Learn Without Ceasing

October 21, 2015

Living is the constant adjustment of thought to life and life to thought in such a way that we are always growing, always experiencing new things in the old and old things in the new. Thus life is always new.― Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

I have had a core value ever since I was very little of constantly learning. I read everything I could get my hands on. Even in high school instead of studying the stuff we were supposed to be studying, I was off on arcane math, electronics, philosophy, psychology, theology.

I thought college was supposed to be a place of unending inquiry. Then I learned it was a place of unending memorization. So, I got my degree and went off to learn.

When I open the Bible, I am seeking to learn more about God, more about how I should behave (wish I could do it like the book says), more about life.

Seems like there are some people who open the Bible to pick up a cute phrase they can use on someone. Or just memorize some things so they can repeat them. Worse are those who open the Bible looking for words that justify their opinions and prejudices.

Thomas Merton is one of my intellectual/spiritual heroes. He has nailed it. We think, we live, we reflect on how the experience necessitates adjustment to thought. It is an ongoing process. It’s part of prayer.

God, teach me today so that I can grow and modify my thoughts and actions tomorrow to more closely follow you.

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Posted in Living, Thinking | 2 Comments »

Why The Hatred

October 20, 2015

“Muslims HATE Christians over there. They’ll all go to Hell.”

Some guy, I would imagine Christian, although thankfully he did not take on the name of Jesus publicly answered a comment I foolishly made on Facebook

I just get so tired of all these memes that get passed around. I’ve seen them since the beginning of the Internet. Once it was emails getting spread around. Now Facebook makes it so easy. 

It was one of those “pictures” that get repeated that spread hatred and prejudice. This one showed a crowd of Syrians (I suppose) pushing against a fence supposedly trying to get into Europe. “How many Muslim countries would take in Christian refugees?” the caption read.

So I, stupidity rampant in my head, commented, “Each one of those human beings was created by God and God loves each one.”

I just got tired of one too many “Christian” comments about Muslims. Yestereday he was posting one of those things that makes fun of Obama’s name. Since it is not English or German in derivation, it must be Muslim, right? Oh, give me a break. I don’t know him personally, but his Christian cred is at least as good as these people who villify him. He is a member of the United Church of Christ. Who am I to judge? (Before you spam me, note that I did not mention politics!)

Could we try a spiritual discipline of love? 
When Jesus walked the earth, the predominant culture was one of power. Every relationship from family to politics was based on power. Jesus broke that cycle. He said that the predominant way to treat others was with love. And if they hate you? Well, still treat them with love. (Hint: it’s in the Bible.)

In fact, Jesus personally dealt with hate. And what about his followers? For two hundred years or more. Yet the church grew exponentially. Why? Because of the way they treated people and the power of Jesus in them. 

Every human being you see, in person or in a photo or on TV, was created by God. And God loves them. There are some who are filled with evil. God hates evil. He loves people. Remember Paul? The guy who wrote most of the New Testament? He was a hater. Look what God did with him.

I have friends who are Muslim. I have friends who are Hindu. I have Buddhist friends. I even have pagan friends. Many of my friends are confused. None are evil. They are all people. God loves them.

I pray every day that we could stop this labeling and name calling and hate and fear and just love people and help people (remember the Good Samaritan?).  It’s not my job to worry about others. It’s my job to help others and model my teacher–Jesus. I just wish I could do it better. I pray we all could.

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There Is Wisdom and then There Is Being Wise

October 19, 2015

Read the Proverbs every year. This spiritual  discipline keeps the wisdom of how to live well deep in your mind.

The book was written and compiled by Salomon, the most successful Israeli king.

The story goes that he became king due to his mother succeeding in palace intrigue in the court of King David. He moved quickly to consolidate power and kill off his adversaries. Sometime later, he had a vision of a conversation with God in a dream and asked for wisdom as his gift.

God was happy with that request and granted it. And King Solomon’s reputation for wisdom was a great as was his wealth.

God promised that if he would walk in His ways, his sons would continue to sit on the throne and the nation would be blessed.

I find it interesting that nowhere in 1 Kings does it state that God selected Solomon. David selected him upon the request of Bathsheba (remember their story?).

So, the king possessed great wisdom. He used wisdom to rule.

However, his rule also sowed the seeds of his eventual destruction.

God’s wisdom from the earliest entry of the Hebrews into the promised land was “Do not marry wives from the tribes living in the land.” Great wisdom. Women bring their culture and gods into the marriage. Solomon married 700 princesses from tribes all over the region. He allowed them to maintain worship of their own gods. Eventually Solomon himself worshiped those Gods. Imagine that! The builder of the Temple as a residence for God.

Speaking of the Temple, Solomon worked and taxed his people heavily so that he could build the Temple and then a huge palace for his residence (imagine having enough rooms for 700 wives and 300 concubines). The people were not happy as we find out in the story of the next (and last) king of a united Israel.

Let us take a lesson. There is amassing a great knowledge of wisdom sayings.

Then, there is being a wise person.

Don’t be like Solomon. Don’t just know “wisdom”. Practice being wise.

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Unburdened Meetings–Friday Leadership Tips

October 16, 2015

I hate meetings.

OK, sometimes you just have to have them. At least, that is what “they” say.

There are those regular meetings that you have because it’s Tuesday morning or Thursday evening.

Those are often the worst. You meet at the regular time–except for George and Linda who are always late. The agenda is the same. Someone talks. Others surreptitiously check email. Or Facebook. (In the old days, we daydreamed or passed notes.)

It doesn’t matter if you are at a church, a non-governmental organization, or a business. You’ve suffered through them.

Yet, there are times when a meeting is necessary.

Looking into the book of Acts, we see where Paul needed a meeting of the church leaders. He needed a decision. He also needed a blessing. The best way to achieve the goal was to gather all the players at one place at one time. Lay out the proposal and make the  argument. Listen to the discussion. Make a few changes. Then go and do.

So, that famous meeting was good. Decisions were made, and Paul was empowered to go out to the world beyond Judea to spread the gospel. The world was changed.

  1. When you need to bring a number of people together because a decision must be made where they are affected and you need buy in, then call a meeting.
  2. When you need to build community among people who seldom see each other during their work days (maybe you have remote workers), then have an occasional meeting where you can share what you are working on and allow time outside the official meeting for conversation.
  3. When it’s Tuesday and you’re supposed to have a meeting but there is nothing going on, then don’t call the meeting. Let everyone go to work.
  4. When it’s Tuesday and you’re the leader and you have to hold that regular staff meeting, then craft an agenda that focuses on a topic that is important for moving the organization forward. Focus on the agenda, expect participation, end with summary of decisions and actions. End promptly.

I don’t always hold meetings, but when I do, I demand focus.

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Posted in Leadership | 2 Comments »

Teach About the Whole Body

October 15, 2015

The Christian church, especially the Protestant tradition that I’ve grown up in, focuses almost exclusively on the “soul”. Most Protestant denominations, at least in the US, focus on salvation messages.

Thanks perhaps to Dave Ramsey, more and more churches are beginning to discuss money not in terms of law–you should give more money to the church–but in terms spiritual development. How you manage your finances is an important part of your overall spiritual focus and development.

I hear almost nothing about taking care of your body. This “temple of the soul” as Paul says.

It’s not like the Bible is silent on the issue. Many of the Mosaic laws are in reality health laws. Of course, like all religious laws they quickly get taken to the extreme and the initial reason lost.

There is the “Daniel diet” that has gone around. You know, when the Babylonian king picked a group of Hebrew young men to join his leadership academy, they asked to stay on a healthy diet rather than the foods rich in fat and sweet and alcohol. After a trial run, they proved to be more healthy than the others, so they were allowed their own diet.

If you take care of your body, you are in better shape to pursue your spiritual development.

Taking care of your body does not mean that there is no illness or physical debilitation. Some of that is unavoidable genetics. Some accident. 

All of us can be like Daniel and watch what we eat. We could be vegetarian or allow ourselves some meat. Either works. But eating more of your diet from plant sources, eliminating excess fat and sugar, eliminating sodas, eating until 80% full, drinking more water, dining rather than gulping down your meals (like I did last night proofreading some PowerPoint slides while eating) all work for the betterment of our bodies. We can practice this no matter what we have.

Even those who have physical challenges can get some form of exercise. For those who can walk, few things are better than long walks in nature. For those who can run–run. Resistance exercises like some form of weight lifiting build muscles and bone. Mind/body fitness like Yoga, Tai Chi, or Pilates tone the whole body. Yoga is good for people with a number of chronic physical problems who can’t exercise any other way.

Lots of things contribute to our spiritual health. We need teach about mind, body, and soul so that we are fit for the race set before us.

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Thinking and Doing

October 14, 2015

Seth Godin is a marketing consultant. He’s written a few books and has a blog. The blogs are short pieces these days. Usually pithy. Recently he wrote on opportunity and left a few good suggestions.

You can learn a new skill, today, for free.

You can take on a new task at work, right now, without asking anyone.

You can make a connection, find a flaw, contribute an insight, now.

Or not.

We like to complain about lots of things. Work. The boss. The church. Leaders. Not getting ahead.

Godin reminds us of simple things that put the responsibility right back on us.

Today, Jon Swanson wrote on his 300 Words a Day blog about reading. And doing. He read a lot about running. Then he started running. He didn’t read any more. He ran.

He thought about Jesus who said you can sit and listen all day, or you can get out and do.

Preparation is good. Your 15 minutes a day in your chair reading the Bible is good. Your other reading is good.

But, in the end it isn’t good enough. It’s like the athlete preparing for the contest and never entering the competition.

You can do it. Godin says take responsibility for yourself and get up and do. Swanson suggested that there’s a time for preparation and then a time for doing.

What are you doing today?

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The Mote In Your Eye

October 12, 2015

The mote in your eye could be larger than you think.

Jesus warned us that the mote you see in someone’s eye is far less important than the beam in ours. We may think it is the other way around–that we are seeing a beam in their eye and only a mote in our own.

What he meant, of course, was that we waste a lot of time looking for the sins and shortcomings of other people. Our time would be better spent thinking about our own sins and shortcomings. We need to set our own hearts right. Worrying about others is what we call a non-starter.

In many conversations I’ve heard over the past several months, I think I’ve observed something interesting and instructive. Often when we are noticing the shortcomings or personality “flaws” of someone else, what we are really seeing are our own sins and shortcomings in others.

I wonder if that is borne out by research. Maybe that’s a good topic for an enterprising grad student.

The instruction I receive is to observe myself as well as others. You can, in a meditative state, actually project yourself outside your body and see yourself acting. Have you ever been in a situation where your temper got the better of you and then you see yourself from the outside and see the effect you’re having on others? I have. It is not pleasant.

It’s not pleasant because it is going to lead to a feeling and thought that I’m going to have to change. Not the others. Me. And I, like many people, hate to change–especially when I’m involved in some sort of self-righteous display of juvenile behaviour. 

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Leaders Are Communicators

October 9, 2015

Reflecting on Paul, perhaps the greatest leader (outside of Jesus) in the early church. He came out of nowhere. He was not part of the inner circle. Heck, he wasn’t in any circles when Jesus was alive. We don’t hear about him until after the resurrection and the formation of the early church. And then he was an instigator.

Then, he was converted. He was taught. He was commissioned.

He visited little groups of followers and taught and preached. He encouraged them to grow in numbers and in strength of spirit.

He also wrote. That’s how we know about him today. We all study what he wrote way back then in letters that he could only hope would make it to their destinations, let alone make it into books that we read today.

He had a vision. He had passion. But he exploited that through his use of the written and spoken word.

Much as  I never much cared for Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE, he did teach me one thing from his books–the importance of crafting your message as a leader and then speaking and writing that message at every opportunity. As a leader, you have to get your message out.

I have interviewed the senior leadership of a $7 billion automation company many times. I’ll interview the CEO, and he’ll give me the message. Then I’ll interview three or four senior vice presidents. They’ll all give me that message as it relates to their areas. Then I’ll talk to director level people. Same thing. The message gets through.

How about your organization? Does it have a message? Is it clearly articulated such that just about everyone can understand it? If I interviewed all the people in your organization, would they be able to tell me what the message is and be able to relate it to their role?

In some of the organizations where I am in a leadership role, I find myself communicating all the time. Emails, notes, brochures, phone calls, text messages, Facebook or Website. You’ve got to use every means available.

If you are working quietly away from people, you’re probably not leading.

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Sportsmanship

October 8, 2015

I woke up this morning and did a quick check of email. Since I quit working for organizations, I no longer dread checking emails and finding long chains of inane “conversations.”

But whatever I was going to write about vanished from my head after reading two reports from a soccer referee about examples of very poor sportsmanship in high school matches by a coach who is also a referee.

I’ve searched the Bible. There is very little about games and sports. Paul uses training for sports as a metaphor for trainig for the spiritual life. 

So, I’ll consider our actions in that light.

Whenever I read these reports or witness them in person as a referee, I have multiple flashbacks of utter chagrin about the many times I’ve acted about as childishly. My first two years as a soccer coach were highlighted (in my mind) by the times I yelled at the referees. Then I took a class and leaerned the Laws of the Game. Oops.

It may go with being introverted or touched by Aspergers or having a mom who had issues–but I tend to remember times when I acted poorly.

I wonder if others ever do that.

There was a report from a referee who was followed to his car in the parking lot by parents after a game last night passing along their judgement of his limited capabilities. There was a coach who yelled and screamed the entire game and then instructed his players to feign injury to try to delay the game (I suppose he must have been up a goal and wanted to find a way to not let the other team attack).

One of the pleasures I’ve had from my involvement with soccer for the past 30+ years is the development of young people. We’ll get kids at 13, 14 or 15. We teach them the Laws. We teach and assist them in learning how to apply them in a game. The kids must learn responsibility (boy if I’ve had one conversation I’ve had a hundred about showing up for your games and on time). They have to learn decision making. They develop confidence. 

I’ll teach an introductory course and then maybe not see the kid for 2-3 years. They grow up. Their confidence is obvious. We taught them life skills.

What are these parents and coaches teaching? How to blame others? How to cheat? How to take shortcuts? How to behave like children? I’ve seen 12-year-olds act more maturely than their coaches and parents at times. 

We forget. We’re each training for success in our spiritual lives. Sports is a metaphor. Some of us grow. Some of us don’t. Some of us look back at our lives and shudder–much like Augustine in his Confessions. But I would hope and pray that we all mature in faith and spiritual development.

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Do Not Lag in Zeal

October 7, 2015

Do you ever find yourself during the day with a loss of focus, lack of energy, and uncertainty about what to do next?

It happens to us personally. There are times when I just can’t seem to focus and find the energy to do something.

Still deep into studying Roman and looking at the third paragraph of chapter 12, I read “outdo one another in showing honor, do not lag in zeal, be ardent in the spirit.”

Look at those verbs. Outdo, do not lag, be ardent. Action words. Don’t sit around and mope. Do something.

So, what causes the problem?

  • trouble making a decision
  • too many things to do, feeling swamped
  • not focused on the next task (check your Nozbe app!)
  • the food you ate
  • not enough sleep
  • not centered in purpose

I think we can sense that corporately, whether in church or business. Check these thoughts.

  • loss of vision
  • everyone with an opinion, no one with a direction
  • leadership that kills motivation
  • politics
  • no one cares
  • people just want to get along, like a little club
  • forget about those you’re serving

If you personally get into this state of being, it’s time to 

  • pause
  • breathe
  • consciously refocus
  • remind yourself of the purpose of the day
  • go to the to do app and choose the next action
  • oh, and go to work (nothing cures apathy like work)

If it is a corporate thing, then

  • there is a real need for a leader to step forward
  • start reminding people of the purpose / vision
  • refocus on those whom the organization is serving
  • determine tasks
  • go to work

There is much work to do between the steps. But both situations require pause, breathe, focus on vision, go to work.

I think that whoever read these words of Paul “be ardent in the spirit” knew exactly what he meant. Paul must have lived that command daily. As should we.

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