Gary Mintchell

Author Archive

Signs

November 18, 2020

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?
Five Man Electrical Band

The way I see it, Baby Boomers as a description is much to general. As I recall and when I listen to late 60s rock, there were at least three strands specifically Boomer and a fourth strand of the type of traditional people all three groups didn’t like. There were (and are) peace and justice people; rebellious people; and, whiners.

Most of us are probably sick of the whiners. “I didn’t get my way, Wah, Wah, Wah.”

There are a few of us who were (and are) peace and justice people. We just generally don’t make as much noise as we did in 1965. You get old, I guess.

Then there are the rebels.

What brings this to mind was a trip through some of the ubiquitous strip shopping centers along Randall Road in the western Chicago suburbs (my new home). Many stores had signs. In fact, all stores had signs about wearing masks to enter. No brainer. But many had a sign, “If you have one of these symptoms of Covid-19, do not enter.”

I thought, this is worse than needing a sign in the restroom reminding employees to wash their hands. I mean, what moron goes out into public with symptoms of being sick with Covid, the flu, even colds? Both Covid and the flu kill people. Heck, a cold can lead to pneumonia, and that kills people, too.

Much of Jesus’ teaching dealt with people in community. How we should care about others. How we should help–open a door, or carry a load, or pay for the next person at a fast food restaurant, or don’t spread your disease to your neighbors.

This is so common sense to me, I am still flabbergasted that you need that sign. Forget the Five Man Electrical Band. This isn’t one of those signs. It’s a sign that literally means life.

Save a life today. Wear a mask. The life you save may be yours.

Posted in Ethics, responsibility | Leave a Comment »

My Gift is Leadership, I Love Meetings

November 17, 2020

The leader of a company told me that once. I’ve thought about it for years.

You see, I hate meetings. Following the 80/20 rule, fully 80% of the meetings I’ve been in during my organizational life have been a waste of time. Well, a waste for us, but perhaps not for the “leader” who loves to gather people in a room and talk. And perhaps force through a decision or two. “All right then, we’re agreed. Go do it!”

A leader must first of all know where she’s going. And then teach the people about where and how. Rather than formal meetings with PowerPoint presentations of meaningless facts and numbers, the leader must meet individually and with small groups. Not in a fancy boardroom with comfortable chairs. No, rather standing in their environment. Asking and teaching.

Leaders must be readers, for there must be substance behind the teaching.

Leaders must be careful listeners, for they must be able to filter the BS and grasp the essence of the person and their views and problems.

Leaders must be teachers, for everyone in the organization needs the background in order to do their jobs effectively.

Leaders must be thinkers, for their people deserve a leader who has thought through directions and decisions.

But leaders need not lead formal meetings all day, every day, because they love meetings.

Posted in Leadership | Leave a Comment »

Comfort

November 16, 2020

The word of the day came to me in a vision…oops, sorry, I’ve been reading in Daniel and his chapters on visions.

But the word comfort came to me as I pondered the renewed spreading of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. And the response I have noticed in a few people.

And the word comfort. Like a favorite old leather chair that’s been molded to our contours. We settle in. The physical reminder of a partially remembered past. Partial because we often only remember good times. We wish for that security of the way things were–at least, were in our deficient memories.

Given a little freedom to go to restaurants, churches, some sporting events, we naturally go too far. How much we want it to be like last year!

But it is not last year. And we went too far. We went to our favorite gathering places–churches, taverns, ball games–and we went unmasked into the future. And we got boisterous. And we spread whatever viruses we were carrying. And we spread disease.

It’s natural, comfort is.

Once upon a time, we couldn’t afford comfort. Relax and our enemies may sneak up and get us. Once they were human enemies. Now, enemies we can’t see. Maybe don’t even believe they exist.

But they do.

Vigilance. That is the antidote. The good old days weren’t. And today is a new beginning. Be vigilant and strong. And stay safe.

I pray you’re all well.

Posted in Awareness | Leave a Comment »

To Listen Is To Lean In Softly

November 13, 2020

To listen is to continually give up all expectation and to give our attention completely and freshly to what is before us, not really knowing what we will hear or what that will mean. In the practice of our days, to listen is to lean in, softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear.

However, when I am giving myself to listening, I have expectations of the speaker.

I can rejoice with the joyful, mourn with the hurting, provide encourage the discouraged, provide an ear for those with burdens to unload.

Where I have trouble, and I perceive it’s not only me, is to listen to those who with belligerent attitude try to force lies, innuendo, deliberate twisting of facts upon me.

How do I keep my defenses and my BS detector and my wish to push back under control.

Perhaps those people feel like they are not heard, so they need to talk louder. Sort of like when you are talking with someone who does not speak your language and you talk louder thinking that then they will understand.

I am convincing myself that even then, it’s important to lean in softly. Maybe I learn something—maybe not from their words, but from their hurt.

Posted in Attitude, Disciplines, Listening | Leave a Comment »

Tell The Truth

November 12, 2020

A true master never offends anyone, but she or he is always truthful.

I am amazed and in awe of the Desert Fathers who never used 500 words when 15 would do.

They obviously took their cue from Jesus. He could evidently teach for a long time, yet no teaching was longer than a few sentences.

Yet, they spoke the truth with love and perhaps some went away disappointed or didn’t agree, but they were not offensive.

There is a cartoon from early in the popular Internet era where the wife calls from the bedroom, “It’s time for bed, dear.” The husband replies, “Just a moment, I found another error on the Internet I need to correct.”

How hard it is on social media to speak the truth to someone or point out an error (gasp, yes, they do occur) in 15 words without offending. Lord knows I’ve tried myself–and failed.

I forget which famous person (probably attributed to many) said, “I apologize for the length of this letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one.”

To be truthful without offense in a few words requires thought and compassion. Each is in short supply these days.

Posted in communication, Compassion | Leave a Comment »

You Are To Blame

November 11, 2020

Andy Stanley likes to bring up this thought nugget, “Do you know who was present at every bad decision you ever made? You. You were present at every one.”

We learned something from Jeremiah yesterday that our heart is deceitful above all things.

Advertisers and marketers are geniuses at using this knowledge. They know how easy it is to present something in such a way that we believe it. And then we act.

And then later we wonder why.

Why did we buy that? Why did we call her back? Why did we go there? Why did we get suckered into believing her or him?

Wouldn’t it be great if we had a pause button? Before we decide to trust her; before we decide to go there; before we decide to send that note on social media that will make us look like a fool; before we buy that–we pause, breathe deeply, tell our deceitful heart to back off.

We are also present at our good decisions.

Andy never says that. But it’s true.

Wisdom comes from gradually recognizing situations and hitting the pause button and then making the good decision.

Posted in Disciplines, Learning, Thinking, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

The Heart Is Deceitful

November 10, 2020

Yesterday I looked at advice for you to set your heart in the right direction.

But we must beware and be aware–as the ancient Hebrew prophet Jeremiah noted, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”

Prophecy in the scriptures does not equal telling the future. It does equal bringing a message from God that speaks to the times–and sometimes to all times. Perhaps here we first meet God the Cardiologist. Jeremiah quotes The Lord, “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Sometimes we may look at ourselves and think how beautiful we look when indeed it is vanity talking.

Sometimes we consider ourselves and judge ourself as a “good Christian” when indeed God (and other people) look at our conduct and deeds and judge us as wanting.

We can overcome that deceitful heart. But only by working on the machine that is us and becoming brutally self-aware.

We realize at some point in our lives, hopefully sooner than later, that no matter what that inner voice tells us that when we mentally and spiritually take a step back and look at ourselves as God and others truly see us that we are lacking. We fall short of how smart we think we are, or how wise we think we are, or how much a servant we think we are.

It’s not pure theory or pure knowledge that God is searching us for. How did we treat the server at the restaurant or barista at the coffee shop? How did we treat the least of the people we met?

Will God search us and find us not worthy?

Posted in Awareness, emotions, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

Where Is Your Heart Pointed?

November 9, 2020

We watched a dramatization of an Agatha Christie Miss Marple story last night. The sub-plot behind the main plot of uncovering the murder mystery concerned the decision of a beautiful young woman who must choose a husband from between a man who does foolish things out of a deep love for her or a man who is a political climber, member of Parliament who has not the capacity for love.

She, of course, chooses love.

The Desert Father, Abba Poeman (the Shepherd), once said, “Do not give your heart to that which does not satisfy your heart.”

We are in the aftermath of a hard-fought, yet strange, election season in the USA. Some who won are not positive they won all they hoped to win. Many who lost are mired in bitterness and despair.

If you give your heart to politics, you are doomed like Sisyphus to cycles of elation and despair.

Giving your heart to God is “like a rock”, stable, secure, dependable.

Life will provide you with plenty of cycles of up and down. God is always there to stabilize. Daily disciplines focus your heart firmly on that which never changes.

Posted in Disciplines, focus | Leave a Comment »

Humans Haven’t Progressed Too Far

November 6, 2020

There was a cigarette advertisement (if American, are you old enough to remember those?) in the 70s that tried to play off the idea that women had progressed a long way in society–“You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby” they proclaimed saying women deserved their own brand of death-in-a-package.

I’m currently reading in Augustine of Hippo. He talks of his teen years in what we’d call University.

These studies of mine also, which were considered perfectly respectable, were designed to fit me for the law so that I might gain a great name in a profession where those who deceive most people have the biggest reputations.
Augustine, Confessions

In America, as well as in many countries of the world, we have come through a season of political campaigning and elections. Sometimes we get the feeling that 2020 resembles 380.

Although Augustine did turn his considerable rhetorical abilities into working for good, so it is possible to change.

Augustine was discussing his past, the time prior to his focus on God. This is part of personal awareness, when we can look back and see where we were deficient and sinners. Then we can see where we’ve grown and where there is still room for growth.

Only when we see can we understand that we are not yet model citizens in the City of God.

A French psychologist once taught a phrase to repeat, “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.”

When we think we’ve arrived at our best, then we’ve turned those powers of deception upon ourselves. Augustine saw it 1,600 years ago. Ancient writing dating back 4,000 years also contain the same warning. It seems we either train to deceive others, or we are professionals at deceiving ourselves.

Coming to awareness brings us one step closer to living with-God.

Have we come a long way? Well, yes, and no.

Posted in Awareness, Disciplines | Leave a Comment »

God Is With Us If We But Look

November 5, 2020

I’m currently reading again in the book of Daniel. I do not read it because of interest in future-telling. I know that some have woven fantastic and captivating stories about some future end-of-times. That’s not a new phenomenon, by the way.

No, once again I am captivated by stories of how a group of four friends, captured as teens, taken away to a foreign land, taught the language and culture of the foreign people, continued to live with God in the face of occasional grave danger.

The king has a dream. Won’t tell anyone what it was, but he wants an interpretation. His wise men tell him it cannot be done. The king says, then kill all of them. Daniel and his buddies learn about their imminent demise, turn to God, and God tells Daniel the dream and interpretation.

Tattletales tell on the three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and the king orders them burned alive. When the king looks into the furnace, he sees four men. God is with them. They walked out unharmed.

The king gets mad a Daniel. Has him thrown into a cage with a hungry lion. God is seen with Daniel, and he walks out.

There are more–but do you get the drift. They live with God, and God lives with them.

Richard J. Foster called it the “with-God” life.

God takes care of his part. It requires awareness on our part. Even while administering a vast empire, Daniel had a rhythm to life of withdrawing three times a day to connect intentionally with God. Jesus also had a rhythm to his life of withdrawing to connect intentionally with God.

What about us?

Posted in Awareness, Disciplines, Prayer | Leave a Comment »

Faith Venture