I've commented before about +Seth Godin , the American entrepeneurial guru who is challenging so many of the accepted norms of today: in marketing, in education, in work. I believe his ideas have great relevance in those areas, but also in the world of the 21st century church. If you are a person wrestling with the place of church today, and how we might do it differently to take our eyes of people and put them back on Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, as the writer of the letter to the Hebrews calls Him.
Here is a link to some Seth's recent work on schools. Seth asks the brave question, 'What is the modern school for?' I'd really urge you to take 17 minutes and watch the TEDx Talk. If that gets you thinking, then go on to read some of the material on the site below the #youtube link. Dont be afraid to ask the question, "how is the way my school works going to help my children make a difference in their world, and not merely find a place in it?"
But here's the thing - and this is the question I'm wrestling with as a Pastor. Why not then ask the same questions about how we do church? Why not ask "what is the modern church for?" In the 21st century, are we serving people well by having a once-a-week performance led by a 'professor' of the faith - who rarely does it as well as a Tom Wright (you can follow his twitter account by clicking here) or a +Tim Keller - or might we be better with another model? A model that encourages us to think, not simply agree/ comply? (See this youtube clip for a great parody of church life under the current model).
For example, how about taking up one of Seth's ideas in the TEDx Talk, giving people the link to a high quality sermon or talk on a subject they are interested in, for them to watch during the week, and then inviting them on a Sunday morning to come and worship, and then break into groups with coffee to discuss what they watched, and to ask the questions together of what the talk raised for them? Note: not pre-prepared questions! That's just another way of setting boundaries of compliance.
What would the role of the Pastor be in that situation? Because she could not help every discussion group, wouldn't her importance on a Sunday fade? And be replaced by how she coached the discussion facilitators during the week? Would she cope with that loss of apparent significance? Would the congregation value the coaching role? Heck, would a congregation even come to such an event?
Perhaps I should try this. Because I want people to fulfil the words of the prophet Joel and dream dreams, and see visions. I want to #stopstealingdreams.
Is anyone with me? (And as a side point for my own reflection, is that even relevant?)
Thursday 23 May 2013
Wednesday 22 May 2013
...Of Emotional Breathing
One of my congregation (I won't say who, as he doesn't like any limelight) recently a link to a wonderfully reflective thinker: Ron Rolheiser.
Ron has some great things to say about how we approach faith and relationships - especially where our faith and our expectations of others intersect.
You can check out Ron's thoughts here:
http://www.ronrolheiser.com/
An older article of his on the impact of our emotional needs on how we serve others is particularly insightful. It is Ron notes it is good and healthy to look for the touch of others: God created us that way. But if this becomes the basis for why we serve - to have our emotional needs met - we will never mature spiritually. Why? Because we always put a condition on the serving: we will keep saying 'I will love you and stay with you, as long as there's something in it for me.'
But as Ron says, real growth and maturity serves because it is good and right; not because we get something from it. That's hard, and it is certainly not the message we hear in Twenty-first Western media outlets: but it is very true.John the elder wrote "We love because God first loved us." That, and only that is the true basis for loving and serving: out of gratitude to the One Who loved us totally and gave Himself freely for our restoration.
Ron has some great things to say about how we approach faith and relationships - especially where our faith and our expectations of others intersect.
You can check out Ron's thoughts here:
http://www.ronrolheiser.com/
An older article of his on the impact of our emotional needs on how we serve others is particularly insightful. It is Ron notes it is good and healthy to look for the touch of others: God created us that way. But if this becomes the basis for why we serve - to have our emotional needs met - we will never mature spiritually. Why? Because we always put a condition on the serving: we will keep saying 'I will love you and stay with you, as long as there's something in it for me.'
But as Ron says, real growth and maturity serves because it is good and right; not because we get something from it. That's hard, and it is certainly not the message we hear in Twenty-first Western media outlets: but it is very true.John the elder wrote "We love because God first loved us." That, and only that is the true basis for loving and serving: out of gratitude to the One Who loved us totally and gave Himself freely for our restoration.
Tuesday 14 May 2013
...Of Lifelong Friendships
I turned 50 last month.
Before you switch off, wondering if this is another "oh no, I'm 50, where has my life gone?" blog, the email is not about me. At least, not in that way.
Rather, its about a birthday present I received. Probably the most special present I have ever been given.
In 1995 we opened our home to an overseas student, who came to stay for a year. Johanna was from Finland, and she was 17. She spoke 7 languages fluently, and though she came to New Zealand partly to help her English, she spoke it better than most native-borne 'kiwis'. She stretched us as a family in so many wonderful ways. When after a year she boarded her plane home, it was truly like losing a daughter. I think we grieved her 'loss' far more than we ever thought possible.
Yet life moves on.Over the years we kept in some kind of touch, and from a distance we 'watched' Johanna grow from a sparkling and creative teenager - our surrogate daughter/ niece - to an amazing woman. We heard of her career, her loves, her first child, her marriage. All of it meant something to us. Yet somehow, because she lived so far away, and was not really our daughter, it happened in a back part of our minds: someone to be remembered on a quiet Winter's evening.
And then: It came. A gift for my fiftieth birthday. A book; but such a book. Not just any book. A book of memories and dreams. A book that brought 1995, and memories from the intervening years, flooding back. A book of photos and thoughts from the heart of this marvelous young woman - older now than we were when she first came and made herself a part of us.
A book that reminds me that when we connect with a person nothing truly separates us from them. Time, distance, life changes. All become part of the relationship, all shape the relationship, all enrich that relationship, if we will let them.Friendships do last. They make us the people we are today.
.JPG)
This is why the Bible is such a special book. It too is a book of memories and dreams, from One whose words shape and enrich us. There may be days - even years - when God can seem very far away. But, just like this wonderful book from Johanna, when I open His book the special times with God come flooding back, and I am young again.
We have these two precious books, from a creative woman and the Creator God. And we shall never be the same again.
Before you switch off, wondering if this is another "oh no, I'm 50, where has my life gone?" blog, the email is not about me. At least, not in that way.
Rather, its about a birthday present I received. Probably the most special present I have ever been given.
In 1995 we opened our home to an overseas student, who came to stay for a year. Johanna was from Finland, and she was 17. She spoke 7 languages fluently, and though she came to New Zealand partly to help her English, she spoke it better than most native-borne 'kiwis'. She stretched us as a family in so many wonderful ways. When after a year she boarded her plane home, it was truly like losing a daughter. I think we grieved her 'loss' far more than we ever thought possible.
Yet life moves on.Over the years we kept in some kind of touch, and from a distance we 'watched' Johanna grow from a sparkling and creative teenager - our surrogate daughter/ niece - to an amazing woman. We heard of her career, her loves, her first child, her marriage. All of it meant something to us. Yet somehow, because she lived so far away, and was not really our daughter, it happened in a back part of our minds: someone to be remembered on a quiet Winter's evening.
And then: It came. A gift for my fiftieth birthday. A book; but such a book. Not just any book. A book of memories and dreams. A book that brought 1995, and memories from the intervening years, flooding back. A book of photos and thoughts from the heart of this marvelous young woman - older now than we were when she first came and made herself a part of us.
A book that reminds me that when we connect with a person nothing truly separates us from them. Time, distance, life changes. All become part of the relationship, all shape the relationship, all enrich that relationship, if we will let them.Friendships do last. They make us the people we are today.
.JPG) |
| My beloved and Johanna's special book! |
This is why the Bible is such a special book. It too is a book of memories and dreams, from One whose words shape and enrich us. There may be days - even years - when God can seem very far away. But, just like this wonderful book from Johanna, when I open His book the special times with God come flooding back, and I am young again.We have these two precious books, from a creative woman and the Creator God. And we shall never be the same again.
Tuesday 7 May 2013
... Of Failed Apps, and other missed opportunities
An open letter to a Service Company (with thanks to +Seth Godin for his insightful comments on creative thinking)
"Dear CEO of a major service company I deal with.
Your company sent me an excited email yesterday.Did I want to keep track of my usage of your service, so that I can keep on top of the costs of that service? If so, then I could download your brand new 'App' (for the uninitiated, that is short for 'Application for a mobile internet-connected device, like a smart-phone'. For those who don't understand that sentence, this entire post may effectively be in Swahili)
Always one to want to keep a lid on costs, I signed up for the service and downloaded this free app.
Then I opened the app on my phone. Here is the message I received, right off the bat:
"A ... server request has failed, our App development team will look into the issue. Please try again at a later time."
No, dear CEO of the service company, I wont be trying again at a later time. I have tried four times for three days now. You told me this is an excellent product that would enhance my appreciation of your service. You have done the worst thing imaginable in service terms: told me I will benefit from something you have made just for me - something I didn't know before-hand that I wanted, but now do - only to let me down at the very first hurdle.
Dear company: never create a market niche that you immediately and completely fail to fill. It makes me feel disappointed, and you look very foolish. Instead, test your product, at least a bit. I don't mind if there are some teething issues: I get that new ideas can sometimes take time to perfect. But if the entire thing is a 'fail' from the beginning, that, dear sir, is a fail of epic proportions."
"Dear CEO of a major service company I deal with.
Your company sent me an excited email yesterday.Did I want to keep track of my usage of your service, so that I can keep on top of the costs of that service? If so, then I could download your brand new 'App' (for the uninitiated, that is short for 'Application for a mobile internet-connected device, like a smart-phone'. For those who don't understand that sentence, this entire post may effectively be in Swahili)
Always one to want to keep a lid on costs, I signed up for the service and downloaded this free app.
Then I opened the app on my phone. Here is the message I received, right off the bat:
"A ... server request has failed, our App development team will look into the issue. Please try again at a later time."
No, dear CEO of the service company, I wont be trying again at a later time. I have tried four times for three days now. You told me this is an excellent product that would enhance my appreciation of your service. You have done the worst thing imaginable in service terms: told me I will benefit from something you have made just for me - something I didn't know before-hand that I wanted, but now do - only to let me down at the very first hurdle.
Dear company: never create a market niche that you immediately and completely fail to fill. It makes me feel disappointed, and you look very foolish. Instead, test your product, at least a bit. I don't mind if there are some teething issues: I get that new ideas can sometimes take time to perfect. But if the entire thing is a 'fail' from the beginning, that, dear sir, is a fail of epic proportions."
Thursday 2 May 2013
... of Grounded Questions
A dear friend put this clip on Facebook today:
Grounded Questions: Mark Strom
It takes 16 minutes to watch: it is time well spent.
In the clip, the speaker Mark Strom argues for the power of grounded questions.
His conviction: at the heart of every social group is a 'certain' conversation. That conversation opens us up to telling stories, and it is in stories where life-changing moments happen. The way to access those stories is to ask grounded questions.
Mark sets a challenge for us all: if we want to see true shift in people, do we engage their logic, or do we engage their hearts? He argues that we need to engage the heart.
Mark is arguing for the power of the 'person' over the 'principle'. Principles are good; they have their place. But true power to change and be changed comes from the person.
How interesting it is that when God wanted to introduce a life-changing paradigm shift He did it through a person: His Son Jesus Christ.
And Jesus came, and he asked grounded questions and told stories.
And in dying and rising again, he gave us a story.
Are we asking grounded questions, and telling stories?
Grounded Questions: Mark Strom
It takes 16 minutes to watch: it is time well spent.
In the clip, the speaker Mark Strom argues for the power of grounded questions.
His conviction: at the heart of every social group is a 'certain' conversation. That conversation opens us up to telling stories, and it is in stories where life-changing moments happen. The way to access those stories is to ask grounded questions.
Mark sets a challenge for us all: if we want to see true shift in people, do we engage their logic, or do we engage their hearts? He argues that we need to engage the heart.
Mark is arguing for the power of the 'person' over the 'principle'. Principles are good; they have their place. But true power to change and be changed comes from the person.
How interesting it is that when God wanted to introduce a life-changing paradigm shift He did it through a person: His Son Jesus Christ.
And Jesus came, and he asked grounded questions and told stories.
And in dying and rising again, he gave us a story.
Are we asking grounded questions, and telling stories?
Wednesday 1 May 2013
...of Forests and Trees
I had a day of meetings today. I really enjoyed each of the people I met. They have passion, commitment, ideals, and ask the questions I love to hear asked.
Yet, as I sit here late at night, I somehow feel that today I may have missed the forest for the trees. I feel quite discontented, and I'm not sure why.
What's worse, I'm looking at my diary for the next week, and I have a growing sense that other days will end the same way. I am looking forward to seeing each of the people and groups; so why would I feel this way?
Two answers are possible: one is that my 'gift' of wanting to do the best with every moment and give the best to each person means that I will always feel discontented. After all, perfection by its very nature is not possible in this life, so each moment will always fall short of the ideal. This is a good thing, since it pushes me to rely on God more, and to accept that he will take my best and use it as He wills. And that is a very good thing.
The other answer is that I'm getting too engrossed in the trees, and I need to stop, take a deep breath and wait on God; to hear what he is saying about my busy days, and from there to see the forest afresh. This is also good: for again it pushes me back to God.
So: both paths lead to God. The first 'trick' is figuring out which path I am on, and then enjoying the ride with Him.
The second 'trick' is learning to accept I am a driven type, who does overfill his days (and nights).
The final 'trick' is not to over-think things: like I'm doing now...
Psalm 46 says: “Be still, and know that I am God" Perhaps it's just time to be still.
And eat a rose.
Yet, as I sit here late at night, I somehow feel that today I may have missed the forest for the trees. I feel quite discontented, and I'm not sure why.
What's worse, I'm looking at my diary for the next week, and I have a growing sense that other days will end the same way. I am looking forward to seeing each of the people and groups; so why would I feel this way?
Two answers are possible: one is that my 'gift' of wanting to do the best with every moment and give the best to each person means that I will always feel discontented. After all, perfection by its very nature is not possible in this life, so each moment will always fall short of the ideal. This is a good thing, since it pushes me to rely on God more, and to accept that he will take my best and use it as He wills. And that is a very good thing.
The other answer is that I'm getting too engrossed in the trees, and I need to stop, take a deep breath and wait on God; to hear what he is saying about my busy days, and from there to see the forest afresh. This is also good: for again it pushes me back to God.
So: both paths lead to God. The first 'trick' is figuring out which path I am on, and then enjoying the ride with Him.
The second 'trick' is learning to accept I am a driven type, who does overfill his days (and nights).
The final 'trick' is not to over-think things: like I'm doing now...
Psalm 46 says: “Be still, and know that I am God" Perhaps it's just time to be still.
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