I’d Give Anything To Be Like You

July 2, 2013

“Gosh, I’d give anything to play like you,” gushed the wealthy middle-aged woman to a famed concert pianist after a private afternoon concert to patrons of the orchestra.

“No, you wouldn’t,” he replied. “Or you already would have. You would be studying under a teacher. You would be practicing scales and chords for hours every day. You would rehearse pieces for hours. No, you wouldn’t give anything to play like me.”

He was a bit harsh. But realistic. Consider another story (paraphrased):

“Gosh, I’d give anything to be like you,” gushed the wealthy young man to Jesus one day. “I’ve followed all the laws since I was a child.” (See, he was already farther along than the woman. But…)

“Then go and sell all you have and give it to the poor. Then come and follow me,” replied Jesus.

He went away just like the woman went away.

It’s hard to be a disciple. It’s hard to be like Jesus. He might have taught about love, but he was also a strict master. He demanded total attention. Not just doing a few things. Total commitment.

That’s why I sit in meditation and ponder what I’m holding back from being a disciple.

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Many Ways To Discipleship

July 1, 2013

Is there just one way to be a disciple? Are disciples like little toy Ninjas spit from an injection molding machine so that each is exactly like the one before and the one after?

The thing about becoming a disciple is that it is much harder than just saying you agree with some proposition. There are powerful and charismatic people who arise from time to time who have a vision of what a perfect person is like. He (almost always a “he” throughout history) then tries to develop a society of robots under his control.

Jesus was not like that. He had a core teaching. He expected his followers to abide in that core teaching. He also collected an amazingly diverse set of characters into his inner circle. Beyond the Twelve and into the next circle, there were religious leaders, wealthy people, recovered prostitutes.

I was thinking about this reflecting back on my life while I’m also reflecting forward into what I’m doing now. Have I always been a disciple? Have I always done what I should?

We can look to Paul for some advice. I, like many of my contemporaries, initially disliked Paul. In fact, I have a friend today who will tell people to get out the big, black magic marker when reading Paul’s letters to just blot out some of his words. People have been doing that for centuries.

That’s a mistake. It’s just that Paul tried so hard, sometimes he got a little confusing. And sometimes he was telling disciples in AD 60 how to organize without thinking about (it probably never occurred to him) organizing when Christ-followers (or Christians) became powerful and diverse.

But Paul addressed this discipleship thing a few times. What he said was that there exist a variety of people. These people in general possess a variety of talents. Each individual has at least one talent. These talents are what we devote to putting into practice Jesus’ commands–such as to go into the world and make disciples.

Early Christ-followers were remarkable in their service to fellow humans even from a political and social position of powerlessness.

I guess that in the end, am I using what talents I have to help people and further the Kingdom. Am I constantly developing those talents to help even more? That would be my task–and my test.

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Pray With Intention

June 28, 2013

I sat down at the bar in the Waldorf Astoria in New Orleans this week. I intended to eat a light dinner there. Turns out that they don’t serve food at the bar. Not all intentions work out, I guess.

On the other hand, a friend told me several months ago that he prays intentionally for God to bring people into his life. It seemed like good advice. I’ve been doing that.

A couple sat down beside me. So I started a conversation. Turns out they were in town because he was at another tech conference going on in New Orleans at the same time. They both have full time jobs. But they were working on starting a new business designed to help kids.

I learned something of another ministry. Something to take back to mine.

Coincidence?

Or a combination of praying for opportunities and people coming into my life, no matter how briefly, where either they teach me something or I teach and share with them. Best is both.

I’ve discovered that praying with intention is only half the battle. And this prayer is only one of several. What do I do after I pray?

First, I have to go out into the world. If I just sit in my office, I am not that likely to meet new people. God only does so much. He expects me to put out some effort. So, I go out.

Next, I have to be open to others. You can start with almost any non-threatening question. The Spirit leads from that question to beginning a conversation to getting to the point of the need–yours or theirs.

Then, I have to focus on the other and opportunities that are presented in the course of the conversation. That is a listening  skill. I focus my eyes on their eyes and mouth (so I can see what they say, especially if the environment is noisy.

Finally, I respond appropriately.

You can learn new things. Make new friends. Share your story. Share Jesus’ story. Get help for a problem you have. Help someone else.

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Showing Gratitude

June 27, 2013

Thank you.

How often do you say that? How often should you say that? To others? To God?

After another trip and rather than the expense of another night in the hotel and that I’d rather be home, I took another late night flight. Late night flights connecting through the east coast are a certain formula for schedule disaster.

My plane in New Orleans was late arriving and therefore late departing. And therefore late arriving in Washington, D.C. After a long run through a maze designed by an engineer imported from the Spanish Inquisition, there was a train ride. Followed by yet another maze. But…I arrived at the gate area just as the gate agent was announcing boarding would begin. My Group 1 boarding pass plus now being first in line meant I could get to my seat and begin relaxing. Thank you.

(We won’t talk about the 20 minutes we sat at the gate in Washington waiting for the ground crew to get a set of headphones that worked so that they could push us back. Or the 30 minutes we waited in Dayton for the ground crew to arrive to guide us to the gate. With “Bubba” across the aisle from me getting  agitated. Hey, I got home by 1 am instead of 12:15, but I got home.)

Andy Stanley talks about keeping a set of note cards on your desk. When someone does something cool, send a handwritten note. With specifics. Don’t just scribble “thanks,” but say “Thank you for coming early and starting the coffee. The entire staff appreciated it.”

We have many people in our lives to acknowledge with a Thank You. Do it. Daily. Sometimes circumstances are not all that good on the surface, but there are reasons to be thankful. Look for those reasons and rejoice.

 

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Personal Involvement For Success

June 21, 2013

This is a travel month for me. Last week I was in California for a conference and then took a couple of vacation days at the beach in Carlsbad. Got home late Friday (about 2 hours later than planned, thanks air travel) then turned around and drove to Grand Rapids, MI for a graduation party. Nice to see old friends and family. Turned around and left Monday for Chicago and a bunch of meetings. Last night was the 11th day this month I’ve slept at home. Leave Sunday for New Orleans. But it slows down.

I’m not complaining about all that. Some is business, and I do need to have some income. Some is seeing friends and family–and that is great. The thing about being on the road is to find ways to keep up my energy and keep up my personal involvement with my various activities. There is work to do for the soccer program in western Ohio. There is my new church work.

This week’s meditations were started by listening to a series of talks by Andy Stanley about leadership. He is an excellent thinker on the subject. I actually prefer listening to him than the vaunted John Maxwell.

For the last one this week, he talked about personal involvement. This sort of reminds me of the old story about contributing or committing. Seems a pig and a chicken were discussing providing breakfast for humans. The pig says, “For you it’s just a contribution, for me it’s a total commitment.”

What is your (my) attitude and focus about the things I’m doing–either in church, in the marketplace or at home? Am I satisfied to just contribute a little? Or, am I “all in”?

I guess that’s a good way to close the week. As you reflect on this week and plan for next week, where did I fall short of the personal commitment that I really should have done? Or, celebrate the commitments made that moved the projects forward. And plan for next week. Focus on the commitments, let the others slide if they must.

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It Is Not Will To Change, But Focus To Change

June 19, 2013

I was listening to an Andy Stanley talk recently when he threw out this phrase, “We don’t lack the will to change, but we lack the focus to change.”

The more I thought about this, the greater the wisdom in that statement I perceived. Much of success in life relates to focus and attention.

When I teach people balance poses in Yoga, you know those poses you probably have seen pictures where the model is standing on one foot looking so lithe and graceful, I offer two instructions at the beginning. Find a stationary spot to focus on. Clear your mind so that your entire attention is in the moment on the pose.

In the many years that I’ve taught physical health, I’ve seen the will to change. People show up in class (usually in January or September) with the best of intentions. Their will brought them off the couch to the class. But their life has no (or not enough) focus on well being and they soon stop coming.

I have seen people who have become convinced that their lives will improve if they just begin reading the Bible daily. They are correct, of course. And they have the will to begin. But they cannot focus on the reading and thinking. Their attention wanders. And they soon lose interest. “It really didn’t help,” they might say.

So, how do you achieve mental focus? Michael Hyatt just had some thoughts that he shared through this podcast.

Here are his ten tactics to create more mental focus:

  • Block off time on your calendar.
  • Isolate yourself in a quiet place.
  • Turn the room temperature down.
  • Get comfortable.
  • Take email and social media software offline.
  • Put on music that helps facilitate concentration.
  • Have something on-hand to drink.
  • Avoid high glycemic carbohydrates.
  • Set mini-goals.
  • Set a timer and take predetermined breaks.

I have used these myself and recommend them.

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Am I Getting Better

June 18, 2013

What am I doing to get better?

I was listening to a speaker last week, and he just sort of dropped that question on me. Am I getting better? Am I even trying to get better? Better at what?

My background is manufacturing. We have a practice–put into action in the better companies–called continuous improvement. Everyone in the plant is encouraged to think about things and look for ways to improve. We are encouraged to speak up when we see something.

Getting better must become a way of life. To begin with, we must be the kind of person who wants to get better. Of course, we need to define what we want to get better at. Better at relating. A better disciple.

I’m not here to teach Lean manufacturing or kaizen. But many of the Spiritual Disciplines (or practices) discussed by Richard J. Foster in “Celebration of Discipline” have helped me over the years. Even before I knew they had a name. Here’s a refresher:

  • Meditation (still the mind and focus on the issue)
  • Prayer (talk with God about it–including listening)
  • Fasting (watch what you eat so that you avoid the sluggish feeling–my special focus now)
  • Study (feed the mind so that it grows)
  • Simplicity (don’t overly complicate things and keep life uncluttered)
  • Solitude (sometimes you have to withdraw to think)
  • Submission (if you already know everything, then you’ll never grow)
  • Service (helping out is a fantastic growth opportunity)
  • Confession (realize you have not done your best)
  • Worship (get together with others to share stories, offer encouragement)
  • Guidance (seek help from those who have been there)
  • Celebration (just like the three parables about “lost things”, gather friends and celebrate progress)

Just a few notes. Hope it helps.

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Before Your ToDo List, Decide Who You Want To Be

June 17, 2013

Welcome to Monday morning. Who do you want to be this week?

Probably a heavy question to start the week. But before you fill your schedule with appointments, before you prioritize your to-do list, before you pick up the paper–decide who you want to be.

The person you want to be will determine which appointments you want to keep. It will prioritize which tasks you need to tackle. Which books to read. Which emails to respond to. What Web sites to browse.

I often look at people and see a kind of “lostness” in their eyes. People who are going nowhere with their lives. I don’t want to be one of them. Neither did Jesus.

It’s your choice. That’s the power of being human. We have that power. So, use it.

Jesus wanted us to be disciples. So, I claim discipleship. What does that mean to things I will do and the appointments I keep this week?

Steve Jobs said something once about the power of yes. Say yes to what is important, then it’s easier to say no to all the other requests for your time. Focus on the important–not necessarily the urgent.

Here’s to a good week!

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I’d Rather be a Disciple

June 12, 2013

(first published 4/11/13)

Scott Scruggs of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church also recently picked up on the line of thinking that Andy Stanley began about the difference between Christian and disciple.

Jesus seems always to have requested people to do something, not just be something. If he healed you, there was almost always some requirement. Maybe present yourself to a priest. Or sacrifice at the Temple. Or “go and sin no more.”

I am writing this in the Zurich airport. Down the terminal a little way from me is a group of Orthodox Jews. Several have narrow-brimmed hats squarely on the top of their head. A few have a wide-brimmed hat set back on the head where the front brim points almost straight up. They were saying their morning prayers. A few had prayer shawls over their heads. There were different styles of coats and suits.

Why the differences? They each follow a rabbi. They are disciples. They want so much to be like their rabbi, that they affect his dress style.

We don’t try to dress like our Rabbi (Teacher). We can’t even be 100% certain how he dressed. We can assume, but we don’t have a picture.

But that provokes the question about how we try to be like our Teacher/Master/Lord/Savior. If we don’t dress like him, I guess we have to act like him?

Perhaps our study and meditation for the next few weeks could be about how Jesus acted, what he did, what he said, how he said it, how he developed relationships, how he dealt with controversy, how he treated his friends.

The current term in vogue is to be a “Christ-follower.” I think that disciple is much stronger. I’m not just one of those who followed along while the going was good. I’m trying to be like the Master. I’m his disciple.

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On Being a Disciple

June 11, 2013

Yesterday I wrote about making a disciple. While thinking about that, I thought how we need to be a disciple before we can make one. But that is not easy.

Reading in the book of Acts and some of Paul’s letters, we see that there were early preachers who went out to preach Jesus, but evidently they weren’t really disciples before they started. Perhaps the message in those stories is that we need to be self-aware of our motives as we embark on discipleship. Perhaps some were more interested in being a preacher–the center of attention–than in making disciples.

We must be learners. If the disciple-maker is a teacher, then we must be learners. It becomes very important in our lives to follow the right teacher. I know a man who has built a successful business based on the teachings of his marketing professor from college. He is a disciple.

I am building a business based on the example of a couple of people I respect. When it comes to how I live my life, I choose to learn from Jesus. Seems like the best example I can find. So I not only look for an example, I actively do what they teach. Maybe not perfectly, but I work on it. Practicing leads  to discipleship.

So, we learn and we practice. And we do that until we suddenly realize we’ve been telling others about what we’ve learned, how we’ve practiced, and how that has affected our lives.

We’ve grown from disciples only to disciples and disciple-makers.

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