "I Love to Tell the Story." This being Nashville, the music at First Friday is always top-notch, and always different; this service had a jazz and piano feel while other Fridays have featured a bluegrass combo or a children's choir.

The services include so many simple but effective elements, many of which--like the uptempo "Sanctus" sung three times before communion and accompanied by hand motions--don't fit the stereotype. And each one also features something different to reinforce the theme; this month the church provided a basket of fabric scraps and encouraged each worshipper to take one and write a word or symbol on it to represent the story of his own life. "At the offertory, you are invited to bring your cloth forward and attach it to a larger cloth that will be placed on the altar in preparation for the Holy Eucharist as a way of offering your life to the One who redeems and makes all things new," they wrote in the order of service.

Don't worry, I'm not about to become Episcopalian--the incense alone is enough to put me off that idea. But I do love entering this sacred space every month or two and finding an oasis of quiet where I can slow my racing thoughts and think about that One in a new way. I'll leave it to our contemporary authors to explore the theological implications of these trends, although Webber's work is on my should-have-read-a-year-ago list. For now, I'm content to sit in the back of Christ Cathedral, soak in the calm, and appreciate all those liturgical flower arrangements.

listen here

2008-09-02T21:53:00.001-06:00

Good blogging requires frequent--even daily--posts, according to The Experts, and by this standard I'm dropping the ball. Problem is, frequent posts require 1) lots of time and 2) a life worth writing about. These two magical states don't usually occur simultaneously, and certainly didn't in August. Instead, I fell victim to a curious freelancing phenomenon in which six projects for six employers are all due the same week, which is also the week you're required to start project #7 in another state. All work and no play is good for the wallet, not so good for the blog.

Or the relationships, or the health, so tonight I ventured forth with a couple of friends to the third installment of "Tokens" at Lipscomb University. Tokens is ostensibly a radio show, recorded for broadcast and aired online via Noisetrade. But it's also an engaging live experience, full of excellent music, thoughtful commentary, and short but insightful interviews.

Tonight's show on "The Politics of Jesus" was planned long before McCain and Obama received their nominations, and focused on issues instead of candidates--issues like, do the professions of piety by presidential candidates make any difference after their election? (With the exception of Jimmy Carter, author Randall Balmer says no.) If not, why the intense interest in their faith? Our country's separation of church and state actually makes our citizens statistically some of the most religious in the world--why keep pressing for the 10 Commandments in a courthouse? And, my favorite quote of the evening, "The question is not whether Jesus was political--but if we want his kind of politics."

Lest this all sound unbearably heavy, the evening also featured music by Derek Webb (of Caedmon's Call fame), Buddy Greene, and an assortment of very talented others. Lee Camp, a Lipscomb professor and author, started Tokens in February and it's already outgrowing its space (tonight they did two shows instead of the usual one, and charged an entry fee for the first time). With musicians of Webb's caliber and interviews of A.J. Jacobs (you know, the "Year of Living Biblically" guy), Brian McLaren, and Shane Claiborne, it's easy to see why.

If, like me, you already enjoy NPR (yes, I'm old), This American Life, and Mars Hill Audio Journals, swing by Nashville for the Christmas installment of Tokens. We'll carpool together and stop for creamed corn and fried okra at The Copper Kettle across the street.

In the meantime, I promise to do something else worth blogging about before December.

good sports

2008-08-24T19:10:00.002-06:00

The day I become a sports fan is the day Bill Maher becomes a Christian.

Or so I thought until two weeks ago, when a powerful combo of the charming Bob Costas, the unintelligible Bela Karolyi, and the unbeatable Michael Phelps triggered my Olympics addiction. Also that really tall lady with the deep voice who reported on acupuncture and may, I suspect, be a man.

Sure, I loved seeing Phelps make history and watching Americans take gold in beach volleyball and gymnastics, but I also found myself willingly tuning in for sports like pole vaulting, water polo, and table tennis. I was captivated by the drama, both real (retiring athletes with one last chance at a medal, come-from-behind last-minute performances to clinch glory by fractions of points) and manufactured ("It's the dive of her life, Al. It's simply the dive of her life.")

Even the 9-times-a-night broadcast of that McDonald's chicken sandwich ad could not dim my enthusiasm, although I did begin muting every commercial break.

So I'm thinking I might start watching sports now and then. Not football--I don't understand it and don't want to. Not baseball--too slow. NOT golf. But........something. Suggestions are welcome. And look for Bill Maher in a church near you.

lead me on

2008-08-16T14:15:00.004-06:00

Sorry--I'm not going to take some big controversial position regarding women leading in the church. Maybe it's because I don't aspire to a pastor or elder role (so I have less emotion invested in it) or maybe it's because I've always experienced ample opportunities to express my gifts in the local church. Or maybe I'm just tired of the debate.

Whatever the reason, I don't feel a need to be defensive about either "side" and I applaud Christian Standard for the two open, respectful position papers they published on the topic this week. I find areas of insight in both of them, often around the very same point.

For instance, "...we must note that women had limited involvement in Jesus' ministry," Joe Harvey writes in his article. "There were no women among the twelve (even though Jesus was willing to be scandalized in other ways)." That's true, I thought. Jesus never shied away from conflict when it advanced the kingdom; there must have been a reason he selected only men.

Then I read Lana West's paper. "Jesus chose twelve free Jewish males to represent the twelve patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel," she writes. "The choice of the twelve indicated the importance of the new covenant being founded on the old. Gentiles and slaves were not among the select twelve, but there is no expectation that they could not serve in church leadership."

That makes sense, too.

I'm glad CS published this and I'm glad thoughtful people are contributing two-way dialogue instead of one-way diatribe. It's also nice to see a focus on broad Biblical principles rather than hair-splitting details; the remark by one leader I know, that a woman could direct the choir but could not turn around and lead the congregation in the same song, makes about as much sense as the church of Christ bride who positioned a piano outside the church sanctuary—but near an open window—so she could still march up the aisle to music.

Neither legalistic boundaries nor creative ways to dodge them appeal to me. Instead, I'm content to let my actions and gifts speak for themselves. Could I lead better than some men I know? Yep, and far worse than others. But in both situations my submission to their authority honors God.

"When you are invited, take the lowest place," Jesus teaches in Luke 14, "so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.'" My ministers and elders may invite me or other women to a higher place. They may not. That choice is part of their own leadership responsibility and I'm satisfied to leave it between them and God. In a culture encouraging women to take the lead--to seize the lead--perhaps my position is controversial after all.

buy the book

2008-08-12T16:35:00.004-06:00

Today I received this email:

Jennifer,

I was brokenhearted last night at our small group Bible Study when my friend poured out her heart and tears concerning the drain she feels because she has trouble drawing lines between her job as the church secretary, her personal ("off the clock") ministry to the church, and her responsibilities of home and husband. Her struggle is amplified because, even as a relatively new Christian, she can identify the gap between the Biblical counsel of the church leaders and the reality of their own lives. I feel my advice to her was helpful but painfully inadequate. I am having a terrible time finding any articles about the ministry to the ministers, or helping the helpers.

With all you do, you must have personally come to some conclusion on this matter, and I respect your opinion and advice. Have you written any articles or are you aware of any resources that may help my friend and her husband separate employment from ministry from family, but yet stay connected to them all? How do you define the line between devotion to a ministry and workaholism (by your choice) or abuse (by the choice of others)?

I would appreciate any references to which you can direct me.

Your brother in Christ,
-----

There are very few people or organizations I recommend without qualification, but Cloud Townsend Resources is one. Cloud and Townsend wrote the masterpiece Boundaries and have separately authored other great books including Changes that Heal, Handling Difficult People, and 9 Things You Simply Must Do.

Henry Cloud, whose dry sense of humor in live presentations makes him my favorite half of the duo, just released his new book, The One-Life Solution: Reclaim your personal life while achieving greater professional success. I haven't read it yet, but I trust Cloud so much I recommended it to my friend immediately.

"The author hones in on common weaknesses—overdeveloped needs for security, approval and perfectionism—and leads readers through a plan for regaining control of themselves, their work and their lives with easy-to-follow activities to implement changes as personal policies," writes Publishers Weekly. "Unfailingly encouraging, Cloud is a fine advocate for the benefit of gaining control and protecting boundaries and his book is a must-have life management bible." A PW review is one of the reviews that matters, especially in "secular" publishing, so this is quite an endorsement.

So much of life has to do with boundaries: setting them, respecting them, communicating them. Improvement in these areas almost guarantees better quality of personal and professional life. I'm glad to know those of us still working on our needs for security, approval and perfectionism-- that would be all of us--have another resource to help.

city planning

2008-08-08T10:28:00.000-06:00

Like most of you, I live in the suburbs. Unlike you, perhaps, it's not by choice--I'm a country girl at heart. But I can't yet afford that 1935 farmhouse on five acres, so for now I reluctantly join you in the land of strip malls and subdivisions.

And megachurches. Although the 'burbs lack personality, they don't lack pews. Nashville, I've heard, has more churches per capita than any other city in America, but I also found plenty of places to worship during my years living in suburban Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Orange County.

This isn't always true in an urban environment. In the first lines of his article in this week's Christian Standard, Steve Carr gets right to the point: "By sometime this summer half of the world's population will live in cities. For Restoration Movement churches in America this fact is problematic because our presence in cities is anemic."

He cites several reasons for this anemia, including ministerial isolation and financial issues, and graciously writes, "A reason our movement has struggled to embrace urban ministry is it doesn't fit neatly within our pre-established paradigms of church growth. While the suburban model has proven to be reproducible in many areas of the country, there is no dominant urban model for success." (I'll be more blunt: many of our suburban churches are as alike as the O'Charley's restaurants where the members eat lunch after services.)

Carr's article goes on to report the encouraging February gathering of 40 urban ministry leaders from across the country. He writes that, to his knowledge, this "Urban Conversation" was the first of its kind in our movement.

But it won't be the last, or the biggest. Yesterday's mail brought the Johnson Bible College "Blue & White" newsletter, in which president Gary Weedman wrote about the recent petition from thirty students wanting JBC to add an urban studies program. Another article described the work of the college's students in homeless ministry, English tutoring for Ukrainian families in downtown Knoxville, and Sarah Sykes' organization of everything from grocery shopping to driver training to holiday celebrations for nearby Burundian refugees. (Sarah, I'll be calling you soon to schedule an interview for Buzz.)

These efforts involve 200 students serving radically different people groups with very different needs--and this is in Knoxville, not typically thought of as a major urban center. Carr makes this point, as well. "We discovered [at our meeting] that virtually none of our contexts is similar," he writes. "Scott Jewell's ministry among the urban poor in inner-city St. Louis is nothing like Steve Denney's ministry with City Walk Christian Church in a gentrified area of San Diego."

These differences will require more partnership, more creativity, and more work than maintaining the surburban status quo--but it will also take the financial and human resources of our suburban churches to make a difference. Carr and team, let us know how we can help. And when I get that big farmhouse I'm happy to host a rural retreat.

life on loan

2008-08-04T11:53:00.001-06:00

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the poverty and disease in Africa, and to wonder if normal two-name people (that is, the non-Bono and non-Oprah) can make any difference. A variety of complex factors created this crisis, and no one solution can fix everything. But microloans are a good way to start.

Microloans aren't new, but they've gained new attention in recent years. Like so many good ideas, this one is simple: reputable organizations identify potential loan recipients in the developing world and share info about these folks with richer Americans, Europeans, etc. who then loan a few dozen or few hundred dollars. The recipient uses this money to start a small business (like a food market, general store, or transportation business) and eventually repays the loan in full. The rich American can then loan the money to another 2/3 world entrepreneur, theoretically repeating the cycle indefinitely and using the same money to give freedom and dignity to many different people.

Microloans also help prevent the spread of HIV; many recipients are women and the income generated from their small businesses dramatically reduces the likelihood they'll barter their bodies for food. (One recent study in Botswana and Swaziland reports women who lack sufficient food are 80% more likely to engage in "survival sex.")

It takes so little money to lower that percentage--for the cost of a nice restaurant meal you can help someone eat well for a long time. And although most of us could easily afford to give that amount outright, the recipients almost always repay the loans in full.

Alice Mbithe is in that category. Despite only receiving a primary school education, she's successfully run her own small grocery business for years to supplement her husband's income. As I type, this sweet lady is using the money my brother, sister-in-law and I loaned her to set up a fruit and vegetable stand that will support her family of five, pay hospital bills, and provide medication for her youngest daughter.

We connected with Alice through Christian Missionary Fellowship. Their microenterprise program provides a 27-hour training course for prospective microloan recipients (covering everything from bookkeeping and saving to integrity and faithfulness) and coordinates weekly meetings for accountability and support. Loans range from $8 to $400 and the program already has 190 clients.

I make part of my living writing advertising copy, so I try to avoid the trite. But I have to say it: while no one, even Bono, can change the world alone, you can change one person's world. And it's a blast.

change management explained

2008-07-30T10:43:00.003-06:00

Low cost.
Relatively easy.

Limited to just one message.

Attuned to the personality and culture of the church.
Clever.

Fun.

Memorable.

This is how you do it, folks....

shacked up

2008-07-26T10:28:00.002-06:00

I'm a literary snob. It can't be blamed entirely on my private school English Lit degree; even as a child I eschewed Nancy Drew for Agatha Christie (thus learning words like "eschew") and the passing years have only made me more selective. Life is too short to read bad books, so I usually avoid Christian fiction.

Thus I planned to skip The Shack, even when people I respect began endorsing it and my church in California invited the author to speak at weekend services. But when it escaped the Christian bubble and millions of secular readers launched its current climb up the best seller lists, it became more than a paperback--it became news, and a book I needed to read.

Unfortunately, it doesn't change my mind about Christian fiction. As I skimmed the book this week I found myself mentally editing unnecessary phrases and tightening sentences. I thought back to meditations on vision by Annie Dillard (a Pulitzer winner who also happens to be a believer) just before stumbling across a pointless description of eating too much fiber on page 129 of The Shack. No contest.

But this isn't the first acclaimed book (Christian or non) with subpar writing, and like many others in that category it's the content, not the wordsmithing, connecting to readers. And I have to admit I liked much of the content: new slants on Jesus' ability to work miracles, the nature of his life in ours, burdensome responsibility vs. joyful response in relationship with God--there's some good food for thought here. And I love the author's take on male and female--the woman was "birthed" from man, creating a circle of relationship between men and women to echo relationship in the trinity, then all males birthed through women in an ongoing cycle.

Theological insight, not fiction, seems to be Young's talent, but if you're looking for some new ways to think about God and his interactions with us the book is worth a quick read. Although you can skip page 129.

oops

2008-07-20T18:40:00.000-06:00

My favorite piece of mail waiting when I returned from vacation yesterday:

Dear Jen:

When you were a teenager I thought you were a really sharp young lady. Today I still think you are a sharp young lady. But why in the world did you steal my manuscript just before I preached at the North American Christian Convention? After all the good things I've said about you, Jen.

Seriously, I couldn't let this go by without kidding you a little bit. I'd left the manuscript on the table back behind the stage when Cam Huxford wanted to go to the speaker's room and talk for awhile. When I came back it was gone. That didn't bother me too much because it wouldn't have done me much good if I hadn't been pretty well prepared anyway. But I was telling Doyle about it after we got back to St. Charles and he said, "Now I know where Jen Taylor found that manuscript." So now we know, don't we?

Hang in there, Jen. It's always good to see you even when you are a timekeeper! God bless you.

Sincerely,

Ben Merold

Sorry, Ben. And yet you still managed to preach a magnificent sermon (which followed the manuscript exactly) and come in at precisely 30 minutes. I'd say you're pretty sharp, too.

breaking news

2008-07-11T17:47:00.005-06:00

Yesterday at lunch a friend and I were discussing the relativism of money. I remember feeling adamant, as a know-it-all, black-and-white teenager, that "real" Christians would not be wealthy because they would give the extra away. Of course, as an adult I realize defining "extra" is part of the problem; if someone I considered rich lived a comfortable middle-class existence and donated the rest, he (and I) would still be wealthier than most of the world.

I'm more comfortable with the grey area these days, and I'm very comfortable paying a few hundred bucks for a week at the beach with friends and family. So I'll be taking a little blogging break, returning next weekend a little tanner, a little calmer....and a little poorer.

simply perfect

2008-07-08T19:25:00.007-06:00

Although I've now worked as a "consultant" for several organizations, I've always hated the term. For one thing, so much of what consultants produce just seems like common sense. ("Oh, so if I never say anything affirming to my staff members, they might feel demoralized?")

Consultants are also presumed to have the answers, when often I find the people within the organization already know the best course to pursue--they just need a facilitator (my preferred term) to help them realize it.

In any case, during some of my recent work as a facilitant (consultitator?), I read Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger. The premise is, um, simple: Churches should resist the increasing complexity of modern life by designing a clear process for connecting people to God and helping them grow. This blueprint for discipleship should be easily communicated, easily understood and composed of sequential steps moving toward greater commitment. Staff roles and ministries should be aligned around the process, and anything extra should be eliminated.

Although I found much of the book to be just more common sense, I was fascinated by the authors' boldness in calling for churches to say no to any program or "ministry" not reaching the ultimate goals of the church. Like many simple ideas, this is harder to do than to talk about.

"Your programs must be submissive to your ministry process," the authors write. "They are tools to facilitate the process of spiritual growth." Defining a spiritual growth process, then concentrating on the few initiatives truly nurturing people through that process toward maturity, may require tough decisions about the MOPS program or the Christmas extravaganza. Or it may require more work for leaders and volunteers; as an example of one way to remain focused, the book recommends emphasizing stewardship by offering the material through existing small groups rather than adding another weeknight class for already busy members. But this is harder: it requires coordination of curriculum and training of dozens or hundreds of small group leaders instead of just one teacher, and it presumes all of the church's groups are already on an identical schedule.

Difficult or not, Rainer and Geiger are saying it. Jim Collins spends a chapter of Good to Great saying it. And as I review this blog, I'm even saying it. Perhaps I should be a consultant after all.

Thoughts on the 2008 NACC

2008-07-05T13:55:00.008-06:00

--Some people really do read this blog! Thanks to those of you who made a point of telling me this week that you're one of them.

--The cardboard testimony thing is just as powerful in person.

--I loved the audience's spontaneous standing ovation for Ben Merold before his sermon yesterday morning......and I loved that, as usual, he then shared a great message. Because one of my tech crew duties was timing the sermons and signaling the speakers when they went too long, I also appreciated that, as always, Ben came in exactly on time. That deserves a little applause, too.
--On Tuesday night I got to hear Dudley Rutherford (2011 president) share his new "Dream of Destiny" program dedicated to finding, mentoring and developing pastors and leaders from diverse racial backgrounds. Look for more in a future Buzz.
--Does anyone read those long welcoming letters from the president, board chairman, etc. at the front of the program book?
--And does the Christian tie guy really make enough money to justify his expenses in exhibiting each year?
--When I grow up I want to communicate as effectively as Jon Weece and Jud Wilhite.
--It was great to see a clip from Binding Faith before Ajai Lall's amazing message.
--Bible Bowl’s in Atlanta, but I still ended up with a room of rowdy teenagers next door to me at the Hyatt.
--I'm on the 2009 Executive Committee and we're working with president Jeff Stone to develop the "Still Amazed" theme. We're looking for "grace stories" we can video and/or present live at next year's event. If you know someone whose life has been transformed by God's grace, drop me a line at buzz@standardpub.com and let me know the details.
--Also, I know of two solid churches looking for tech/worship people; email me if you want to know more.
--Dierdre, who sang "There Will Come a Day" at the last service, has a better voice than Faith Hill, who originally recorded it. I am always fascinated by the directions lives take, and how one person becomes a wealthy superstar while another doesn’t.
--I want to do a two-week stint as a volunteer at TCM in Austria.
--Some people, events, and organizations never change, and their steady sameness is part of the fun.
--Some people, events, and organizations never change, and it makes me want to “live dangerously” by throwing a box of name tags.
--Valet parking seems like a good idea until Friday at noon, when you wait with 50 other people in the rain while three guys try to fetch everyone’s car. Next year I'll pay more and park outside.
--Skyline chili still gives me heartburn.

LOVE this

2008-06-28T10:51:00.002-06:00

I also love the phrase "running amok."

Passengers sleep on plane after flight cancelled

BEIJING (Reuters) - Fifty-two passengers on a Chinese airliner whose flight was cancelled due to bad weather refused to disembark and instead spent the night onboard before finally leaving to their destination, local media said on Friday. The passengers boarded for their 8 p.m. (1:00 a.m. EDT) flight from Beijing to the eastern coastal city of Yantai, but after more than three hours of sitting on the tarmac, the airline cancelled the flight, the Beijing Morning Post said.

"Most of the about 200 passengers disembarked to complete flight transfer procedures, but a Mrs. Shi was one of 52 passengers who refused to get off," the newspaper said.

"Mrs. Shi said that she and her colleagues had to get to Yantai for a meeting, they were on a very tight schedule, and could not accept the cancellation of the flight."

At 3 a.m. the airline finally told them they could take a 7.30 a.m. flight to Yantai.

"The passengers said that in the 12 hours or so they spent on the aircraft, the crew provided continuous service, and all along offered food and drink," the report said. Chinese media frequently report stories of badly behaved passengers refusing to get off delayed aircraft or running amok at airports following delays, but also criticise airlines for not giving enough information to passengers about delays.

The government and airlines have spent billions of dollars upgrading airports and buying new aircraft, but service standards have struggled to keep up.

Beijing is especially worried about poor service at airports and on airlines as it gears up to host this summer's Olympics.

OOMFITYSK--#3

2008-06-27T12:08:00.003-06:00

Tim Timmons is another One Of My Friends I Think You Should Know. Tim serves as one of the worship leaders at Mariners Church, the congregation where I worshiped in California, and he's also experiencing success as a singer, songwriter, and recording artist.

Tim's not only talented, though--he's also the real deal, kind and humble and fun on stage and off. During my recent trip to Mariners he gave me fruit leather, endured my pestering to share three good things about his day, and took time from a staff meeting for an impromptu, and very meaningful, conversation about spiritual issues.

My favorite song on his newest CD is "Uprising." Check it out on iTunes and imagine it playing during the cardboard before-and-after moment below.........goosebumps.

Your uprising is my uprising......
Uprising from the meaningless
rising from the hopelessness
rising from the stains of our sins

Uprising from the restlessness
rising from the loneliness
rising from the fear within

Uprising from the brokenness
rising from the wandering
rising from prison and rising from the pain

Uprising from the evil one
rising from discouragement
rising from my failures
and rising from my pride

Uprising from the prejudice
rising from abandonment
rising from the worries
and rising from the lies

Uprising from confusion
rising from insignificance
rising from death to life

Uprising to contentment
uprising to hopefulness
rising to freedom
and rising to rest

Uprising to significance
rising to gratefulness
rising to a newness of life

playing their "cards" right

2008-06-24T11:07:00.005-06:00

This is a long-but-worth-it video from West Seattle Christian Church. I keep telling you, folks, it doesn't take money to create powerful worship moments.

the sky is falling

2008-06-22T18:58:00.004-06:00

In addition to the usual news headlines greeting me and my coffee this morning--more flooding, fires in California, deaths in Iraq--I was stunned to see this one: "Everything seemingly is spinning out of control." That kind of gets to the point, doesn't it?

The article lists decreasing food supplies, increasing prices, natural disasters, water shortages, power outages, airline failures and even the recent writers' strike as contributing issues. "Midwestern levees are bursting," write Alan Fram and Eileen Putman. "Polar bears are adrift. Gas prices are skyrocketing. Home values are abysmal. Air fares, college tuition and health care border on unaffordable. Wars without end rage in Iraq, Afghanistan and against terrorism."

And unlike recent decades, Americans apparently feel more helpless to fight or fix these problems. Two different reports show only 14-17% of Americans believe the country is moving in the right direction. "The can-do, bootstrap approach embedded in the American psyche is under assault," says the article. "Eroding it is a dour powerlessness that is chipping away at the country's sturdy conviction that destiny can be commanded with sheer courage and perseverance."

I'm not happy about any of the inflation, climate change or fighting taking place, but these circumstances do give us a superb opportunity to remind can-do Americans even they can't do everything. People need Jesus whether things are "under control" or chaotic, and when they begin doubting their own invincibility they're also more likely to consider His claims. I hope churches seize this opportunity--some "chicken little" thinking is okay if it points to a big God.

skirting the issue

2008-06-19T22:38:00.005-06:00

You haven’t really lived until you’ve attended a preschool dance recital. Last weekend I spent two hours watching a parade of little people wiggling, swaying, jumping, and occasionally melting down into scared, can’t-catch-a-breath sobs.

Most of these small dancers were girls, and the recital was full of feminine pageantry—pink princess outfits, butterflies with shiny wings, purple hot pants, swept-up hairdos, and lots and lots of glitter.

Feminists might object to such stereotypes, but these little girls loved every minute. “Look at my outfit,” four-year-old Avery commanded me, her eyes shining as she shimmied her hips. “My skirt is twirly.”

It’s old news, I hope, that men and women are equal in value. But while God created us equally, He also hardwired males and females very differently.

You can observe this by spending just an hour or two in a room of small children. Notice the girls cuddling dolls or pretending to cook while the boys smash trucks into piles or “shoot” each other with plastic guns. (One young mother I know banned violent toys from her home; her son responded by using his index finger as a gun to blow up the bad guys in his closet.)

These differences even show up during play with “gender-neutral” toys like puzzles or games; boys often demonstrate less conversation and more competition than their female peers.

Recognizing these tendencies doesn't have to mean a return to rigid old-school thinking ("No son of mine will hold a doll!"). Some boys danced in the recital, of course (many of them as chickens, leaving trails of feathers behind suggestive of a large molting episode), just as many girls play sports and climb trees. Any generalizations are potentially unfair, and some should be retired completely for the physical and social growth of both sexes.

But I am suggesting we remember, and celebrate, our unique roles as male and female. Although Avery might grow up to be a lawyer, teacher, or engineer, on Saturday she just wanted to be a princess. It’s an affirmation of God’s plan, not a betrayal of feminism, to acknowledge that desire inside every woman. We deserve equal pay for equal work, but sometimes work's more fun in a twirly skirt.

read letters

2008-06-12T17:41:00.001-06:00

During a recent Barnes & Noble excursion I impulsively bought a copy of Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to Their Children. It's turned out to be a great read.

A dozen sections, arranged chronologically and by subject, include everything from Thomas Jefferson's marriage advice for his newlywed daughter Martha to Samuel Clemens' (aka Mark Twain's) letter as Santa Claus to his three-year-old daughter Susie.

The letters are endlessly quotable. In one, author F. Scott Fitzgerald compiled a list of things his twelve-year-old daughter should and should not be concerned about. ("Worry about courage. Don't worry about the past. Don't worry about growing up.")

"Consideration of others at all times, be they right or wrong, is an acknowledgment of your own limitations, " writes fighter pilot Eddie Rickenbacker before sending his son off to the Air Force.

Famous photographer Ansel Adams might just as easily have been an award-winning writer; "I am wondering, in the afternoon of my own life, just what your day will be," he writes to his son.

In her prologue, the book's editor mentions letters are dying art forms--the book includes few recent letters because email and telephone calls have replaced them. But I'm old enough to remember life before the internet and cell phones, and my own father wrote me a letter every week I was away at college. (Well, until my senior year, when we both got email.)

I still have a file folder crammed with those short notes and long epistles, plus many of the cards and letters he's written since. They run the gamut from routine recountings of the previous week to serious messages from a dad watching his daughter grow into adulthood. And many, of course, included Standard Publishing stickers.

During college:
"Did you REALLY email us at 5:53 a.m.? Did you get up that early...or STAY up that late? Take care of yourself!"

"It's exciting to anticipate how your life will turn out. Of course, I realize the bigger issue may seem to be passing pre-calculus this semester. So we'll pray about that first." (I passed with a C.)

When my roommates were noticed more than me: "Don't feel bad about being 'in the shadow.' There's probably more light there than you realize."

As I struggled with my first year away from home: "All your mother and I want is for you to have and be and do what's best for you. A large part of that is finding God's will, which I'm convinced is often not just one answer. We anticipate that you will always be a source of light, wherever you choose to shine."

Years later, in response to an email headed "Fun for your Wednesday," asking for reasons why I shouldn't date a cuter-than-snot atheist: "I was expecting a funny pass-along email or one of those silly cartoons, any of which I would have called 'fun.' This correspondence I would put in another category, something close to 'life and death.'"

On a birthday card: "What a wonderful thing to call you...our friend! It is wonderful compensation for realizing how old we are, now that you are an adult."

And always, at the end of almost every letter, "You know we love you."

I'm a bit biased, but I think some of Dad's letters rival the best of anything from Thomas Jefferson or Ansel Adams. I'm lucky to have them, and lucky to have him.

Thanks, Dad. Happy Father's Day.

done deal

2008-06-06T11:08:00.006-06:00

I think Obama's going to take this one. So many people range from annoyed to irate at the (mis)behavior and missteps of George W. that, fair or not, this fall they'll vote anything but Republican to make a statement.

The current economic situation doesn't help. Large swaths of both blue and red states are now feeling the pain in their pocketbooks (where it really counts for Americans) and looking for immediate relief. Whether any presidential candidate can actually reverse the current recession quickly is up for serious debate, but a vote for something different feels proactive.

This election also taps into our own self-identities. If I vote for another old white guy, I'm boring and racist. If I vote for a young, charismatic black guy I'm progressive and open-minded. This self-concept issue fed the long battle between Hillary and Obama; for the first time, a vote could implicitly support women's rights or civil rights--which to choose?

I'm actually neutral on Obama; if you read this blog regularly at all you shouldn't be surprised that I'm not voting Republican on auto-pilot. I haven't decided who to vote for yet. But I am saying it doesn't matter--Obama will win. An axiom of change management is that people will passively and actively resist change until the consequences of the status quo become less bearable than the pain of changing. Obama's campaign, encouraging us to "vote for change," hinges on the bet that millions of Americans are hurting enough to try something new.

I think he's right and, unless a scandal emerges, I'd say the election is already decided; now it's just five more months of annoying commercials.

screen play

2008-06-03T19:50:00.005-06:00

I’m jealous when I hear Lea Salonga sing, or when I read anything written by Bill Bryson or Richard Russo.

Now I’m jealous of Dan Merchant, writer, director and producer of the new documentary Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. USA Today called the movie “a humorous and heartfelt examination of the culture wars,” and its theme can be summed up by one question Merchant asks early on: Why is the gospel of love dividing America?

To find the answer, he interviews Tony Campolo, Rick Santorum, Al Franken, and many others. He dons a white jumpsuit covered with contradictory and controversial bumper stickers and conducts man on the street interviews to gauge reactions. He conducts two liberal vs. conservative Family Feud-style games. He apologizes for his own judgmentalism to dozens of homosexuals in Portland.

Along the way (and sometimes in spite of these stunts), he discovers that even individuals with the most opposing beliefs can find common ground by relating as individuals instead of angry members of stereotyped groups.

“Maybe the gospel of love isn’t dividing—it’s just being turned into the gospel of being right,” he muses. Merchant unapologetically identifies himself as an evangelical Christian to viewers and to interviewees, but he also goes out of his way to listen to those with other worldviews. “I’m finding there’s a translation problem when Christians try to talk to non-Christians,” he says. “We have no idea how we sound to others.”

We can also become insulated by the gospel of being right wing. In both rounds of his Family Feud game the liberals trounced the conservatives by hundreds of points. When guessing reasons a woman might not have an abortion, the liberal group guessed the #4 answer (there is no good reason to have an abortion), knowing that many conservatives feel that way and therefore this answer would appear on the board. In questions about "intriguing" aspects of Darwin’s theory of evolution, the conservatives were stumped.

“We couldn’t get outside of the world we live in,” said Shel Reed, CEO of Good Samaritan Ministries and a member of the conservative team. “They did a much better job understanding us than we did understanding who they were.”

The film goes beyond politics to explore issues of social justice, finding hope in our willingness to work together in feeding the hungry or serving the homeless. It shows very different people—George Clooney and Pat Robertson, a secular radio station and World Vision—uniting around these issues, and discovering each other’s humanity in the process.

The film was didactic and idealistic at times, but I appreciated its consistent return to a central message: we’re all responsible for the polarization of America because we’re all on the defensive, all looking for an enemy, all talking more than we’re listening.

Or as Merchant says, “Outrage is way more exciting than humility.” That’s one of several things in this movie I wish I’d said first. I can’t take credit for it any more than I can Ms. Salonga’s version of “On My Own.” But I encourage you to check out both.

first, do no eHarmony

2008-05-29T22:17:00.010-06:00

Neil Clark Warren must be laughing all the way to the bank. Millions of people have subscribed (at $20-$50 a month) to his online dating service, eHarmony, since its launch in 2000. In 2006, the site announced over 16,000 eHarmony couples had already married, and hundreds more hopefuls join the site each day. Users are attracted to the Christian branding (Warren initially marketed the site through Focus on the Family) and patented "personality profile" which allegedly matches you to singles with whom you share sociability, energy levels, intellect, and other characteristics.

This weekend I'm in Colorado for the wedding of one of my closest friends, who met her soon-to-be-husband online, and in the past couple of weeks I've reconnected with several other friends who met their spouses through online dating services. Online dating seems to have lost its stigma (although several of those friends still hesitate to tell others they met through a website), but I remain skeptical.

Time magazine recently named eHarmony one of its 5 worst websites; "Our main beef with this online dating site is its power to cause utter despair," they wrote. I experienced more disbelief than despair; one match was most passionate about, and I quote, "Wielding the sword of truth against the powers and principalities of darkness" (yikes). Another claimed to routinely fall asleep in the shower (how is one question; why he chose to reveal that to a total stranger is another). I "talked" to a variety of others, including one I dated for several months before realizing we were actually spectacularly incompatible. Thanks, Neil Clark.

Perhaps despair IS more like it--this is who I'm most compatible with in "29 different dimensions"? What does that say about me??

Whether it's Match.com, Yahoo Personals, or eHarmony, I'm glad my dear friends are finding love online. But I don't plan on trying it again. Maybe it's pride--I'd still rather tell my grandkids a meet cute story than a met online one--or maybe it's just dating fatigue. "I'm terrible at matching my clothes," said one of my eHarmony matches. "This is kind of a last-ditch effort at finding someone," said a second. "I really like to give high-fives," shared yet another. Even The Committee seems successful compared to this.