6:00 AM or 6:14 AM?

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
6:00 AM or 6:14 AM? That is the question. Be careful how you answer because you don’t know where it will take you.

A few weeks ago I read a book entitled, “How I moved from Failure to Success in Selling” by Frank Bettger. The book basically tells the story how Bettger grabbed himself up by the boot straps and got to work. Essentially, all Bettger did to become successful in selling is to change his attitude, approach and perspective as he went about selling life insurance. By all accounts, Bettger was extremely successful in producing a vast clientele who were very affluent in all aspects of their lives. With this came notoriety and a large influx of cash for Bettger. One of the changes that Bettger shares that made him successful was to become part of the “6 o’clock club,” a club of salesman that start the day off right by waking up early to organize and prepare themselves for the day . Instead of sleeping in and approaching life with a lackadaisical attitude Bettger made the conscious decision to wake up early in the morning in order to start the day off in a positive manner. Bettger quickly realized he became more productive, started manufacturing more business, and generating more cash flow by waking up hours earlier.

I know that income, notoriety, success, and popularity are not inherently evil. If used in the right way and for the right purposes all of the above can be glorifying to God. However, if used in the wrong way, such as motivation, incentive, and inspiration one should think twice before considering such a path. This is one of the reasons why I was reluctant to adopt such an idea as I sought to improve some of my skills. Then I watched a movie….

Last night after putting the girls to bed Heather and I watched, Evan Almighty. We both found it to be funny, entertaining, and quite meaningful. I know some of you might find it corny and I want you to know that I agree with you on that, to some extent. If you have seen the movie then you know the importance of the number 614. Everywhere he looked, Evan encountered 614. Evan’s first encounter with 614 came when his alarm clock went off the morning after he prayed the prayer, “Lord, help me change the world.” Evan eventually discovers that 614 is a reference to Genesis 6:14. In the verse God directs Noah to build an ark. Evan finally connects the two and discovers that he too must build an ark in order to change the world. He also discovers that the ARK he is supposed to build is much more then just a large wooden boat, it is A Random act of Kindness.

I don’t know about you but a chance at a large income, notoriety, and success does not motivate or inspire me that much. Gone are the days of being compelled by money, prestige, and power. However, I draw great motivation and inspiration with the chance to change the world. This is why, when I crawled into bed last night, I reached over to my alarm clock and changed it from 6:00 AM to 6:14 AM. Now when I wake up at 6:14 I whisper the prayer, “Lord, help me change the world.”

What are you going to do to change the world?

The Buoyancy of Hope

Sunday, May 17, 2009

I know I am not alone when I say that sometimes I feel as if I am sinking. It is almost a whirlpool effect that takes place, like a piece of toilet paper being flushed down the toilet (hey, that is the only thing I could think of). Imagine for a moment, if you will, that you are treading water. It is easy at first, but then it becomes more difficult and you begin to struggle to stay afloat. You see, you can only tread water for so long before your head begins to bop in and out of the water, making a dire situation even worse, repeatedly taking in a mouth full of water. Without something or someone to embrace and keep you afloat you will eventually sink. Without a buoy of hope we will become like the piece of toilet paper drowning into a pile of… (well, you know).

I wish I could take credit for the phrase, the buoyancy of hope, but I can’t. I came across the analogy last night while reading, I Have A Dream: Writings & Speeches That Changed the World, by Martin Luther King Jr.. The editor of the book has done a fabulous job in compiling numerous writings and speeches throughout King’s life. In doing so, the reader receives a fluid, yet evolving perspective into King’s theology and philosophy of non-resistance; a perspective that is best summed up by the “Gandhian perspective of satyagraha (satya is truth which equals love, and graha is force;satyagraha thus means truth-force or love-force).”

Any reader of this blog is aware of Martin Luther King Jr. and the life he lived in the midst of such hatred and despair. In a time when racism was rampant and voices were silenced and rarely heard, his voice served as a rallying cry for those who were hushed and muted for far too long. From December of 1955 to his untimely death in April 1968 Dr. King paid the price for being the voice and leader to millions of men and women who sought equality for all. In his own words, written in an article entitled, “How my Mind Has Changed” in 1960, King tells us of the importance that hope played during this time in his life.

In the midst of outer dangers I have felt an inner calm and known resources of strength that only God could give. In many instances I have felt the power of God transforming the fatigue of despair into the buoyancy of hope.
This would not be the only time King uses the phrase, buoyancy of hope. In September of 1963, Dr. King delivered a sermon at the funeral of three young girls who were killed by a bomb as they were attending Sunday school. Here is what King says to family, friends, and mourners at the service.
At times, life is hard, as hard as crucible steel. It has its bleak and painful moments. Like the ever-flowing waters of a river, life has its moments of drought and its moments of flood. Like the ever-changing cycle of seasons, life has the soothing warmth of the summers and the piercing chill of its winters. But through it all, God walks with us. Never forget that God is able to lift you from fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope, and transform dark and desolate valleys into sunlit paths of inner peace.

Don’t miss the transformation that Dr. King mentions here. By the power of God, the fatigue of despair can be transformed into the buoyancy of hope. I don’t know about you but, if given the choice, I would rather be supported by the buoyancy of hope than be flushed down the toilet, only to end up in a pile of dung.

Brand, Marketing, & the Church

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Awhile back, I enjoyed a nice long dinner with some old friends. It was one of those dinners that was full of conversation and laughter. You know the kind where you are so in to each other that you never leave the table unless you need to relieve yourself or fill an empty glass. It was the type of dinner where you sit down to eat at 6:00 and realize six hours later (the time of your first yawn) that you have to get up and go to work in the morning. Thus, you begin to contemplate another six hours of conversation over the remaining hours of sleep that are left. Needless to say, I reluctantly choose the latter and said my goodbyes. I enjoyed a peaceful ride home reflecting on the various topics of the night as I attempted to categorize and summarize the conversation knowing that I would have to retell it all to Heather the following morning.

It was at this time that I remembered a comment made by one of my dinner companions. The comment was made in passing as we were discussing churches, for they know that I am a pastor and will be starting a new church in the area. As we were discussing churches one of the couples began reminiscing on a few of the local churches they have attended as a family. A certain church name was spoken and immediately the conversation elevated to another gear. It was amongst this chaos that someone said, “(insert church name here), now that’s a brand.” Now, please know that the context of our “church” conversation immediately followed a “business” conversation in which the two accountants at the table discussed their jobs and their desire to be forward thinking (business strategies and the like) accountants compared to an accountant who dealt in the past (auditor). So, words and concepts like vision, brand, mission, market strategies, trademark, and product were common place in our conversation and it was easy for us to parlay such comments into the conversation that followed regarding the church.

My conversation that evening highlights that fact that there is a strong temptation in the American culture today to present the church as a vendor of religious goods and services. In other words, our culture today emphasizes the need for churches to present themselves as something that is to be consumed, used, and abused much like any other vendor in the business world today that is marketing their product. Does this mean that marketing (in culturally consuming terms) has a place in the church? Personally, I don’t think marketing, speaking in culturally consuming terms, has any place in the church.

“The difficulty with the pro-marketing arguments, however, is the failure to recognize that marketing is not a values-neutral language. Marketing unavoidably changes the message—as all media do. Why? Because marketing is the particular vernacular of a consumerist society in which everything has a price tag. To market something is therefore to effectively make it into a branded product to be consumed.”
To market something is to tweak the message so that it becomes appealing and attractive to your target audience. This is a problem. First of all, if we tweak the Gospel message we walk the fine line between truth and heresy. The Gospel message is not something to be picked apart and presented in bits and pieces because it makes you feel better, selecting only the parts that you agree with. Secondly, a life of sacrificial love enduring the brutality of the world is not appealing and attractive. Finally, the Gospel message is not be regulated to a chosen few or a privileged many. The saving grace, the message of Gospel, is for all mankind no matter what race, gender, or socioeconomic status.

Does this mean that the church should no longer pursue marketing? If this is the case then one might argue that we should shut down our web sites, take down church signs, stop publishing newsletters, end the radio ads, and tell the church members to quit inviting others to church. Such an approach does not leave us with much of an option does it?

“We need to recognize that no matter what we do, consumerism will unavoidably define the context for how people view the church in our consumerist age. All communication will be perceived as marketing. All self-presentation, even church advertising, will be perceived as branding. And all outreach will be viewed as sales. There is nothing we can do to change this context.”
With this being said, the church must recognize that that no matter what we do and what we say, as a church, the consumeristic perception of the culture will always be defining the reality of their opinion. No matter how we, as a church, change our message (via marketing), culture will always receive it in consumeristic terms. After all, consumerism is the dominant language of our culture. If we cannot change the perception of the culture, no matter what our marketing approach, we must concentrate, not on our marketing strategies, but on the message we are communicating.

The message of the Gospel is a message of love, hope, forgiveness, grace, and giving. It is not a message of consumption, use, and exploitation. Just because the culture perceives the message one way does not mean that we should change the message to make it more appealing. When a church changes it's message and markets it's product, in culturally consuming terms, it is simply conforming to the ways of the world. Such actions run contrary to the life the church has been called to live in the Bible.

“The church reveals the supremacy of Christ in a world that denies his power… We love the unlovable and forgive the unforgivable, reconcile seemingly intractable hatreds and rejoice even in sorrow, persevere in hardship and serve to the point of sacrifice, and baptize and teach instead of consume and discard.”

Songs of Hope... Hope's Song

Sunday, April 12, 2009
The family and I watched an Easter Carol last night. In it, Rebecca St. James plays an angel and sings a beautiful song communicating the essence of Easter. Don't miss the last two lines of the song, "He died for us to give us life and to give us hope He rose." Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

What the church can learn from AA

Sunday, March 15, 2009
Over the past few weeks I have been part of an on going dialogue with some of my buddies regarding the meaning of THE CHURCH. Our conversation has taken place over the past three weeks via email and has caused us each to stop, think, and ponder the meaning of THE CHURCH. I don’t have the room or space to mention all that we have discovered and talked about. I do however, have time to mention a few things.

Anytime I think of the meaning of THE CHURCH I read, “I stand by the Door” by Sam Shumaker, one of the spiritual fathers of Alcoholics Anonymous. The poem chronicles how Sam views his role within THE CHURCH as he remains and stands by the door. After reading the poem I said to myself, “self, it is time to see if Sam wrote anything else that might be of interest.” You know what, he did. I stumbled across an article entitled, “What the Church can Learn from AA.” The article noted the words Shumaker spoke at an AA gathering in St. Louis with thousands celebrating 20 years of sobriety. Shumaker uses 1 Corinthians 1:26 as the key text for his speech. “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”

According to Shumaker there are four things that the Church can learn from AA. Read on and you will find out the four things along with some direct quotes from Shumaker that pertain to each point:

  1. Recognize the Need
    The first thing I think the church needs to learn from AA is that nobody gets anywhere till he recognizes a clearly-defined need. These people do not come to AA to get made a little better. They do not come because the best people are doing it. They come because they are desperate. They are not ladies and gentlemen looking for a religion; they are utterly desperate men and women in search of redemption.
  2. Redeemed Life Changing Fellowship
    At once a new person takes his place in this redeeming, life-changing fellowship. He may be changed today, and out working tomorrow – no long senseless delays about giving away what he’s got. He’s ready to give the little he has the moment it comes to him. The fellowship that redeemed him will wither and die unless he and others like him get in and keep that fellowship moving and growing by reaching others.
  3. Definite Personal Dealing with People
    I think many in the church see ourselves as we should like to appear to others, not as we are before God. We need drastic personal dealing and challenge. Who is ready and trained to give it to us? How many of us have ever taken a “fearless moral inventory” of ourselves, and dared make the depth of our need known to any other human being? This gets at the pride which is the hindrance and sticking-point for so many us, and which, for most of us in the church, has never been recognized, let alone faced or dealt with.
  4. Necessity for a Real Change of Heart
    As we come Sunday after Sunday, year after year, we are supposed to be in a process of transformation. Are we? The AA’s are. At each meeting there are people seeking and in conscious need. Everybody is puling for the people who speak, and looking for more insight and help. They are pushed by their need. They are pulled by their inspiration of others who are growing. They are society of the “before and after,” with a clear line of between the old life and new life. This is not the difference between sinfulness and perfection, but it is the difference between accepted wrongdoing and the genuine beginning of a new way of life.

I love it when...

Thursday, February 26, 2009
I had one of those moments last night that make you smile and say to yourself, “I love it when that happens.” Almost instantaneously after this thought another one came to my noggin, “I need to blog about this.” So, here it is, a list entitled: I love it when… (In no particular order and by no means an exhaustive list).

I love it when….
  • Finley walks over to Maya when she is crying and pats her back to maker her feel better. Not only that, but she will normally place her head on her somewhere in order to give her a love and the assurance that it will be alright. (This in fact is what happened last night and is serving as the catalyst to this list).
  • I walk into my bedroom at night and hear Heather snoring. For this is the only time I know for sure that she is sleeping. Let’s face it; a sleeping wife is a good thing.
  • I enter into a fascinating conversation at work with a new member, an existing member, or co-worker.
  • I hear Finley call everything “dada,” that is except for her mama which she affectionately calls by name.
  • Maya asks me in the morning, “Daddy is a stay at home day?”
  • I am part of making things wrong, right again. It‘s called justice, ladies and gentleman. I love being a part of justice.
  • I have one of those lengthy conversations, the kind that lasts for days because there is no end to it. The kind of conversation that is multi-layered, thought provoking, and full of implication and application.
  • I make my sister think.
  • My mom comes and hangs out with my girls and me.
  • Heather gives me “the look.” The look that says, “I love you, let’s do it and make it happen. We are in this together.”
  • When things come together for Tessera Community Church.
  • My wife let's me ramble on and on and on. I mean, I love it when my wife listens to me and let's me share what is on my heart and mind.
  • A new insight is gleaned through my Bible reading or my listening to a message either in person or on my ipod.
  • Everyone in the house is asleep and I am the only one awake sitting in the family room reading a good book.
  • I feel the arms of my Savior holding me tight.
  • I have alone time with my wife.
  • I have alone time with Maya.
  • I have alone time with Finley.
  • Maya says to me, “don’t leave yet daddy. We haven’t had our cuddle time yet.”
  • Maya and Finley follow me to the door every morning to say one last good bye as I walk out on my way to work.
  • I Play blocks and barbies with Maya. You see, I have to build the blocks into a castle so Maya’s barbies can have a place to live and sleep.
  • I am speechless at God’s nature.
  • I wow my boss and co-workers.
  • I make other people smile.
  • I get the chance to be the “goofy uncle” to my nieces and nephews.
  • I am sitting at the table with all my family.
  • I get a chance to take my girls to McDonald’s to hang out with Mom-mom and Pop-pop and all of their friends.
  • When Maya makes Finley laugh.
  • Hears stories of faith and transformation.
  • I get to notch the belt in one more notch.
  • Maya won't let anyone leave her with out giving them hugs and kisses.
I guess I could go on and on but I am going to stop now. Like I said, the list was presented in no particular order and it is not an exhaustive list. I am sure as soon as I press post I know I will think of a couple more items to add to the list; that’s life though. Take care and enjoy creating and completing the following sentence for your own life, “I love it when….”

I know, I am in trouble...

Sunday, February 22, 2009
Let's be clear - I know! I know what you are going to say once I share the following conversation that I had with Maya, my four year old daughter who just might be going on twenty four. Just this past week the following conversation took place between Maya and I while Heather, Maya, and I were relaxing in the evening watching America's Funniest Home Video's (a family favorite).

To begin with, Maya and I were on the floor laying down next to each other. She was using a pillow for her head and I was using my left arm. When, all of a sudden, Maya propped up and galloped over to Heather to sit on her lap. Upon seeing this, I said.

"Maya, can I borrow your pillow?" (By the way, it's not her pillow. It is a "couch" pillow. I was just being nice.)
"No."
Before Heather or I could respond Maya looked Heather in the eyes and said.
"Mommy, I think I need a pillow while I am on your lap. My head hurts."
"What? You don't need a pillow"
"O.K. mommy." Maya says as she climbs out of Heather's lap and back onto the floor next to me so that she can put her head back on her pillow just to keep me from using one. (Do you sense any resentment yet?)
I couldn't see Heather's facial expression for two reasons. First of all, my back was turned away from her. Secondly, if I did look back all I would have seen is a green pillow flying towards my face. I know this because a green pillow eventually landed on my face. My wife so loving tossed me a pillow so my I no longer needed my arm. Upon seeing all of this Maya responds by saying.
"Mommy, I think I need another pillow cause me feet are getting tired and I need to put them up."
"What? Your fine you don't need another one."
This time Heather and I turn to each other to catch a glimpse of our facial expressions. However, the glimpse only lasted for so long because Maya ended up pulling the pillow out from underneath my head so that she cold place it under her feet.

So, there I was without a pillow under my head lying next to my daughter who was glowing because she one upped her father while listening to my wife chuckle as she shook her head in amazement pondering over the fact that it is only going to get worse.

Even "more"

Wednesday, February 11, 2009
In his book, Obama mentions one of the values of Trinity Church. For Trinity church, their values cross the racial divide and deal with “African American” issues in addition to those commonly associated with the church and Christianity. Whether or not you believe this is right or not you must read on because there is a lesson in this for all of us and it is my hope you can grasp it. Speaking of one of the values from the black value system, Obama writes:
‘A Disavowal of the Pursuit of Middleclassness’, the heading read. ‘While it is permissible to chase middleincomeness with all our might,’ the text stated those blessed with the talent or good fortune to achieve success in the American mainstream must avoid the ‘psychological entrapment of Black middleclassness that hypnotizes the successful brother or sister into believing they are better than the rest and teaches them to think in terms of ‘we’ and ‘they’ instead of ‘US’!’
Let’s face it; we live in an upwardly mobile society. All of us, no matter our skin color and ethnicity, are expected to advance our careers, make more money, and move on up from the local apartment complex to the gated community. It’s this movement from one place to the other that creates division, whether we realize it or not. When was the last time you noticed an apartment complex next to a gated housing community? Unless you live in an advanced suburb where this is possible you probably never have. My point is this; once we move on to a new house in a new neighborhood we remove ourselves from the very people who need our help. For as soon as we move away and seek upward mobility we become surrounded by people who look like us, work like us, and live like us.

I want you to know that I actually agree with Wright on a few points. I agree with Wright in that it is “permissible” to chase middleincomeness (a.k.a. – seek upward mobility). There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, I believe that God is pleased with us as we use our time and talents to the best of our ability. It is not wrong for us to work our tail off and receive the pay and benefits that accompany it. I also agree with Wright, in that the “psychological entrapment” can easily take hold of an individual and family, no matter their skin color and ethnicity, as they seek upward mobility. It is the evolution and the chase of the American dream that cause us to forget those we leave behind. This is what Wright gets at as he compels the “successful brother or sister” to think in communal terms (us) instead of individual terms (we and they).

While Wright might regulate such a claim to the African American community I believe it is an essential value for us all to live by. Let’s not be put off by the focused cultural language, any preconceived perception we have of Wright, or anything else that might adversely affect us missing the point that it is up to all of “us”, not “we” or “they” to be participants in the redemption of our world as we seek to be agents of change, advocates of justice, and ambassadors of love – especially if you call yourself a Christ follower.

Like I said, there is a message in this for all of us.

"More"

Sunday, February 8, 2009
If you need and introduction, go here. If not just keep reading.

Just the other night, I read the section in Obama’s book in which Reverend Wright enters the life of Barack Obama. Their first encounter occurred during Obama’s latter years as a community organizer in Chicago. Obama’s first meeting with Wright took place immediately following a meeting Wright had with some bankers regarding the building of a new Sanctuary. The bankers needed to meet with Wright to inform him that a life insurance policy must be in place prior to earning approval for the loan. Apparently, the bankers were under the impression that the church was solely centered around Wright and not God. They felt they needed the policy to be in place to insure their investment. Upon hearing all of this, Obama asked Wright “is it true?” Reverend Wright shook his head.
“I’m not the church, Barack. If I die tomorrow, I hope the congregation will give me a decent burial. I like to think a few tears will be shed. But as soon as I’m six feet under, they’ll be right back on the case, figuring out how to make this church live up to its mission.”
Now, whether or not this was and is the case we do not know. However, according to the author of the book and the President of the United States the statement is an actual fact.

I point this out because I believe the church in general would be much better off if those in a position of authority recognized the very one who placed them in authority. Unfortunately, there are many in church today who are more committed to the man who is delivering the sermon than to the Man the sermon is about. I am not saying that all pastors don’t recognize the God who has placed them in authority… many do. What I am saying is that there are more then a few pastors that seek to proclaim their name instead of proclaiming God’s name. While you may think it is only a handful of pastors who do this, I think it is one too many and I think God would agree with my assessment.

Stay tuned for “even more”

Stay tuned for "more"

Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A few months ago I decided I needed to expand my horizon. Instead of working off of the same old list of books I generated on cbd.com (Christian Book Distributor) long ago I choose to look elsewhere and read other genres. Don’t get me wrong, I am thoroughly enjoying making my way through my list (that is over 5 pages long) with books such as Culture Making: Recovering our Creative Calling, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible, and Reason For God: Belief in the Age of Skepticism just waiting to be read. However, the fact still remains that I need to broaden my horizon and take in a few different types of genres.

So, what type of genre should I pursue? Believe it or not, I am not a fan of fiction. I think self help books are a joke. I am sick of reading any book related to business, marketing, finance and the like. I have already read every quality romance novel that is on the shelves in the local book store. Oh wait, there aren’t any! (This might explain why I have never read one and never will.)
This means the only available genre left for me to pursue would be something having to do with history. Therefore, I decided I needed to buy a couple of books that dealt with the few areas of history that peaked my interest. With that being said, I sought to find books that covered the civil rights movement and presidential history. Having received a gift card as a Christmas present I was able to purchase two books, I Have A Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changes the World by Martin Luther King Jr., and Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama. I even left money on the card so that I could purchase one of the following, My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams or Two Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.

I share all of this with you as an introduction. You see, the first book I choose to read was Obama’s book, Dreams of my Father. I expected the book to be a simple narrative about his life, starting with his younger years as a boy and moving up through manhood as a teenager, a young man, a husband, and a father. I got what I expected and more. The “more” part has compelled me too blog about it.

However you are going to have to stay tuned for “more”