This Wednesday we were blessed to have Sister Roselle from the Catholic Retreat Center The Cenacle. We have invited Sister Roselle to share with us about spiritual practices in light of our community's deep commitment to engage spiritual practices as a way of life. Sister Roselle had us explore our earliest memories about and experiences with prayer.
She also gave us two very nice definitions of prayer; one very succinct and the other a bit longer, but both quite enlightening and life-giving. The first is that prayer is "anything that helps you pay attention to God." For lots of people nature does this. For others it may be a piece of music, or a conversation. Even tragic things like disasters can draw from us an awareness of God as we are drawn out from a place of compassion.
Her second definition ran like this: It is not what we do; it's a relationship between the core of me and God's true self, with reflection. Sister Roselle spent some time talking about how our true selves get layered over by years of different colored "paint." As we experience hardships from birth to about 5-6 years old, a new layer of "paint" covers over the "diamond" that is the core of us. Also, our view of God is impacted by lots of other experiences that only give us a partial view of God's true self. So, prayer is the getting of our core selves connected to God's true self over a lifetime.
Others who were there...add to this things that you heard and thought!
Join us for the remaining Lent Wednesdays - for a light supper and more time with Sister Roselle. Here's the link to more information
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Believing and Following
Here's a page from the Vitaljournal from the reading plan for Lent from Matthew's Gospel. Today the reading is from Matthew 9:1-13 and includes the calling of Matthew the Tax-Collector:
I'm struck by The Message version's translation of what the religious leaders say when they see Jesus hanging out with Matthew the tax-collector, this Jew who is in league with Empire Rome for his own benefit. They say, "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riff-raff?" It kind of makes me wonder that if the religiously "in" AREN'T making comments like this about you and the way you live Christ, then you may not be living Christ well.
I'm struck by another thing: The fact that Jesus did NOT get Matthew "all cleaned up and turned from his tax-collecting ways" BEFORE he called him to follow. It really - at least for me - reinforces the notion that we have been focused on in worship; that Christianity isn't about a system of belief as much as it is about a way of life. And until Christians rediscover their faith as a way of life, people will continue to leave the church or never have any interest. What Jesus calls Matthew to - this "disreputable character" as he's described - is not to believe something so much as he calls Matthew to follow a way that Jesus embodies.
Lord, hear this as my prayer for me and FCC. Amen!
PS: If you want to join up on the reading plan and the Facebook Group Vitaljournal, check out the earlier post which gives all the details about how!
I'm struck by The Message version's translation of what the religious leaders say when they see Jesus hanging out with Matthew the tax-collector, this Jew who is in league with Empire Rome for his own benefit. They say, "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riff-raff?" It kind of makes me wonder that if the religiously "in" AREN'T making comments like this about you and the way you live Christ, then you may not be living Christ well.
I'm struck by another thing: The fact that Jesus did NOT get Matthew "all cleaned up and turned from his tax-collecting ways" BEFORE he called him to follow. It really - at least for me - reinforces the notion that we have been focused on in worship; that Christianity isn't about a system of belief as much as it is about a way of life. And until Christians rediscover their faith as a way of life, people will continue to leave the church or never have any interest. What Jesus calls Matthew to - this "disreputable character" as he's described - is not to believe something so much as he calls Matthew to follow a way that Jesus embodies.
Lord, hear this as my prayer for me and FCC. Amen!
PS: If you want to join up on the reading plan and the Facebook Group Vitaljournal, check out the earlier post which gives all the details about how!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
53 Days Through Matthew
Lent for Everyone is a YouVersion Scripture reading plan FCC is calling all our congregation to engage. The readings through Matthews Gospel are designed to lead us all together through the same spiritual experience right through Holy Week and Easter. The commentary on the readings should you want to read more are written by a fantastic Biblical scholar named N.T. Wright. His insights are quite literally moving and insightful. If you would like to join a growing group of FCC friends in this spiritual practice all you have to do is go to YouVersion and register. Look for the reading plan entitled Lent for All. You can have the daily readings sent to you each day via email or even on your smart phone.
There is also a Facebook page that has been created if you want read and/or share what the Spirit is stirring up in you. All you have to do here is befriend me, Michael Dunn, with a message that you want to join the FB group called Vitaljournal. I'm posting there a few times a week as I read through Matthew.
Here's a thought: There can be no wholeness in the image of Christ which is not incarnate in our relationships with others, both in the body of Christ and in the world. M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. Invitation to a Journey: A Roadmap for Spiritual Formation.
There is also a Facebook page that has been created if you want read and/or share what the Spirit is stirring up in you. All you have to do here is befriend me, Michael Dunn, with a message that you want to join the FB group called Vitaljournal. I'm posting there a few times a week as I read through Matthew.
Here's a thought: There can be no wholeness in the image of Christ which is not incarnate in our relationships with others, both in the body of Christ and in the world. M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. Invitation to a Journey: A Roadmap for Spiritual Formation.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Erasmus' Heart is Ours as Well
"Make Christ the only goal of your life. Dedicate to Him all your enthusiasm, all your effort, your leisure as well as your business. And don't look upon Christ as a mere word, as an empty expression, but rather as charity, simplicity, patience and purity--in short, in terms of everything he has taught us." For Jesus was "the sole archetype of godliness." Quoted in Jaroslav Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture, Yale University Press, 1985, p. 155.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Moving Forward on Strengths
In late 2008, FCC Houston deeply committed to developing people who are committed to personal transformation. Believing that personal transformation leads to transforming the church and ultimately the world, we wanted to become intentional about engaging the transformation process deliberately and ongoing.FCC just took a huge leap forward this summer by committing to our first Ministry by Strengths course. I want to acknowledge our elders and deacons who have stepped forward to take this 8 week course, beginning this week. They are providing a great example of servant leadership for us all.
Let me try to describe the course.
First of all, MBS identifiies your top five strengths out of a list of 34 provided by the reputable research done by the Gallup corporation. The self-discovery alone helps pinpoint the kinds of activities where one most likely will thrive.
But secondly, it is important to know that the course itself is really the beginning of a life-long journey of learning and discovery. At the heart of the time together is to get clear about your God-calling. For Disciples of Christ that is perhaps not "familiar" terminolgy. We have been very much a reason-oriented people. But MBS really takes the best of both worlds by combining the knowledge of researchers with a listening ear for the Holy Spirit. It is a combination of head and heart, mind and Spirit in the context of community to gain a better sense of your unique God-given talents.
Lastly, let me say the MBS course is about deploying people into joyful service to expand God's kingdom. So much of our approach to self-improvement is about shoring up the areas of our life that are lacking. If we get five As and a D on a report card, what do we focus on? The self-help world is full of books about how to improve this or that asppect of your life. It's appproach is remedial. MBS is about acknowledging your strengths and entering into joyful service that builds on those strengths, engaging things YOU consider life-giving! Wouldn't THAT be nice! Imagine the impact not only on God's kingdom, but the impact in your relationships as well as your professional career.
This week we are taking a huge leap forward toward our vision of realizing people who are experiencing personal transformation and gaining the tools to keep that going in their lives.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Houston Sports Authority
This week I had the pleasure to pray for the opening of the Houston Sports Authority's bi-monthly board meeting where they meet at Minute Maid Park. HSA's board was established by the legislature to oversee the three major sport stadiums in Houston (Reliant, Minute Maid, Toyota Center and Dynamo). The money to fund those projects comes from hotel taxes, car rental taxes and the lease arrangement with each location. The HSA is now engaged in, as board chair Kent Friedman said, "a marketing function to get heads in beds and butts in cars" in Houston.I wondered how to pray in such settings and exactly what to say. I did what I normally do when I am asked to pray at such functions: I get there early and meet some of the people and ask lots of questions. I learned a lot. Both about what the HSA does but more importantly about the people present and their families. I learned also that at least three major religions were represented. I learned that these folks dress really well in very high dollar suits. I learned that we could find things in common to make us laugh and pause reflectively. But behind the things that were said were fathers and mothers with families and joys and struggles. You learn the more you meet people that all of us are so completely just normal people with lives and loves and losses.
I think where I saw that so clearly was in the the way they received my daughters, Grace and Hollis, who came along with me. It was nice to see a very high functioning and professional group of people find joy in their presence.
So, as I thought about how to prayer and exactly what to say, I did what I normally do on such occasions: I sat quietly by myself and wrote a prayer to God for us all. Here it is:
Most gracious God, we express our gratitude that You remain near to us, Your creation. As Your handiwork, we are aware that when You made us, You pronounced that we were not just good, but VERY good. For that, and so much more, You are greatly to be praised.
In the context of the work of this team of people, we first thank You for the gift of sports and stadiums and elite athletes and competition. They all combine to bring us so much joy.
In the context of the work of this team of people, and perhaps specifically in light of today's agenda, we ask for Your Spirit to be very present. For the decisions that must be deliberated on and made this morning, we ask that a spirit of truth-telling mixed with humility and unity would prevail. We ask that these things would prevail for some higher collective purpose and good, than just our personal desires and what we feel we may need. We ask these things by Your grace.
To God be the glory. Amen.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Setting the Welcome Thermostat - Part 1
In 2007-2008, a First Congregational Church in Cambridge, Mass, (FCC) designed and implemented a church-wide program on Christian “faith practices” for all of its members, offering them the opportunity to explore the ways in which they were living out their faith through Christian practices such as hospitality, keeping Sabbath, and testimony. Building on this study, in 2008-2009 they initiated a second faith practices program focusing specifically on younger adults. They deployed seminarians toward the purpose of reaching out to the younger adults who had found their way, through various means, to the church. The seminarians each designed a program, implemented the plan, and then reported back to each other and church leaders about what they did and what they learned.
Here’s a summary of some of the issues that emerged through interviews with the program leaders and several of the participants. These tensions, surfaced by the interviews, give helpful food for thought to congregations that seek to engage younger adults.
Tension #1: Flexible, But With High Expectations
One of the basic questions one must ask when considering the faith lives of younger adults is who, exactly, is in this demographic category? In this case it was younger adults who had finished college but not necessarily put down roots. They saw their lives as transitory, not just because they had moved a lot (although they had), but because they had not yet made long-term commitments to a neighborhood, vocation, or in many cases a life partner. They all described the population into which they fall as one that is in flux and not yet peacefully ensconced in a way of life. They spoke of a sense of yearning for meaning and community that they thought they could find in a church. They described having arrived at what one might call a younger adult plateau, where “you’ve done all your ‘firsts’ and you feel a little settled and willing to grow.”
They also spoke of a sense of busyness that made conventional church participation difficult for them. The seminarian who created a program on parenting for younger adult parents bemoaned the fact that many potential participants simply could not make the time to participate. “It seemed to me that people were sincere in their desire, and yet the hurdles were also very real.” All involved agreed that some form of a “ladder” approach to program planning had been essential, where there were different levels of involvement from which participants could choose. Ultimately, program leaders concurred that they had to, as one put it, “be intentional about offering diverse ways of plugging in.”
The Alban Institute, by Sarah B. Drummond, May 2010
Here’s a summary of some of the issues that emerged through interviews with the program leaders and several of the participants. These tensions, surfaced by the interviews, give helpful food for thought to congregations that seek to engage younger adults.
Tension #1: Flexible, But With High Expectations
One of the basic questions one must ask when considering the faith lives of younger adults is who, exactly, is in this demographic category? In this case it was younger adults who had finished college but not necessarily put down roots. They saw their lives as transitory, not just because they had moved a lot (although they had), but because they had not yet made long-term commitments to a neighborhood, vocation, or in many cases a life partner. They all described the population into which they fall as one that is in flux and not yet peacefully ensconced in a way of life. They spoke of a sense of yearning for meaning and community that they thought they could find in a church. They described having arrived at what one might call a younger adult plateau, where “you’ve done all your ‘firsts’ and you feel a little settled and willing to grow.”
They also spoke of a sense of busyness that made conventional church participation difficult for them. The seminarian who created a program on parenting for younger adult parents bemoaned the fact that many potential participants simply could not make the time to participate. “It seemed to me that people were sincere in their desire, and yet the hurdles were also very real.” All involved agreed that some form of a “ladder” approach to program planning had been essential, where there were different levels of involvement from which participants could choose. Ultimately, program leaders concurred that they had to, as one put it, “be intentional about offering diverse ways of plugging in.”
The Alban Institute, by Sarah B. Drummond, May 2010
Friday, February 4, 2011
Spiritual But Not Religious
It's common and I think important to recognize that people who are not connected to a local congregation as a context to practice their faith describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious." They see a real dichotomy between these terms. Perhaps, we need to think of “spiritual” and “religious” not so much as polar opposites. Maybe the task before us is to recognize that there is something to cherish in each. So here are some suggestions for what our congregation can do to nurture the “spiritual” in the religious:
1. Ask, what are we offering that explicitly responds to the spiritual needs of those who are searching, questioning and/or want to have meaningful experiences of encounter with God,with others in an atmosphere of dialogue and discovery?
2.Do an audit of your programs and the times that you offer them. Does your schedule make it difficult for different ages and lifestyles to participate? I’ve noticed more and more creative programming in congregations these days. A parents group can be held during a children’s choir rehearsal, adult programs during religious school. Programs like “Messy Church” allow parents and young children to experience liturgy together.
3.Are you an intentionally “practicing congregation”? Have you found ways for those who attend to enter into and cultivate practices that can nurture their spirit and that can deepen over time? Many who seek meditation, yoga or other experiences are seeking to develop a practice that speaks to their whole person. Some of our congregations are reviving centering prayer, experimenting with different ways of doing Torah study, or including service projects as reflective religious practice.
4.Ask, who owns our congregation? Is one generation in charge or do you have a cross-section of generations and perspectives that are allowing you to look at your congregation through multiple lenses?
5.Can you enrich your own offerings by joining with other congregations for some joint programming that you collectively sponsor? When appropriate, can you sponsor interfaith programs that allow the seeker to learn various perspectives on some common human dilemmas and issues (ethics, parenting, dealing with transitions, etc.)
These are only some of the questions that allow us to bridge the dichotomies often created between the “spiritual” and the “religious.” (Adapted from an article from The Alban Institute)
1. Ask, what are we offering that explicitly responds to the spiritual needs of those who are searching, questioning and/or want to have meaningful experiences of encounter with God,with others in an atmosphere of dialogue and discovery?
2.Do an audit of your programs and the times that you offer them. Does your schedule make it difficult for different ages and lifestyles to participate? I’ve noticed more and more creative programming in congregations these days. A parents group can be held during a children’s choir rehearsal, adult programs during religious school. Programs like “Messy Church” allow parents and young children to experience liturgy together.
3.Are you an intentionally “practicing congregation”? Have you found ways for those who attend to enter into and cultivate practices that can nurture their spirit and that can deepen over time? Many who seek meditation, yoga or other experiences are seeking to develop a practice that speaks to their whole person. Some of our congregations are reviving centering prayer, experimenting with different ways of doing Torah study, or including service projects as reflective religious practice.
4.Ask, who owns our congregation? Is one generation in charge or do you have a cross-section of generations and perspectives that are allowing you to look at your congregation through multiple lenses?
5.Can you enrich your own offerings by joining with other congregations for some joint programming that you collectively sponsor? When appropriate, can you sponsor interfaith programs that allow the seeker to learn various perspectives on some common human dilemmas and issues (ethics, parenting, dealing with transitions, etc.)
These are only some of the questions that allow us to bridge the dichotomies often created between the “spiritual” and the “religious.” (Adapted from an article from The Alban Institute)
Friday, January 14, 2011
A Momentous Conversation
When I was in Cambridge England traveling on a bus, I sat next to a man and offered him a piece of the Cadbury chocolate bar I was eating. He accepted. We fell into a conversation (really more like him pontificating) that was a moment that impacted me a great deal.
Once he learned that I was in England to "test" my calling to ministry and enter seminary, he began pontificating about why no reasonable person could ever believe in any notion of "G-O-D," as he put it. The cornerstone of his argument was that there were 257 current wars happening right then in the world that were wars that were essentially taking place in the name of some form of "G-O-D." He was quite loud and animated and we were both sitting in the front of the bus. His language was also very "colorful" which brought about the chastisement of the bus driver who told us in good British fashion to "mind our language; some of the passengers are complaining."
Frankly, being a relatively new Christian at the time on a trip out of the country for the first time, I was terribly intimidated and at a loss for words. It wasn't until much later, that I formed all the answers to his questioning and visualized him falling to his needs in a great spiritual awakening, and apologizing for being so blind and wrong, thanking me for the reasoned and inspirational insight that he had never thought of before. Ah, hindsight is not only 20/20, but hindsight makes us look so good!
I still think of that experience often, and if truth be told it framed a lot of my seminary experience. It recently came back to me again while reading Thomas Merton's, Seven Storey Mountain. Here is a quote from the book that I simply share for thought and prayer in the context of this past event in my life, for whatever it is worth:
"It is only the infinite mercy and love of God that has prevented us from tearing ourselves to pieces and destroying His entire creation long ago. People seem to think that it is in some way a proof that no merciful God exists, if we have so many wars. On the contrary, consider how in spite of centuries of sin and greed and lust and cruelty and hatred and avarice and oppression and injustice, spawned and bred by the free wills of men, the human race can still recover, each time, and can still produce man and women who overcome evil with good, hatred with love, greed with charity, lust and cruelty with sanctity. How could all this be possible without the merciful love of God, pouring out His grace upon us? Can there be any doubt where wars come from and where peace comes from, when the children of this world, excluding God from their peace conferences, only manage to bring about greater and greater wars the more they talk about peace?"
— Thomas Merton (The Seven Storey Mountain)
Once he learned that I was in England to "test" my calling to ministry and enter seminary, he began pontificating about why no reasonable person could ever believe in any notion of "G-O-D," as he put it. The cornerstone of his argument was that there were 257 current wars happening right then in the world that were wars that were essentially taking place in the name of some form of "G-O-D." He was quite loud and animated and we were both sitting in the front of the bus. His language was also very "colorful" which brought about the chastisement of the bus driver who told us in good British fashion to "mind our language; some of the passengers are complaining."
Frankly, being a relatively new Christian at the time on a trip out of the country for the first time, I was terribly intimidated and at a loss for words. It wasn't until much later, that I formed all the answers to his questioning and visualized him falling to his needs in a great spiritual awakening, and apologizing for being so blind and wrong, thanking me for the reasoned and inspirational insight that he had never thought of before. Ah, hindsight is not only 20/20, but hindsight makes us look so good!
I still think of that experience often, and if truth be told it framed a lot of my seminary experience. It recently came back to me again while reading Thomas Merton's, Seven Storey Mountain. Here is a quote from the book that I simply share for thought and prayer in the context of this past event in my life, for whatever it is worth:
"It is only the infinite mercy and love of God that has prevented us from tearing ourselves to pieces and destroying His entire creation long ago. People seem to think that it is in some way a proof that no merciful God exists, if we have so many wars. On the contrary, consider how in spite of centuries of sin and greed and lust and cruelty and hatred and avarice and oppression and injustice, spawned and bred by the free wills of men, the human race can still recover, each time, and can still produce man and women who overcome evil with good, hatred with love, greed with charity, lust and cruelty with sanctity. How could all this be possible without the merciful love of God, pouring out His grace upon us? Can there be any doubt where wars come from and where peace comes from, when the children of this world, excluding God from their peace conferences, only manage to bring about greater and greater wars the more they talk about peace?"— Thomas Merton (The Seven Storey Mountain)
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
God's Scouts!
The message Sunday focused on Isaiah 52:8 from the MSG version which says
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger bringing good news,
Breaking the news that all's well,
proclaiming good times, announcing salvation,
telling Zion, "Your God reigns!"
Voices! Listen! Your scouts are shouting, thunderclap shouts,
shouting in joyful unison.
They see with their own eyes
God coming back to Zion.
In that message, I played around with the image of a scout. A sports scout, for instance, has a plan to recruit athletes to be a part of their program. Coaches depend on good scouts to work an effective plan to reach athletes who will become part of the program.
Simply put, one way that we can see ourselves as the people of God, is as God's scouts. Sunday, I invited you to be intentional, to scout out the places and the people in your life where you can have an deep impact for the purposes of God - love, reconciliation, care and justice. Here's what a plan might look like: Identify a few people. Seek the Lord on their behalf and pay attention to the Spirit's leading. Invest in them authentically. And then take a risk and dare to love deeply and sacrificially. I encourage you to be invitational and bring someone to FCC, so that someone new may have a chance to experience a vital relationship with Jesus.
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of the messenger bringing good news,
Breaking the news that all's well,
proclaiming good times, announcing salvation,
telling Zion, "Your God reigns!"
Voices! Listen! Your scouts are shouting, thunderclap shouts,
shouting in joyful unison.
They see with their own eyes
God coming back to Zion.
In that message, I played around with the image of a scout. A sports scout, for instance, has a plan to recruit athletes to be a part of their program. Coaches depend on good scouts to work an effective plan to reach athletes who will become part of the program.
Simply put, one way that we can see ourselves as the people of God, is as God's scouts. Sunday, I invited you to be intentional, to scout out the places and the people in your life where you can have an deep impact for the purposes of God - love, reconciliation, care and justice. Here's what a plan might look like: Identify a few people. Seek the Lord on their behalf and pay attention to the Spirit's leading. Invest in them authentically. And then take a risk and dare to love deeply and sacrificially. I encourage you to be invitational and bring someone to FCC, so that someone new may have a chance to experience a vital relationship with Jesus.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Acts 2 Vision and Healthcare
My wife, Dawn, works for the Weekley Family YMCA as Wellness and Marketing Director. Today, she attended the Houston Wellness Association meeting that was held in partnership with Harris Co Healthcare Alliance (1).
The main focus of the meeting was Healthcare Reform. Here are some of the highlights she shared with me:
- There are 1 million uninsured in Houston, 6 million in Texas
- 80% of the 1 million uninsured in Houston fall below the federal poverty level
- Healthcare spending represents 17% of the GNP
- This week's election could result in a mandate against Healthcare Reform
- 1/2 of Healthcare Reform is funded by Medicare cuts
- Healthcare Reform is rolling out in phases. Phase I (the phase we are currently in) deals mostly with compliance issues
- A major topic of interest is how "Pay or Play" will effect employers and employees
- The financial system for funding Healthcare Reform is unsustainable. The deficit is too high and Medicare is the largest single threat to the federal budget
- Issues never dealt with in the original legislation include illegal immigrants and patients that cannot afford to pay (the law states that medical facilities must provide treatment regardless of someone's ability to pay)
- The current health insurance market and regulatory structure has resulted in coverage predominantly for healthy (and wealthy) people
- Texas has the highest rate of uninsured in the nation. 25.7% of the population, >30% of which are in Houston
- Most industry leaders believe current Fee for Service payment system is ineffective and agree payment reform should include financial incentives that reward "Right Behaviors"
All in all, pretty interesting stuff. The challenge, of course, is to filter the information through our Acts 2 Vision of bringing people into vital relationship with Jesus. How can FCC address the 1 million people who are affected by the issues? How do we serve those who have no access to healthcare? I would really love the creative, Holy Spirit feedback of your initial thoughts on that.
1 The speakers were Courtney Stubblefield from Towers Watson (a consult agency that deals with employee benefits, risk management and other employment related issues), Chris Schultz from Air Liquide (a global business that is a relatively large employer that has many clients in the medical community) and John Hawkins with Texas Hospital Association.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Fight For Not Against Your Marriage
First Christian Church, where I pastor, is deeply committed to ministry to the whole family. We have taken on creating a bold future of ministry to families at every stage of life and experience. One of the hardest seasons in life is soon after the wedding, within the first 7 years of marriage. These are the years when a couple is learning about and growing with each other, when careers are often factoring into large life decisions and when children often first come into the picture.
As John Eldredge, author of Wild at Heart, will tell you: You can fake it at work. You can fake it at church. But you can’t fake it in your marriage.
A lot of people get into marriage and feel like they’re doing something wrong when it turns out to be harder than they expected. They feel embarrassed about struggling—especially when they haven’t been married very long.
“As Christian couples, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have the model marriage,” said John’s wife Stasi, who teamed up with him to write Captivating for women. “When things are rough, we feel that we should hide that and parade the good stuff without addressing the bad.”
Read the rest of the article:
http://www.daveramsey.com/article/how-to-fight-emforem-each-other-not-against/lifeandmoney_church/?ectid=fpucnl.1110_23
As John Eldredge, author of Wild at Heart, will tell you: You can fake it at work. You can fake it at church. But you can’t fake it in your marriage.
A lot of people get into marriage and feel like they’re doing something wrong when it turns out to be harder than they expected. They feel embarrassed about struggling—especially when they haven’t been married very long.
“As Christian couples, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have the model marriage,” said John’s wife Stasi, who teamed up with him to write Captivating for women. “When things are rough, we feel that we should hide that and parade the good stuff without addressing the bad.”
Read the rest of the article:
http://www.daveramsey.com/article/how-to-fight-emforem-each-other-not-against/lifeandmoney_church/?ectid=fpucnl.1110_23
Friday, October 29, 2010
Faithwalking
This week I attended a Faithwalking Retreat at the Northwest Forest Conference Center outside of Houston. This is the second time I have done FW and was invited this time to prepare for helping to lead future FW retreats. FW is a learning opportunity like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. Like a lot of retreats it can become something that you do and then put away thus becoming a great experience for 48 hours that doesn’t really reap benefits otherwise. The challenge is to stay “in action” with the tools I’m acquiring.
The tools I’m acquiring to stay “in action” have mostly to do with getting real honest about the way I “be” in the systems that I inhabit. For me—like anyone—the systems are my family, the church I pastor (or attend) and other places where a community exists made up of people who know my name and recognize me. In each of these places I have a way of being that either inhibits or fosters the future that I want, the future that God hopes will come to pass in and through me.
Jesus said something that is recorded in John’s gospel that I think gives hope to everyone who is stuck in patterns that lead us to despair about ever being different or ever experiencing the wholeness that God has in mind for us: I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12). For me this has less to do with “turning water into wine.” It has everything to do with learning to live a life that is whole and full in such a way that the future that God wants for your life and for the world comes to reality.
In large part FW is about becoming present to the things in one’s life that keep you stuck in patterns that are hurtful, or debilitating, or sinful. In essence, it’s about becoming present to your habitual disobedience where following Jesus is concerned. Identifying those things—and really being honest and authentic about it—becomes a beginning point for a person to experience the abundant life Jesus promised for those who followed him.
I am thankful that I am a part of a community of people made up of many who provide the grace for people to be in process on stuff like this, for their pastor to be in process. I covet your prayers (as I also pray for you) that God would complete the work God has begun in me.
The tools I’m acquiring to stay “in action” have mostly to do with getting real honest about the way I “be” in the systems that I inhabit. For me—like anyone—the systems are my family, the church I pastor (or attend) and other places where a community exists made up of people who know my name and recognize me. In each of these places I have a way of being that either inhibits or fosters the future that I want, the future that God hopes will come to pass in and through me.
Jesus said something that is recorded in John’s gospel that I think gives hope to everyone who is stuck in patterns that lead us to despair about ever being different or ever experiencing the wholeness that God has in mind for us: I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12). For me this has less to do with “turning water into wine.” It has everything to do with learning to live a life that is whole and full in such a way that the future that God wants for your life and for the world comes to reality.
In large part FW is about becoming present to the things in one’s life that keep you stuck in patterns that are hurtful, or debilitating, or sinful. In essence, it’s about becoming present to your habitual disobedience where following Jesus is concerned. Identifying those things—and really being honest and authentic about it—becomes a beginning point for a person to experience the abundant life Jesus promised for those who followed him.
I am thankful that I am a part of a community of people made up of many who provide the grace for people to be in process on stuff like this, for their pastor to be in process. I covet your prayers (as I also pray for you) that God would complete the work God has begun in me.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Lebron James and Faithfulness
I don’t know everything that went on behind the scenes of the LeBron James Decision Day Special last month. I’m not sure of all the things that led up to this (forgive me if you’re a fan) "circus". I’d bet a lot of money that a lot of money was made by someone. And I don’t know, maybe LeBron, or rather LBJ as he’s popularly called, is donating whatever he made on the event to the neediest of the needy. Or maybe he agreed to this -forgive me again – "fiasco" only after calling sponsors to give what they made for some – what? – greater purpose (For God’s sake, anything!). I guess, ultimately, I don’t know. But at least on the surface of things and judging by the Twitter commentary (which is clearly the bastion of truthful commentary), it sure appears to be incredibly Me-First.
And maybe that shouldn’t be surprising. I also don’t know what ultimate commitments LBJ has made in his life that might claim him in some way to be different.
I don’t know (actually in this case, I think I do know), something real specific that Jesus said hit me hard during that week of the LBJ Decision Day Special. And I've been thinking about it for a while since. The question Jesus asks that hit me hard was this: Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (Mt 6:25). Hmmm.
It’s a question that Jesus asked in the Sermon on the Mount. He asks the question right after teaching about some important things: Giving to the needy, Prayer and Fasting and Storing the right treasure in the right place. It’s right after that, as if Jesus knows what we are thinking after hearing this demanding word, that Jesus gets to the topic of Fear, spoken in the tattered tones of worry, anxiety and stress. Jesus’ word about Fear is a summary point after all the demanding living he has just called his followers to adopt, living that if we really, really did adopt as the shape of our existence ought to scare the living daylights out of us!
In this way, Jesus pits Faith over against Fear (not Doubt, by the way). And part of what we realize is that Faith releases the floodgates of opportunity whereas fear shuts it all down. I can’t help but think the LBJ missed the opportunity with his Decision Day Special, but again, I don’t know everything.
One important thing got stirred up in me as I reflected on Jesus’ question, Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? It’s important for us to see LBJ’s special like we’re looking into a mirror and seeing ourselves, albeit perhaps (and I mean perhaps) to a lesser degree. As I did that, what I see reflected back to me when I look into the LBJ mirror is a person named Michael Dunn who is Me-First in so many areas of my life. I mean, more often than not, I cannot even get it right with my family. And my guess is that what’s true of me is true of every one of us who gathers at a table in Faith that runs so completely counter to Me-First, a table where the words of Jesus reverberate through the centuries, This is my body…given…for you…whenever…remember what I have done.
Jesus poses a question for us to ponder, I guess, but probably more importantly, for us to answer. LBJ notwithstanding.
And maybe that shouldn’t be surprising. I also don’t know what ultimate commitments LBJ has made in his life that might claim him in some way to be different.
I don’t know (actually in this case, I think I do know), something real specific that Jesus said hit me hard during that week of the LBJ Decision Day Special. And I've been thinking about it for a while since. The question Jesus asks that hit me hard was this: Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (Mt 6:25). Hmmm.
It’s a question that Jesus asked in the Sermon on the Mount. He asks the question right after teaching about some important things: Giving to the needy, Prayer and Fasting and Storing the right treasure in the right place. It’s right after that, as if Jesus knows what we are thinking after hearing this demanding word, that Jesus gets to the topic of Fear, spoken in the tattered tones of worry, anxiety and stress. Jesus’ word about Fear is a summary point after all the demanding living he has just called his followers to adopt, living that if we really, really did adopt as the shape of our existence ought to scare the living daylights out of us!
In this way, Jesus pits Faith over against Fear (not Doubt, by the way). And part of what we realize is that Faith releases the floodgates of opportunity whereas fear shuts it all down. I can’t help but think the LBJ missed the opportunity with his Decision Day Special, but again, I don’t know everything.
One important thing got stirred up in me as I reflected on Jesus’ question, Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? It’s important for us to see LBJ’s special like we’re looking into a mirror and seeing ourselves, albeit perhaps (and I mean perhaps) to a lesser degree. As I did that, what I see reflected back to me when I look into the LBJ mirror is a person named Michael Dunn who is Me-First in so many areas of my life. I mean, more often than not, I cannot even get it right with my family. And my guess is that what’s true of me is true of every one of us who gathers at a table in Faith that runs so completely counter to Me-First, a table where the words of Jesus reverberate through the centuries, This is my body…given…for you…whenever…remember what I have done.
Jesus poses a question for us to ponder, I guess, but probably more importantly, for us to answer. LBJ notwithstanding.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A Growing Hunger Growing Inside of Me
Here’s a quote that has really made me think about how I am to people who haven't embraced Jesus...
Behind the prescriptions and prognostications, behind the doubts and defeatism, beyond the debates about emerging churches and postmodern contexts is something that I think pleases Jesus: hunger. Hunger for deeper, wider and higher community that genuinely and organically transforms the communities we belong to and the ones that surround us. I see hunger for something beyond the individualized, self-absorbed, bloated faith that is common fair for most churches.
I have come to realize, especially as I lie down to sleep at night under warm blankets on a cold night and pray a prayer of thanks to God, that I am part of a church that is often part of the problem for why people feel less than compelled to embrace a relationship with Jesus. Please don’t get me wrong. I love the Church and believe that it is loved by Jesus with all its failings and shortcomings. And I believe that the church exists as a sign of Jesus’ kingdom (don’t have time to explain that one completely right now – even if I could). But sometimes I think – and I understand this to be truth for me – that we are a little too comfortable and settled. And let me put that back in the first person – I’m too comfortable and settled. And that’s why I think I am part of the problem.
If you want to know what is growing inside of me, as a person and a follower of Jesus, let me say it this way: Hunger. For me the growing hunger that is growing inside of me is for the shape of my life to take on more the same shape of the life of Jesus. Now that scares the “be-Jesus” out of me more than a little bit. It actually freaks me out! Because that means some things have to change in me – and some of that I can see and some of that, I’m sure, I cannot yet see. But if I were to put it into a humongous nutshell, I’d say that the large thing that needs to change in me is to become a person who can take on what Jesus did – a cross. (The fatalism that suddenly creeps in for me right now as I write that statement is that I fail miserably trying to take on the shape of the cross for my closest relationships.)
If I were to put the growing hunger growing inside of me more specifically, then I would say that it is a hunger to let nothing of my present life stand in the way of connecting more people to the Jesus I am learning more about. If you are a non-believer reading this piece, I want you to hear that I’m really striving to create a space for genuine searching. Part of the reason for that is, even though I have chosen to be a follower of Jesus and signed on the proverbial dotted line, I’m still genuinely searching, too.
I think what that quote has gotten me to thinking about is that I hear a kindred spirit. I, too, am hungering for “deeper, wider and higher community that genuinely and organically transforms the communities we belong to and the ones that surround us.” I'm blessed to be a part of a church, that may not get it all right all the time, but has a growing hunger for the same thing. I'm blessed.
And so, I’m willing – and praying as I lie down to sleep at night under warm blankets on a cold night and pray a prayer of thanks, to take some risks to make that happen. If you’re hungry, I invite you to join me.
Behind the prescriptions and prognostications, behind the doubts and defeatism, beyond the debates about emerging churches and postmodern contexts is something that I think pleases Jesus: hunger. Hunger for deeper, wider and higher community that genuinely and organically transforms the communities we belong to and the ones that surround us. I see hunger for something beyond the individualized, self-absorbed, bloated faith that is common fair for most churches.
I have come to realize, especially as I lie down to sleep at night under warm blankets on a cold night and pray a prayer of thanks to God, that I am part of a church that is often part of the problem for why people feel less than compelled to embrace a relationship with Jesus. Please don’t get me wrong. I love the Church and believe that it is loved by Jesus with all its failings and shortcomings. And I believe that the church exists as a sign of Jesus’ kingdom (don’t have time to explain that one completely right now – even if I could). But sometimes I think – and I understand this to be truth for me – that we are a little too comfortable and settled. And let me put that back in the first person – I’m too comfortable and settled. And that’s why I think I am part of the problem.
If you want to know what is growing inside of me, as a person and a follower of Jesus, let me say it this way: Hunger. For me the growing hunger that is growing inside of me is for the shape of my life to take on more the same shape of the life of Jesus. Now that scares the “be-Jesus” out of me more than a little bit. It actually freaks me out! Because that means some things have to change in me – and some of that I can see and some of that, I’m sure, I cannot yet see. But if I were to put it into a humongous nutshell, I’d say that the large thing that needs to change in me is to become a person who can take on what Jesus did – a cross. (The fatalism that suddenly creeps in for me right now as I write that statement is that I fail miserably trying to take on the shape of the cross for my closest relationships.)
If I were to put the growing hunger growing inside of me more specifically, then I would say that it is a hunger to let nothing of my present life stand in the way of connecting more people to the Jesus I am learning more about. If you are a non-believer reading this piece, I want you to hear that I’m really striving to create a space for genuine searching. Part of the reason for that is, even though I have chosen to be a follower of Jesus and signed on the proverbial dotted line, I’m still genuinely searching, too.
I think what that quote has gotten me to thinking about is that I hear a kindred spirit. I, too, am hungering for “deeper, wider and higher community that genuinely and organically transforms the communities we belong to and the ones that surround us.” I'm blessed to be a part of a church, that may not get it all right all the time, but has a growing hunger for the same thing. I'm blessed.
And so, I’m willing – and praying as I lie down to sleep at night under warm blankets on a cold night and pray a prayer of thanks, to take some risks to make that happen. If you’re hungry, I invite you to join me.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Hey, I Like Me
I’ve been learning a lot about myself recently. It comes with the territory when you are a pastor leading congregational transformation in a church made up of leaders who are successfully reversing nearly 50 years of decline. Engaging such work and ministry, I learn things that I like about myself and also things that make me cringe. Lately, if you don’t mind me saying, mostly what I am learning has been more on the side of what I like. It’s been a nice feeling. (Think Dell Griffith: “I like me.”)
As I noted in my previous post, I have been reading a most helpful book called Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times, by Peter Steinke. The book has come at an interesting time, since our leadership is dialoguing about transitions (read: changes) in worship to reach, frankly, a different demographic (read: people who are not already coming to church). As you can imagine, given a generation of the church’s wars around worship, such a dialogue runs the potential of being highly charged with emotion (read: it can easily get ugly).
And here is where Steinke’s book has helped. Given that the “field” we are entering into in this dialogue on worship is a hugely emotional one, Steinke has reminded me that my presence as a leader can detract or enhance the process. Maybe another way of saying this is: How I lead has the potential to give life to the process – or not.
Three things are really important for me to keep in mind as I engage leaders in this dialogue and help move us toward our congregation’s shared vision of bringing more people into a vital relationship with Jesus. Moving closer to the shared vision is – I believe this is true – the positive outcome that we are all hoping for. And so, the first thing for me to keep in mind is to function in my role as a leader from “principled” ground. Steinke says it this way, “A positive outcome will emerge if the leader’s presence and functioning are centered in principle.” The question I need to be asking myself regularly is this: Am I making choices based on principle or am I choosing based on expediency?
The second thing is to manage myself well in the midst of a “field” that is charged with intensity and the expressions of strong opinions. How I respond to the anxiety directly impacts the nature of the outcome. That doesn’t mean that everything is dependent on me, but it does mean that I can foster a spirit of creativity in others or shut that down real quickly, leaving a field characterized by chaos.
The third thing for me to keep in mind is about making sure I am taking a thoughtful position in the matter. Or maybe another way to put it is to take a stand. Not that I have a corner on the market for what God is doing, but taking a stand does allow for us all to have a place to start, a point of orientation for dialogue. Ultimately, the stand we take on any number of things in the church is best done looking into an eternal mission and a clear vision. The decisions we make are best made when they are a reflection of our best thinking about accomplishing the vision and mission of Jesus.
What I am learning about myself in leading out in this process of transitioning worship is that my instincts have been good. And I’ll have to admit, that’s been a nice thing to learn.
As I noted in my previous post, I have been reading a most helpful book called Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times, by Peter Steinke. The book has come at an interesting time, since our leadership is dialoguing about transitions (read: changes) in worship to reach, frankly, a different demographic (read: people who are not already coming to church). As you can imagine, given a generation of the church’s wars around worship, such a dialogue runs the potential of being highly charged with emotion (read: it can easily get ugly).
And here is where Steinke’s book has helped. Given that the “field” we are entering into in this dialogue on worship is a hugely emotional one, Steinke has reminded me that my presence as a leader can detract or enhance the process. Maybe another way of saying this is: How I lead has the potential to give life to the process – or not.
Three things are really important for me to keep in mind as I engage leaders in this dialogue and help move us toward our congregation’s shared vision of bringing more people into a vital relationship with Jesus. Moving closer to the shared vision is – I believe this is true – the positive outcome that we are all hoping for. And so, the first thing for me to keep in mind is to function in my role as a leader from “principled” ground. Steinke says it this way, “A positive outcome will emerge if the leader’s presence and functioning are centered in principle.” The question I need to be asking myself regularly is this: Am I making choices based on principle or am I choosing based on expediency?
The second thing is to manage myself well in the midst of a “field” that is charged with intensity and the expressions of strong opinions. How I respond to the anxiety directly impacts the nature of the outcome. That doesn’t mean that everything is dependent on me, but it does mean that I can foster a spirit of creativity in others or shut that down real quickly, leaving a field characterized by chaos.
The third thing for me to keep in mind is about making sure I am taking a thoughtful position in the matter. Or maybe another way to put it is to take a stand. Not that I have a corner on the market for what God is doing, but taking a stand does allow for us all to have a place to start, a point of orientation for dialogue. Ultimately, the stand we take on any number of things in the church is best done looking into an eternal mission and a clear vision. The decisions we make are best made when they are a reflection of our best thinking about accomplishing the vision and mission of Jesus.
What I am learning about myself in leading out in this process of transitioning worship is that my instincts have been good. And I’ll have to admit, that’s been a nice thing to learn.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Leadership in Anxious Times
I’ve started what looks like a really helpful book entitled, “Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times”, by Peter Steinke. It is a book obviously written for congregational leaders, but the insights are readily helpful for a lot of settings and our personal relationships.
One section talks about how most congregations react to anxiety. Anxiety is a natural part of life and congregations whenever a God-sized vision has taken hold of an individual or a group of people (Think Nehemiah the cupbearer before the king shaking in his boots and praying hard, 2:2-3). Living into the vision almost always means trying on different mental models for how things operate and exist.
Right now, our Advisory Team and one of our Visionpath Teams are dialoguing quite a lot about worship. We have tried hard to keep from locking into a false dichotomy of Traditional versus Contemporary Style. A much deeper, more significant basis is taking hold and capturing our imaginations; namely, letting the Spirit open us to the notion of not letting anything stand in the way of connecting people to Jesus and one another in more effective ways. But as you can imagine, as the dialogue expands to more and more groups in our congregation, so expands the level of anxiety.
The reaction to that increasing level of anxiety is automatic, gut level and quite normal. Strange as it may seem, often congregations have a hard time “seeing” their problems. Hey, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know – we ALL have problems! We have a strong tendency to react in such a way that denies we have troubles. Not recognizing a problem is an anxious defense mechanism. Another related reaction in anxious times is “Simplifying”. We say things like, “That just happens,” or “Things were worse before.” We often try to shine up what is already being done, but not deal effectively with deeper level issues and needs.
Another common reaction is “Ignoring”, we drift away from active participation, or even give up our membership and go elsewhere. Hey, it happens. I’m never happy about it, but it happens. The problem is that the opportunity for learning and change disappears. We can also react by “freezing,” by letting ourselves get stopped and stuck. Since action might trigger opposition, we delay and delay. Ever been there? I have. Ever done that? Sure enough, I have.
There’s no judgment in this – all that these reactions say is “Hey, we’re human.” It’s a basic part of the human equation. But we can learn this about ourselves and acknowledge it, and once that is done, we now have the capability to manage ourselves well in the midst of the anxiety that inevitably comes when people latch onto a God-sized vision.
I’m enjoying the book, so I’m betting there will be more to come. Until then…
One section talks about how most congregations react to anxiety. Anxiety is a natural part of life and congregations whenever a God-sized vision has taken hold of an individual or a group of people (Think Nehemiah the cupbearer before the king shaking in his boots and praying hard, 2:2-3). Living into the vision almost always means trying on different mental models for how things operate and exist.
Right now, our Advisory Team and one of our Visionpath Teams are dialoguing quite a lot about worship. We have tried hard to keep from locking into a false dichotomy of Traditional versus Contemporary Style. A much deeper, more significant basis is taking hold and capturing our imaginations; namely, letting the Spirit open us to the notion of not letting anything stand in the way of connecting people to Jesus and one another in more effective ways. But as you can imagine, as the dialogue expands to more and more groups in our congregation, so expands the level of anxiety.
The reaction to that increasing level of anxiety is automatic, gut level and quite normal. Strange as it may seem, often congregations have a hard time “seeing” their problems. Hey, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know – we ALL have problems! We have a strong tendency to react in such a way that denies we have troubles. Not recognizing a problem is an anxious defense mechanism. Another related reaction in anxious times is “Simplifying”. We say things like, “That just happens,” or “Things were worse before.” We often try to shine up what is already being done, but not deal effectively with deeper level issues and needs.
Another common reaction is “Ignoring”, we drift away from active participation, or even give up our membership and go elsewhere. Hey, it happens. I’m never happy about it, but it happens. The problem is that the opportunity for learning and change disappears. We can also react by “freezing,” by letting ourselves get stopped and stuck. Since action might trigger opposition, we delay and delay. Ever been there? I have. Ever done that? Sure enough, I have.
There’s no judgment in this – all that these reactions say is “Hey, we’re human.” It’s a basic part of the human equation. But we can learn this about ourselves and acknowledge it, and once that is done, we now have the capability to manage ourselves well in the midst of the anxiety that inevitably comes when people latch onto a God-sized vision.
I’m enjoying the book, so I’m betting there will be more to come. Until then…
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