Sorry for the long delay. I have been in Florida since Saturday with no internet access. Great time. I enjoyed a couple of spring training baseball games and the sunshine. Forgot to wear sunscreen the first day and my pasty Tennessee winter skin paid for it.
On the way down there and back, I listened to "Good To Great."( http://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Companies-Leap-Others/dp/0066620996 ) on CD. A book written by business author Jim Collins. It's a really interesting study of why and how some companies become great and others stay mediocre. I highly suggest getting or renting it on CD because the book itself appears a little daunting and wordy.
The book is excellent and, like many other business books, can be easily applied to any aspect of the readers (or listeners) life. I think it basically can boil down to whether our desire is to be great. I know that my desire is to be great, but maybe not in the way many others desire to. I desire to be great at letting God use me to impact this world as a whole and individuals personally. Others may see greatness as making a great name for themselves or having a bunch of stuff. One insight that this author makes however based on research is that managers and CEOs that desire a great name for themselves were never at the helm of these "good to great" companies.
My point once again is that even with my desires and goals, the book applied to me. I think what can often make a book great to the reader is the reader's ability to apply it to their life of look at the information presented from a different perspective than even the author intended.
Anyway, just wanted to share the book with whoever reads this. It really is excellent, even for those that don't work anywhere near the "business world."
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Bracket fun
Wanted to let you in on a conversation at work. My friend does a NCAA tournament bracket based on which mascot would win in a street fight. At two separate points, there was a battle taking place between Viking and Indian. We discussed for a while (along with my Dad) and decided the Indian gets the advantage due to quickness and strategy.
This morning however, in looking over the bracket we noticed that my friend had the Seminoles (indian) defeating the Volunteers (think Davy Crockett.) This then became the subject of much controversy. My friends point was that the volunteer would get one shot before he was rushed by the resliant seminole ("you know how long it takes to load a musket?" he said. I told him at that point that he sounded like Dwight K Schrute.) I didn't necessarily disagree with that, but I had one politically incorrect point to make.
Unlike alot of the matchups, (who has ever seen a Blue Devil, let alone judge their fighting skills) we have historical background to this battle. Remember, the volunteers (basciallly fronteirsmen) have already defeated the indians. Sure, it may not have been them per sey but it's the prinicipal of it. I thought this arguement was hilarious but it only angered my friend. I also reminded him that the volunteer not only has his musket-loading rifle but he also carries his "white man diseases" and alcohol. Therefore, he could barter his way to a victory as well.
Not the most sensative of arguments, but I believe it works.
This morning however, in looking over the bracket we noticed that my friend had the Seminoles (indian) defeating the Volunteers (think Davy Crockett.) This then became the subject of much controversy. My friends point was that the volunteer would get one shot before he was rushed by the resliant seminole ("you know how long it takes to load a musket?" he said. I told him at that point that he sounded like Dwight K Schrute.) I didn't necessarily disagree with that, but I had one politically incorrect point to make.
Unlike alot of the matchups, (who has ever seen a Blue Devil, let alone judge their fighting skills) we have historical background to this battle. Remember, the volunteers (basciallly fronteirsmen) have already defeated the indians. Sure, it may not have been them per sey but it's the prinicipal of it. I thought this arguement was hilarious but it only angered my friend. I also reminded him that the volunteer not only has his musket-loading rifle but he also carries his "white man diseases" and alcohol. Therefore, he could barter his way to a victory as well.
Not the most sensative of arguments, but I believe it works.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Fellowship
Yesterday, I taught a lesson out about Social Justice to my youth group (http://www.navpress.com/store/product.aspx?id=9781600062995) and loved it. There were some technical issues with my PowerPoint (turned out to be user error, believe it or not) that got me awful stressed but the lesson went great.
Afterward, my pastor taught on Matthew's conversion story. How he, the disciples, and Jesus dined with the taxcollecters and "sinners." The religious right... i mean, the pharisees, couldn't stand it. They didn't want anything to do with these "sinners" and couldn't understand what a Holy man like Jesus was doing with them. Jesus' response is clear... "It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners."
Jesus showed these men love. Made it clear that he thought they needed spiritual life, that they had sin, but He loved them anyway.
I have spent a lot of time trying to convey to the youth group the meaning of and need for unconditional love in our communities. So often, as Christians, we think our only calling is to share Christ with people. That is true that we are necessarily called to do that, but we always translate that to mean a 5 minute gospel presentation.
When Christ called us to love, there were no strings attached. No neat little gospel presentation at the end of the love. No motive at all except to unconditionally love. We are to love as Christ loved us. You see, his disciples didn't know all they were going to gain by following Christ, and they rarely understood the point of any of his messages. But they understood He loved them. After His resurrection and the Holy Spirits indwelling of the disciples, they began to understood why He had done what He did.
The early church therefore went around loving the unlovable. Caring for the poor, watching after the widows, and feeding the orphans. This was true love. Unconditional love.
You see, we often wonder why the early church grew the way it did, in the midst of persecution, without any military or violent influence of their own. Its not that the Holy Spirit was moving more then, as I've talked about (http://swannthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/03/we-did-study-of-acts-last-night-with-yg.html). They just loved people. People saw that love and responded. They knew that these people loved them and they wanted to know why. There answer was simple, as John said "We love because He first loved us."
I encourage any believer reading this to do the same. Love others. With all your heart, unconditionally, no strings attached. Simply because He loved us. Proclaim Christ in everything you do. Let the Holy Spirit bring about the change in people's lives.
Afterward, my pastor taught on Matthew's conversion story. How he, the disciples, and Jesus dined with the taxcollecters and "sinners." The religious right... i mean, the pharisees, couldn't stand it. They didn't want anything to do with these "sinners" and couldn't understand what a Holy man like Jesus was doing with them. Jesus' response is clear... "It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners."
Jesus showed these men love. Made it clear that he thought they needed spiritual life, that they had sin, but He loved them anyway.
I have spent a lot of time trying to convey to the youth group the meaning of and need for unconditional love in our communities. So often, as Christians, we think our only calling is to share Christ with people. That is true that we are necessarily called to do that, but we always translate that to mean a 5 minute gospel presentation.
When Christ called us to love, there were no strings attached. No neat little gospel presentation at the end of the love. No motive at all except to unconditionally love. We are to love as Christ loved us. You see, his disciples didn't know all they were going to gain by following Christ, and they rarely understood the point of any of his messages. But they understood He loved them. After His resurrection and the Holy Spirits indwelling of the disciples, they began to understood why He had done what He did.
The early church therefore went around loving the unlovable. Caring for the poor, watching after the widows, and feeding the orphans. This was true love. Unconditional love.
You see, we often wonder why the early church grew the way it did, in the midst of persecution, without any military or violent influence of their own. Its not that the Holy Spirit was moving more then, as I've talked about (http://swannthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/03/we-did-study-of-acts-last-night-with-yg.html). They just loved people. People saw that love and responded. They knew that these people loved them and they wanted to know why. There answer was simple, as John said "We love because He first loved us."
I encourage any believer reading this to do the same. Love others. With all your heart, unconditionally, no strings attached. Simply because He loved us. Proclaim Christ in everything you do. Let the Holy Spirit bring about the change in people's lives.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
rude
not sure if the title of this blog refers to me or the ladies here at JoZoara. I wasn't going to right anything today but I had to vent (one of my planned uses of this blog). I love kids. I love babies. I love the fact that parents who all have babies the same age like to hang out. I think the mothers of said babies know how to parent better than me (i have no children.) I know their lives are hard. I know they are not used to quiet. But I also know that I AM used to quiet, in fact I expect it, at a QUIET little coffee house. I don't expect babies not to cry. I don't expect mom to be able to do anything about it. I do expect however, an effort by Mommy to make the tortured wolverine noise coming out of your child to cease. And just to prove I'm not being selfish, the baby doesn't seem to happy with the lack of attention either!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Coffee House Theology
I have a new study beginning this Sunday with the youth group. I have been reading a book entitled Coffee House Theology by Ed Cyzewski. The book lays out what I feel to be a fairly comprehensive look at what it means to practice theology in today's post-modern world.
There are probably some other books that have their own opinions of how to do this, but I think this book has an extremely Biblical approach
I highly recommend this book (http://www.navpress.com/store/product.aspx?id=9781600062773) to anyone who has a problem deciding how faith and culture relate to one another, or how one effects the other. Simply put, the main concept is understanding that we all to some extent practice a contextual theology. We are all biased in some way and we must understand that in order to truly appreciate, identify with, and speak prophetically to the culture around us.
Anyway, the book can also be supplemented with a Bible study guide (http://www.navpress.com/store/product.aspx?id=9781600062780) and a contemporary issues discussion guide (http://www.navpress.com/store/product.aspx?id=9781600062995).
The contemporary issues disussion guide is the guide we will start Sunday. The youth at my church represent a wide-array of student types. We have the popular, public schools athletes and the home-schooled fundamentalists. I am excited (intrigued is probably the better word) to see how this study goes. Tomorrow's study is on Social Justice. Talk about a broad topic! But the guide does a good job of focusing our attention, which will help.
Well, it will be interesting to say the least. I will report how it goes.
There are probably some other books that have their own opinions of how to do this, but I think this book has an extremely Biblical approach
I highly recommend this book (http://www.navpress.com/store/product.aspx?id=9781600062773) to anyone who has a problem deciding how faith and culture relate to one another, or how one effects the other. Simply put, the main concept is understanding that we all to some extent practice a contextual theology. We are all biased in some way and we must understand that in order to truly appreciate, identify with, and speak prophetically to the culture around us.
Anyway, the book can also be supplemented with a Bible study guide (http://www.navpress.com/store/product.aspx?id=9781600062780) and a contemporary issues discussion guide (http://www.navpress.com/store/product.aspx?id=9781600062995).
The contemporary issues disussion guide is the guide we will start Sunday. The youth at my church represent a wide-array of student types. We have the popular, public schools athletes and the home-schooled fundamentalists. I am excited (intrigued is probably the better word) to see how this study goes. Tomorrow's study is on Social Justice. Talk about a broad topic! But the guide does a good job of focusing our attention, which will help.
Well, it will be interesting to say the least. I will report how it goes.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Acts
We did a study of Acts last night with the YG. There is not a more convicting book in the Bible for me than Acts. We are living in the "church age." Same as the church in Acts. But today's church doesn't at all look the same. Why not? I think the answer is complex.
We (the church and myself included) don't seem to have the same effectiveness or boldness. We don't expect alot out of God or ask alot of Him either. We are so self-deprecating (due in large part to the emphasis on Hell and God's anger in so many sermons and books) that we don't approach God as His beloved children.
And for that reason we don't look for His hand at work. He has not stopped working, but we too often don't realize it. The early church fathers always recognized the work of God. They looked for and anticipated it. This made all their work all the more God-honoring. The miracles they performed were not their work, but Christ's. The possessions they had were not their own, they belonged to the church and all those that needed.
All these ideas and mindsets flowed directly from the fact that the fathers were aware that God was at work. That the Holy Spirit (the helper that had been promised them) was doing great things.
Have I become deaf to the Holy Spirit's leading? Blind to God's hand in my life, the life of those around me, and the world? God has not changed. He is not less powerful than 2000 years ago. He is not done working. It is our job as believers to realize this and search for His hand, His plan, His will as we do life together.
We (the church and myself included) don't seem to have the same effectiveness or boldness. We don't expect alot out of God or ask alot of Him either. We are so self-deprecating (due in large part to the emphasis on Hell and God's anger in so many sermons and books) that we don't approach God as His beloved children.
And for that reason we don't look for His hand at work. He has not stopped working, but we too often don't realize it. The early church fathers always recognized the work of God. They looked for and anticipated it. This made all their work all the more God-honoring. The miracles they performed were not their work, but Christ's. The possessions they had were not their own, they belonged to the church and all those that needed.
All these ideas and mindsets flowed directly from the fact that the fathers were aware that God was at work. That the Holy Spirit (the helper that had been promised them) was doing great things.
Have I become deaf to the Holy Spirit's leading? Blind to God's hand in my life, the life of those around me, and the world? God has not changed. He is not less powerful than 2000 years ago. He is not done working. It is our job as believers to realize this and search for His hand, His plan, His will as we do life together.
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