LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM SEASBISCUIT
Last night I spent a couple of hours with some guys kicking around leadership lessons from the movie Seabiscuit. Ken Smith, one of the members of our leadership team at Christ Community Church, did a masterful job of facilitating our discussion around three critical elements of servant leadership: caring about people; building community; and enabling others to succeed.
Seabiscuit, a past Academy Award nominee for Picture of the Year, is a heart moving story of triumph and perseverance set during the Great Depression of the 1930's. It is centered around a horse, but it's much more than a horse story (for a great summary of the film check out the review at http://hollywoodjesus.com/seabiscuit.htm).
One of my favorite scenes in the film is Charles Howard's (Jeff Bridges) first encounter with Tom Smith (Chris Cooper). Smith is a loner, an old school kind of guy who much prefers the wide open prairies to social parties. Smith is focusing his attention on an injured horse and Howard poses the question, "Why are you fixing him?" "Because I can," replied Smith. "Every horse is good for something...You don't just throw away a life because he's banged up a little."
I love that line (and it becomes the overarching theme of the film): "You don't throw away a whole life, just because he's banged up a little." Think about the implications. Life bangs us all up; we all carry around wounds from the past. Some are self inflicted. And we all contribute to the woundedness of others. Our culture is quick to throw people away. Signs of weakness and brokenness won't get you far in our "You're Fired" culture.
What would life be like in a community that cared deeply for people, a community that lived with intentionality and purpose - a community that made the decision that it would be the kind of place that doesn't throw people away, but instead cares for, loves, and nurtures the banged up, the wounded and the broken?
This may seem like pie in the sky dreaming (or as one guy said it's "swimming upstream"). Quite frankly, it is; it is counter cultural. But if we can learn anything from a horse story, it's this: sowing the seeds of care and love can change your world, my world, and our world.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
MY FAMILY IS HOME
Last last night my wife and two of our children came home. They had traveled south for some sun and soccer. Since our oldest son is away at college, it was just me and Abby, our youngest, for five whole days. To be honest I was a bit concerned about how the days would unfold. But we had a great time together and it was amazing how quiet and calm the house was with just the two of us.
Well things changed rather quickly this morning - my wake up call went something like this: "wake up, the toilet is overflowing." And before I could wipe the sleep out of my eyes and the cobwebs from my brain, I found myself plunging, mopping, and disinfecting. A great way to start a brand new day!
Family life isn't always neat and clean, is it? We can spend a whole lot of time plunging, mopping, and disinfecting. It's rather sloppy and messy at times. Community life is like that as well. Put a a few (or ten or a hundred) people together and pretty soon some messy stuff arises. But we roll up our sleeves, start plunging and mopping and we discover it's better together than apart.
The quiet and calm of the past five days is gone - I'm glad the family is home!
Last last night my wife and two of our children came home. They had traveled south for some sun and soccer. Since our oldest son is away at college, it was just me and Abby, our youngest, for five whole days. To be honest I was a bit concerned about how the days would unfold. But we had a great time together and it was amazing how quiet and calm the house was with just the two of us.
Well things changed rather quickly this morning - my wake up call went something like this: "wake up, the toilet is overflowing." And before I could wipe the sleep out of my eyes and the cobwebs from my brain, I found myself plunging, mopping, and disinfecting. A great way to start a brand new day!
Family life isn't always neat and clean, is it? We can spend a whole lot of time plunging, mopping, and disinfecting. It's rather sloppy and messy at times. Community life is like that as well. Put a a few (or ten or a hundred) people together and pretty soon some messy stuff arises. But we roll up our sleeves, start plunging and mopping and we discover it's better together than apart.
The quiet and calm of the past five days is gone - I'm glad the family is home!
Sunday, February 20, 2005
SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN
I mentioned late in December that one of my goals for 2005 was to spend some time listening to and reflecting upon U2's "How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb." It's a great CD that brings the band back to their musical roots and the lyrics provide plenty to chew on.
Did you catch U2 at the Grammy's - no pun intended, but it was the bomb. Set against a simple, unadorned white backdrop, the band performed "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," a song that has actually been around for a couple of years (Bono first performed it at his father's funeral). The song speaks of a son's frustration with his father's unwillingness or inability to let his son into his world of suffering in order that he might share the burden of a terrible disease and sickness. Bono sings:
"Tough, you think you’ve got the stuff
You’re telling me and anyone you’re hard enough.
You don’t have to put up a fight,
You don’t have to always be right,
Let me take some of the punches for you tonight.
Listen to me now I need to let you know
You don’t have to go it alone.
And it’s you when I look in the mirror
And it’s you when I don’t pick up the phone
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own."
I mentioned late in December that one of my goals for 2005 was to spend some time listening to and reflecting upon U2's "How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb." It's a great CD that brings the band back to their musical roots and the lyrics provide plenty to chew on.
Did you catch U2 at the Grammy's - no pun intended, but it was the bomb. Set against a simple, unadorned white backdrop, the band performed "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," a song that has actually been around for a couple of years (Bono first performed it at his father's funeral). The song speaks of a son's frustration with his father's unwillingness or inability to let his son into his world of suffering in order that he might share the burden of a terrible disease and sickness. Bono sings:
"Tough, you think you’ve got the stuff
You’re telling me and anyone you’re hard enough.
You don’t have to put up a fight,
You don’t have to always be right,
Let me take some of the punches for you tonight.
Listen to me now I need to let you know
You don’t have to go it alone.
And it’s you when I look in the mirror
And it’s you when I don’t pick up the phone
Sometimes you can’t make it on your own."
(Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own, U2)
This morning I spoke at our worship gathering from Acts 2:41-47 on the topic of community. One of the things I noticed in the text is that the earliest Christian community was described as a needs-meeting community. The Scriptures make it clear that no one had any needs. Now, that's an amazing statement. How could that possibly be?
Maybe a key was that people in the first century were quicker to acknowledge their needs with one another. It seems to be that there has been an “evolution” in our culture (maybe better said, a de-evolution) that the more mature you are, the less needs you should have. And God forbid, we might actually be needy!
One of the things I learned from Dr. Gilbert Bilizekian is that community is a place where we can know and be known, love and be loved, serve and be served. One of the beautiful aspects of that definition is that community is a two way street: we not only know others, they know us, we not only love others, we are loved in return, we not only serve others, we are served.
I can’t make it make on my own and my guess is that you aren't much different. U2’ s song concludes with these words:
Sometimes you can't make it,
Best you can do is to fake it,
Sometimes you can't make it on your own.
This morning I spoke at our worship gathering from Acts 2:41-47 on the topic of community. One of the things I noticed in the text is that the earliest Christian community was described as a needs-meeting community. The Scriptures make it clear that no one had any needs. Now, that's an amazing statement. How could that possibly be?
Maybe a key was that people in the first century were quicker to acknowledge their needs with one another. It seems to be that there has been an “evolution” in our culture (maybe better said, a de-evolution) that the more mature you are, the less needs you should have. And God forbid, we might actually be needy!
One of the things I learned from Dr. Gilbert Bilizekian is that community is a place where we can know and be known, love and be loved, serve and be served. One of the beautiful aspects of that definition is that community is a two way street: we not only know others, they know us, we not only love others, we are loved in return, we not only serve others, we are served.
I can’t make it make on my own and my guess is that you aren't much different. U2’ s song concludes with these words:
Sometimes you can't make it,
Best you can do is to fake it,
Sometimes you can't make it on your own.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
The past three Wednesday mornings I've been hanging out with Matt in the men’s changing room of the Mt. Lebanon Swimming Pool. I’ve been trying something new: golf lessons. Now I really enjoy golf and although I have been at it for about five years now, quite frankly I've had limited success. An additional motivator is the fact that a month from today I'll be on the course in Florida with three good friends and thought it might be interesting to work with someone who actually knows what they are talking.
The word I would use to describe the experience is deconstruction. Now I know that's a loaded term but it fits. Matt, my instructor, is deconstructing my swing. It's been interesting to learn work the fundamentals: address, backswing, hinge, follow-through. I'm discovering that I have been doing quite a few things wrong. Why do I swing the golf club the way I do? Good question. That's the way I've always swung the club. My swing is a combination of my athletic ability, intuition, observing others, reading golf magazines, along with a few comments and pointers from well meaning partners. All of these have contributed to one thing: a technically, flawed swing. Now don't get me wrong, I can get the ball down the fairway and into the hole. But it would be a lot more fun if it could be accomplished with fewer strokes. And so Matt has been deconstructing my swing in order that it might be reconstructed with sound technical fundamentals.
Can I push this deconstruction thing a bit? I wonder what might happen if it was applied to some other areas of life? For instance, this Sunday I will be speaking on the topic of community. My guess is we all have a particular approach and way of doing community. But I wonder if the our perspective and practice is based on sound fundamentals? Or are we simply doing it and living it "they way we always have?"
This is one of the reasons why I am pumped about "The Shaping of Things to Come" (both the book and the experience with Frost and Hirsh on April 16). In a sense they are helping people deconstruct the church and rebuild it upon a sound biblical, missiological foundation.
This deconstruction thing is painful. I am finding it is difficult to leave behind old habits. But I am hopeful that the pain of change right now will lead to a more enjoyable future – both on the golf course and in the life of the community.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Over the past six months I've had opportunity to dialogue with people, both near and far, about a book written by two Australians, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsh. The Shaping of Things to Come is an important work for any Christ follower to consider, but especially those who are involved in new church developments. Frost and Hirsch have strong convictions that the time is right for the Church to be a force for positive change and transformation in the world today. They write:
"For the first time we in the West are living in what has been called a post-Christian era. Most people throughout the Western world have seen what the Church has to offer, and they found it to be wanting. The current credibility gap has made it hard to communicate the gospel with clarity and authenticity. Paradoxically, this is the case even though it is currently a time of almost unprecedented openness to issues of God, faith, and meaning. This is a time when the need for, and relevance of, the gospel has seldom been greater, but the relevance of the Church has seldom been less. If ever there was a time for innovative missionary effort in the West, it is now."
I have to tell you this book is rocking my world (in a positive way) and I am excited about the conversations it is stimulating among those involved in local church leadership. Through a very cool set of circumstance, both authors will be here in Pittsburgh on Saturday April 16 to discuss their book and to facilitate discussion among churches here in the Pittsburgh region interested in being a positive force in the world today. The event will take place at Bellefield Presbyterian Church in Oakland from 9 AM - 5 PM. Before that date I'd encourage you to do a couple of things:
1) get a copy of the book and begin to read it (http://www.hendrickson.com/html/product/36597.acad.html?category=academic)
2) block off April 16 and plan to attend the event (there is a $50 registration fee which includes breakfast and lunch. If that is an obstacle to your participation please let me know)
3) pray for churches in the Pittsburgh region who are committed to becoming missional communities of faith
Over the next two months I will be posting some thoughts about this book and the ideas it contains; I encourage you to join in the dialogue.
"For the first time we in the West are living in what has been called a post-Christian era. Most people throughout the Western world have seen what the Church has to offer, and they found it to be wanting. The current credibility gap has made it hard to communicate the gospel with clarity and authenticity. Paradoxically, this is the case even though it is currently a time of almost unprecedented openness to issues of God, faith, and meaning. This is a time when the need for, and relevance of, the gospel has seldom been greater, but the relevance of the Church has seldom been less. If ever there was a time for innovative missionary effort in the West, it is now."
I have to tell you this book is rocking my world (in a positive way) and I am excited about the conversations it is stimulating among those involved in local church leadership. Through a very cool set of circumstance, both authors will be here in Pittsburgh on Saturday April 16 to discuss their book and to facilitate discussion among churches here in the Pittsburgh region interested in being a positive force in the world today. The event will take place at Bellefield Presbyterian Church in Oakland from 9 AM - 5 PM. Before that date I'd encourage you to do a couple of things:
1) get a copy of the book and begin to read it (http://www.hendrickson.com/html/product/36597.acad.html?category=academic)
2) block off April 16 and plan to attend the event (there is a $50 registration fee which includes breakfast and lunch. If that is an obstacle to your participation please let me know)
3) pray for churches in the Pittsburgh region who are committed to becoming missional communities of faith
Over the next two months I will be posting some thoughts about this book and the ideas it contains; I encourage you to join in the dialogue.
Saturday, February 05, 2005
I have been feeling pretty crummy this week, struggling with a sinus thing. It's amazing how connected the state of our soul and spirit can be to that of our bodies. Well this afternoon, I finally got to our daily reading (our church is in the midst of an eight week worship series entitled "The Story We Find Ourselves In" and connected to the series are daily readings from scripture. Check out our CCCSH blog at www.cccsh.blogspot.com to discover more). As I read the text and allowed the words to penetrate my soul and spirit and bring warm and light, I was amazing at how connected the state of our bodies can be to that of our soul and spirit.
Come to Jesus Christ. He is the living stone that people have rejected, but which God has chosen and highly honored. And now you are living stones that are being used to build a spiritual house. You are also a group of holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God. It is just as God says in the Scriptures,"Look! I am placing in Zion a choice and precious cornerstone. No one who has faith in that one will be disappointed."You are followers of the Lord, and that stone is precious to you. But it isn't precious to those who refuse to follow him. They are the builders who tossed aside the stone that turned out to be the most important one of all. They disobeyed the message and stumbled and fell over that stone, because they were doomed.But you are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done. The Scriptures say,"Once you were nobody. Now you are God's people. At one time no one had pity on you. Now God has treated you with kindness" ( 1 Peter 2:4-10, CEV).
Seriously, does it get any better than this?
Come to Jesus Christ. He is the living stone that people have rejected, but which God has chosen and highly honored. And now you are living stones that are being used to build a spiritual house. You are also a group of holy priests, and with the help of Jesus Christ you will offer sacrifices that please God. It is just as God says in the Scriptures,"Look! I am placing in Zion a choice and precious cornerstone. No one who has faith in that one will be disappointed."You are followers of the Lord, and that stone is precious to you. But it isn't precious to those who refuse to follow him. They are the builders who tossed aside the stone that turned out to be the most important one of all. They disobeyed the message and stumbled and fell over that stone, because they were doomed.But you are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done. The Scriptures say,"Once you were nobody. Now you are God's people. At one time no one had pity on you. Now God has treated you with kindness" ( 1 Peter 2:4-10, CEV).
Seriously, does it get any better than this?
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
This week Time Magazine released its list of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America. It is quite an impressive collection that includes people from ministry contexts, academia, politics, and the non-profit sector (it strives to be politically correct as well as it includes a sprinkling of African Americans, Hispanics, and women). You can review the list here: http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101050207/photoessay/index.html
While I appreciate the work, ministry, and contributions of many of those named, as I surveyed the list I was dismayed to discover that the youngest member was Brian McLaren (no spring chicken at the age of 46 and I can say that as I enjoy the last month of my 45 year of life). And it got me thinking - who are and who will be the next generation of leading evangelicals in our country. Who will influence the shape of the American Church in the next season of opportunity and mission?
Before I share a few suggestions, perhaps it would be wise to think about the word "evangelical." An evangelical is someone who takes seriously the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ; someone who shapes his or her life around the values, ethics, teaching and life of Jesus and seeks to invite others into that life as well. What is the Gospel, this good news? The minimum standards required to gain entrance into heaven after you die? A particular social, economic, or political agenda? Or perhaps something more? I like what Jesus had to say about His mission into the world:
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).
I think an evangelical is someone who takes Jesus at His word - that the Gospel is all about a rich, full abundant life, not only in the age to come but in the here and now as well.
Here are 10 people that come to my mind fairly quickly (google any of these names to learn more). I'm not sure they will be on times list ten years down the road, but I sure hope the church listens to their voice in the days ahead.
Stanley Grenz (a student of JI Packer, theologian, and prolific writer)
Erwin McManus (pastor, author, innovator)
Sally Morganthaler (thinker, theologian, worship guru, artist)
Bono (Ok, he's not American but he has a pretty strong influence here in the US)
Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman (two young songwriter/psalmists who inspire the church to worship God more passionately and spread His fame in all the earth and yes I know Redman is a Brit)
Nancy Beach (leader of a global movement of artists in the Church)
Fredericka Matthews Green (NPR commentary, author, and Orthodox Christian)
Cameron Strang (editor of Relevant magazine)
Ruth Haley Barton (thinker, author and practitioner of spiritual formation)
Who would you nominate? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Take a moment if you would and leave a comment.
While I appreciate the work, ministry, and contributions of many of those named, as I surveyed the list I was dismayed to discover that the youngest member was Brian McLaren (no spring chicken at the age of 46 and I can say that as I enjoy the last month of my 45 year of life). And it got me thinking - who are and who will be the next generation of leading evangelicals in our country. Who will influence the shape of the American Church in the next season of opportunity and mission?
Before I share a few suggestions, perhaps it would be wise to think about the word "evangelical." An evangelical is someone who takes seriously the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ; someone who shapes his or her life around the values, ethics, teaching and life of Jesus and seeks to invite others into that life as well. What is the Gospel, this good news? The minimum standards required to gain entrance into heaven after you die? A particular social, economic, or political agenda? Or perhaps something more? I like what Jesus had to say about His mission into the world:
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).
I think an evangelical is someone who takes Jesus at His word - that the Gospel is all about a rich, full abundant life, not only in the age to come but in the here and now as well.
Here are 10 people that come to my mind fairly quickly (google any of these names to learn more). I'm not sure they will be on times list ten years down the road, but I sure hope the church listens to their voice in the days ahead.
Stanley Grenz (a student of JI Packer, theologian, and prolific writer)
Erwin McManus (pastor, author, innovator)
Sally Morganthaler (thinker, theologian, worship guru, artist)
Bono (Ok, he's not American but he has a pretty strong influence here in the US)
Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman (two young songwriter/psalmists who inspire the church to worship God more passionately and spread His fame in all the earth and yes I know Redman is a Brit)
Nancy Beach (leader of a global movement of artists in the Church)
Fredericka Matthews Green (NPR commentary, author, and Orthodox Christian)
Cameron Strang (editor of Relevant magazine)
Ruth Haley Barton (thinker, author and practitioner of spiritual formation)
Who would you nominate? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Take a moment if you would and leave a comment.
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