Endorsement “Tim Morey . . . combines the rare attributes of an engaging intelligent mind,crisp clear writing,and an obvious-ominous concern for his subject matter . . . It very well may be the most challenging book you read this year.”
—Christian Book Distributors
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Two days, five lectures, one sermon. We covered the biblical and theological basis for contextualization, cultural shifts that effect the way we present and live the gospel, three shifts in our approach to evangelism (in light of these new cultural realities), and how to structure our ministries in a way that perpetuates an embodied apologetic. The final two topics were about the leader him/herself: developing a rule of life (plan for our own spiritual formation), and personal evangelism in the 21st century.
It was exhilarating, but I crashed hard afterward (a 90 min nap and a full night’s sleep, and a brain that was running at half speed for half of today).
On a personal, God-what-are-you-doing-in-me level, I’m still getting used to the idea that I have something to say. Every time I’m invited to speak somewhere or sign a book or get an email I find myself saying, “Really?” I think it took me about the first ten years of pastoral ministry to truly believe I had something to say to a congregation, and it may take me as many years to get comfortable with the idea that I have something to say to my fellow pastors and leaders. I’m trying to remember that God has given me a word to share, and since it comes from him that means it’s worth saying.
But that was part of the joy of this week – it was clear that what God has given me met a deep need. In a conference full of pastors far more experienced than myself I continually heard things like “You just articulated what we’ve been experiencing but couldn’t name” and “I’ve known what the problem is but now I know what to do.” I love the Church and I love pastors. What grace to be able to play a small part in the journey of fellow leaders and their congregations.
So this week I have the huge honor of being with the pastors of the Evangelical Friends Church from the Pacific Southwest U.S. I was blessed to learn that they made their theme for the year “Embodying Our Faith,” and as part of that asked me to speak at their annual pastors’ retreat. Pretty humbling, pretty exciting.
My wife warns me continually about saying things I think are funny that are only funny to me. So I’m happy to report that I got through day 1 without a single reference to (a) oatmeal or (b) the hat the Quaker oatmeal dude wears. Though I confess I smiled a little when I had breakfast in the hotel lobby (you guessed it, oatmeal), and I did comment on the Quaker-ness of one brother’s utterly righteous beard. But the humor was totally appropriate and very well received, I promise.
But seriously, these people are awesome. I’m humbled to be among them. A seriously warm and welcoming bunch, astute, inquisitive, and altogether wonderful in teaching sessions, and their denominational leaders are awesome – shepherds in the truest sense, and men one would be honored to follow into battle. You get the sense these people are family to one another, a much too uncommon experience in denominational gatherings. Other than in our own tribe (go Covenant), I’ve never experienced this kind of great connection between pastors.
Dinner is served, and then off to another session. Good good times . . .
THE NICENE CREED (325 A.D.)
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty;
Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all worlds;
God of God, Light of Light,
Very God of Very God,
Begotten, not made,
Being of one substance with the Father;
By whom all things were made;
Who, for us men and for our salvation,
Came down from heaven,
And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,
And was made man;
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried;
And the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures;
And ascended into heaven,
And sits on the right hand of the Father;
And he shall come again, with glory,
To judge both the quick and the dead;
Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life;
Who proceeds from the Father [and the Son];
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified;
Who spoke by the prophets.
And we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;
And we look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Great words from a great leader, Dr. Chuck Olson:
"Prof." That’s what his students call him–a moniker of deep respect and deep affection.
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Christian Education and Leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary, is a person who has marked my life profoundly. After all these years, it doesn’t take much to upload his sustained influence in my life and leadership.
As one of my professors, Prof has had formal influence in my life–organizational influence, if you would. During grad school, like so many other students, I lined up to get into his classes–how to study the Bible, leadership, discipleship, marriage and family, and more. If Prof taught it, I took it. End of story.
But far beyond the formal influence of the classroom was Prof’s personal influence in my life–influence that to this day sits deeply in the core of who I am. I can remember many hallway conversations. I can remember long walks at school retreats. I can remember Pattie and I having dinner with Prof and Jeanne. I can remember waking up early for 16 weeks for an intensive, weekly discipleship group. I can remember traveling with Prof to Colorado Springs for a conference and all the conversations tucked into those memorable days. And I can remember the day he came to our home to do the honors of dedicating our firstborn.
This walk down memory lane points out something very significant if you want to make a difference in someone’s life. You see, there is often a sizeable gap between ORGANIZATIONAL influence and PERSONAL influence. It’s more the exception than the rule to have the SAME person bring both organizational AND personal influence into your life (thank you, Prof).
Think with me about the difference, the contrast between organizational and personal influence.
Organizational influence usually says, "I’m in charge." Personal influence always says, "I’m here to serve."
Organizational influence is often about command and control. Personal influence is about empowering and releasing.
Organizational influence is transactional ("Meet your quota and I’ll give you a commission"). Personal influence is transformational ("I believe in you and by God’s grace, whatever He’s taught me, I want to share with you").
Organizational influence doesn’t require (and rarely celebrates) character. Personal influence is all about character.
Organizational influence is often tolerated–and sadly, at times, loathed. Personal influence is welcomed and valued and sought.
Organizational influence is usually confined to the work space. Personal influence knows no limits.
Organizational influence offers policies for the complexities of life. Personal influence offers wisdom.
Organizational influence speaks to the head–to inform. Personal influence speaks to the heart–to inspire.
Organizational influence is about striving to be at least a box above everyone else on the o-chart. Personal influence is about seeking to walk alongside another person.
Organizational influence is about positions and titles and power. Personal influence is about relationships and investment and moral authority.
Organizational influence seeks to hoard information. Personal influence seeks to give it away.
Organizational influence often has a short shelf-life. Personal influence lasts a lifetime.
Organizational influence often boxes you in. Personal influence always lifts you up.
And finally, organizational influence is granted by corporate headquarters to those who finished the obligatory coursework. Personal influence is granted by God to those who have opted to enroll for a lifetime in His schoolhouse of heart transformation.
Lord, thank You for all the "Profs" in our lives who have selflessly poured themselves into us and have given us eyes to see how to pay it forward.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED (3rd c.)
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into the grave; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Great article in Christianity Today about the (healthy) ways the church is beginning to rethink the theology of conversion and discipleship.
Thank you to our friend Emily Hamilton for yesterday’s reminder that often Much Afraid walks up the mountain with Sorrow and Suffering.
From Hinds Feet on High Places:
After a little they came to a place which was very steep and slippery. Suddenly Much-Afraid had her first fall and cut herself quite badly on the pieces of jagged rock which had tripped her. It was a good thing she was so securely roped, for a great terror came upon her and she became so giddy and faint that had she not been tied she might have slipped over the edge of the path and been dashed to pieces on the rocks below. AS this thought struck her she was so overcome with panic and trembling that all she could do was to crouch against the wall of rock and cry out to her companions that she was fainting and was in terror of falling.
Immediately Sorrow, who was in front, tightened the rope, then Suffering came up to her, put her arms around her and said urgently, "Drink some of the cordial which the Shepherd gave you."
Much-Afraid was so faint and frightened that she could only lie in the arms of Suffering and gasp, "I don’t know where the bottle is – I can’t move even to fumble for it."
Then Suffering herself put her hand into the bosom of the fainting girl, drew out the bottle, and poured a few drops between her lips. After a few moments the color returned to Much-Afraid’s cheeks, and the faintness began to pass off, but still she could not move. She took more of the Spirit of Grace and Comfort and began to feel strengthened.
Then Sorrow, who had come back to the place where she was crouching, gently shortened the rope so that Much-Afraid could take her hand and again they started to climb. In the fall, however, Much-Afraid had cut both knees so severely that she could only limp forward very painfully, moaning continually and halting constantly. Her companions were very patient, but progress was so slow that finally it became necessary to make greater speed, or they would not reach the top of hte precipicebefore nightfall, and there was no other cave where they could rest.
At last Suffering stooped over her and asked, "Much-Afraid, what were you doing when you left the cave this morning and went off by yourself?"
Much-Afraid gave her a startled look, then said with a painful flush, "I was looking at a flower which I had not seen before, growing in the rock by the waterfall."
What flower was that?" persisted Suffering very gently.
"It was the flow of Bearing-the-Cost," replied Much-Afraid in a very low voice, but some call it Forgiveness." For a few moments she was silent, remembering the altar she had built and realizing that she was not practicing this new and difficult letter of the alphabet of Love. Then said she, "I wonder if it would help my knees if we put a few drops of the cordial on them."
"Let us try," said Sorrow and Suffering both together. "It is an excellent suggestion."
As they dropped a little of the cordial on both knees, almost at once the bleeding ceased, and the worst of the smart and pain died away. Her legs remained very stiff and she was obliged to limp quite badly, but they did go forward at a much better pace.
“Good listening is not giving answers but giving attention.” -Robert Fryling in The Leadership Ellipse.
I’ve been thinking about this quote for several days, and I think it’s something I need to get better at. Being slow to speak and quick to listen (as James puts it) is a leadership virtue.
I’m learning this lesson primarily from my wife. If I (or others) try to offer solutions too soon it shuts her down rather than opening her up. And she exemplifies good listening. She seems to have internalized the reality that when a person is ready for advice or answers they’ll ask, and she is okay being patient until that happens.
In Tribes (I think), Seth Godin shares that the ability to listen was one of President Reagan’s most effective leadership qualities. He was in the habit of inviting the opposition to the Oval Office to discuss whatever issue they differed on. He would listen to their point of view and ask them questions until both he and the other party knew that he thoroughly understood where they were coming from. Sometimes it would lead to a modification of Reagan’s position and sometimes it wouldn’t, but his biographers say that much of his success in getting his agenda through congress was a result of the other side feeling heard and understood.
This is the prayer that John Stott began his days with:
Good morning heavenly Father,
good morning Lord Jesus,
good morning Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Lord Jesus, I worship you, Savior and Lord of the world.
Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
[break to read the day’s Scripture, then continue]
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God,
have mercy upon me. Amen.
 In a fact known to few outside self-proclaimed C. S. Lewis nerds, Lewis actually graced the cover of Time magazine (when that meant something) back in 1947. This week Scot McKnight posted a portion of it on his bog, and I found a full copy of it here. Pour yourself a glass of port, light a pipe and enjoy!
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