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Monday, June 13, 2016
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Cranking it Down
I need to take a long break from blogging. I have been blogging almost non-stop from early 2010 having put up over 250 postings. From 2002 or so through 2007 I ran a clergy listserv informally known as KNS or the Kittanning News Service that kept Pittsburgh clergy informed about the growing apostasy affecting the Episcopal Church. Toward the end of its time it was designed to aid in the re-alignment of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. I think it was largely successful. So that's about 10 or so years of being a news maven and it's time to take a long break.
Recovering the Missional Passion of the Church
by Ed Stetzer
In order for the church to recover its missional
passion, we must reclaim our lost sense of the awesome, overarching glory of
God's mission. Most Christians do not deny the orthodox doctrines of Scripture.
We grasp the fact that God has revealed himself to us as Lord and King. But to
borrow the words of author David Wells, the modern church has been
"caged" by a diminishing of who God really is.
We have turned to a God we can use rather than a God
we must obey; we have turned to a God who will fulfill our need rather than a
God before whom we must surrender our rights to ourselves. He is a God for us,
for our satisfaction-- not because we have learned to think of him in this way
through Christ but because we have learned to think of him this way through the
marketplace. Everything is for us, for our pleasure, for our satisfaction, and
we have come to assume that it must be so in the church as well.
We have shrunk God down to our size. We have limited the scope of his mission in our minds. We have unwittingly bought into the idea that progress is more important than redemption.
And this is chiefly why our zeal for evangelism and
the gospel has been undermined-- not because we don't care, not because we
don't know what to do. We have simply replaced God's purpose for the world with
our own purpose for the world. Even when we serve and help and give and share,
we too often do it from a sense of obligation or a desire to impress. We have
become a church steered by many different motivations but all too rarely by a
singular desire to glorify God. Wells is right: "We will not be able to
recover the vision and understanding of God's grandeur until we recover an
understanding of ourselves as creatures who have been made to know such
grandeur."
The message that emanates from the life and work of
the apostle Paul, who was without argument the most productive missionary in
the history of the church, is that we cannot hope to be either faithful or
effective in kingdom service while being overly concerned about our own needs.
On two occasions he called himself an
"ambassador." That's a pretty important job. Where I grew up in New
York, those were the people who didn't have to pay parking tickets. They
mattered. And Paul said, "We are ambassadors for Christ" (2 Cor.
5:20). Yet the only other time we read him referring to himself by that title,
he said he was an "ambassador in chains" (Eph. 6:20). Yes, he was an
ambassador-- just as we are-- yet that ambassadorial role, representing King
Jesus, did not mean Paul was without hardship.
No one survives the harsh, abusive treatment he
endured without living for something bigger than himself. We might assume,
then, Paul was simply that devoted to the people he was called to serve. His
compassion for them, his selfless interest in them, his desire that they
experience the fruit of the gospel-- all of these must have come together to
make him an unstoppable force.
Well, yes, Paul was devoted to the churches and the
people who comprised them. He possessed an uncommon zeal to see others
convinced of gospel truth and redeemed through God's eternal mercy and grace.
But it wasn't concern for his neighbors that ultimately motivated Paul to such
extremes of spiritual exertion and sacrifice. It was Jesus' love that
"compelled" him (2 Cor. 5:14). "To live is Christ," he said
(Phil. 1:21).
And we, too-- if we wish to be faithful to our
calling-- must live supremely for the glory of God and what he is doing through
his Son in our world.
If we are not on this mission, then we must ask
ourselves what we're doing here. Are we just working to make the church a more
acceptable place to our friends and neighbors? Are we looking for a nice place
to socialize on Wednesday nights? Are we turning spiritual cranks and pulleys
because we think the church is
supposed to do those things, because we feel
better about ourselves when we do them?
The only thing that really matters is this: our God
has a mission. That's why he sent Jesus here on subversive terms. And that's
why he established the church-- churches like yours and churches like mine-- to
join him on mission to reestablish his glory over all creation.
This is why God has given his church the "keys
of the kingdom of heaven," so that "whatever you bind on earth is
already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in
heaven" (Matt. 16:19). To people in the world who live chained to the
notion that their desired ambitions can be achieved on earth, the church
possesses their liberating answer. They are no longer forced to exist in the
bondage of living from experience to experience. For some this
"bondage" takes the form of workout gyms, corner offices, organic
food stores, and all the apparent trappings of success. But for others it means
gambling losses, broken relationships, wasted opportunities, prescription drug
abuse. For many it's a roller-coaster mix between the two, a frantic navigation
of highs and lows. And for all it's a life that leads away from ultimate
purpose and permanence.
Through the gospel those individuals who are
"bound" in spiritual darkness can be "loosed" from what has
held them captive-- redeemed from their slavery. God's plan for overthrowing
the devil's dominion, freeing its hostages, and advancing Christ's kingdom is
for the church to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in both word and deed.
That's how he pursues his plan of bringing all creation under his authority and
deriving glory for himself in the process.
May this be the purpose behind all our subversion.
When we grasp the enormity of this calling and our
role within it, we will begin trusting the Spirit to empower us to engage the
lost, serve the hurting, and live "sent lives" as Christian believers
united in kingdom purpose. We will live out the difference that Jesus makes in
our hearts not because people expect it but because it shows what our God can
accomplish. We will talk with others about the power of the gospel not just
because they're lost but because our Lord and King is glorified in finding
them.
Begin your plan of action there, and get ready to
see what happens around you when God starts making progress.
From here
Ten Ways Ordinary People Became Good Leaders
by Thom S. Rainer
The literature on leadership can be
discouraging. After reading multiple case studies, theories, and biographies,
one can be left with the impression that good leadership is next to impossible.
It is limited to those who have the attributes of Superman without the aversion
to kryptonite.
I recently compiled a list of good
leaders (a few I would characterize as great leaders) who, by most definitions,
are common, ordinary people. They were at the middle of their classes in
grades. They really did not and do not have charismatic personalities. They had
no family or demographic advantages. And none of them, to my knowledge, were
outstanding in extracurricular activities.
But now they are doing very well.
It’s as if a switch turned on at some point in their lives. They decided that
they would no longer be addicted to mediocrity. Instead, they decided they
would make a difference. Yet they had few of the innate gifts associated with
good or great leaders.
So I wrote down a list of more than
twenty characteristics of these men and women. And, somewhat to my surprise, I
noted that all of them had ten characteristics in common. Though statisticians
would argue that I found correlative factors, I really believe that most, if
not all of these characteristics, are causative.
How then do many common people
become good or great leaders? Here are the ten characteristics.
1. They determined that their
integrity would be uncompromised.
They did not cut corners or cheat. Though others around them were smarter, more
forceful, and more creative, they never compromised in their work and lives.
They saw their integrity and reputation to be priceless gifts that could not be
forfeited.
2. They worked hard. Often when others around them played or wasted time, these
leaders continued to work. If they had an employer, they felt like they were
stealing from the company unless they gave their best efforts. If they were
self-employed, they knew that other companies would eat them alive if they did
not work hard.
3. They took responsibility for
themselves. You will never hear these leaders
blaming their employers. You will not hear them complaining because someone
else in the organization was recognized or received a promotion. Stated simply,
they did not blame others or circumstances. They believed that they lived in a
great nation where they had multiple advntages to get ahead.
4. They were
decisive. They learned that slow
decision-making was poor leadership. They knew that analysis paralysis could
kill an effort. Instead of living in fear of making the wrong decisions, they
moved forward just as soon as they had sufficient information, not complete
information. They saw smart people failing to make prompt decisions because
they were enamored with more and more information and data.
5. They read a lot. While many
of their peers spent dozens of hours each week watching meaningless television,
these good leaders were reading books, articles, and anything they could to
make them a better person and a better leader. Like the impoverished Abraham
Lincoln reading books by dim candlelight, these ordinary men and women became
extraordinary through their constant and continued learning, regardless of the
sacrifice.
6. They have genuine humility. These
leaders have learned humility the hard way. Growing up, they were well behind
their peers academically. Most did not excel at sports or other extracurricular
activities. None of them were nominated as “most likely to succeed.” In their
early days in the workforce, they found themselves surrounded by more talented
and smarter workers. They didn’t have to work at humility; it was thrust upon
them.
7. They seek mentors. Their
desire to improve, along with their humility, led them to seek mentors. Most of
these mentoring relationships were informal, but they still were intentionally
sought. These leaders were unashamed to admit they needed help from an outside
perspective, or advice from someone who might be smarter.
8. They avoid ruts. These
leaders would be the first to volunteer for an assignment in a new area. They
intentionally avoided getting too comfortable in one area. As they broadened
their horizons, they became more effective leaders.
9. They have a sense of humor. These
overachieving leaders always take their work seriously, but they don’t take
themselves too seriously. Their humor helps them to avoid stressing out when
everything does not go their way. They are thus able to handle difficult
situations with calm and poise. Others follow their example, and thus give
credence to this happy and placid leadership style.
10. They
are goal setters. At some point, I would love to see a major
leadership study done on goal setting. It seems to be directly correlated to
strong leadership. These “common” men and women were no different. To the
person, you could ask them what their goals have been in life, and what they
are now, and receive a quick and cogent answer. They would readily admit they
didn’t always achieve their goals. But that was not deemed as failure. The common
leaders simply reset their lives with a new set of goals.
Keep in mind that I am looking at
common men and women who became good, and even great, leaders. I am not talking
about the smartest, the best educated, or the most articulate. These are common
men and women who are now extraordinary leaders.
There are countless men and women
who are wonderful leaders. Among them are a large number who are not the
smartest, not the most educated, not the most articulate, and not the most
charismatic. That reality should give many of us great hope. We can be good
leaders anyway.
From here
http://thomrainer.com/2013/03/13/ten-ways-ordinary-people-became-good-leaders-part-one/#.UUpNehdHSSo
and here
http://thomrainer.com/2013/03/18/ten-ways-ordinary-people-became-good-leaders-part-two/#.UUpKxBdHSSo
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Encouraging Words on Pope Francis from an Anglican Evangelical
Retired Anglican Presiding Bishop and Primate of
the Southern Cone, the Most. Rev. Gregory Venables, a friend of the new
Pope, has this to say on Facebook:
Many are asking me what Jorge Bergoglio
is really like. He is much more of a Christian, Christ centered and Spirit
filled, than a mere churchman. He believes the Bible as it is written. I have
been with him on many occasions and he always makes me sit next to him and
invariably makes me take part and often do what he as Cardinal should have
done. He is consistently humble and wise, outstandingly gifted yet a common
man. He is no fool and speaks out very quietly yet clearly when necessary. He
called me to have breakfast with him one morning and told me very clearly that
the Ordinariate was quite unnecessary and that the church needs us as
Anglicans. I consider this to be an inspired appointment not because he is a
close and personal friend but because of who he is In Christ. Pray for him.
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