In my reading selections, I try to read from disciplines outside of preaching and theology. Every now and then, I go on a reading binge and get hooked on a particular topic (neurology, cults, prisoners of war, simple things like that). For many years I have been a consumer of business books. My typical approach to any reading material is to read it and "baptize" it. In other words, I'm always thinking, "How does this apply to the church world?" Each year, I will plow my way through several books on leadership. Most of these are written from a non-Christian perspective. Good ones have Christian principles embedded within them, even if the author's don't recognize them as such. Books on "servant leadership" are a good example of this. Back in the early 90's (that's 1990's for the younger generation), I bought a copy of "Jesus CEO" by Laurie Beth Jones.…
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For anyone in a leadership position, it is easy to believe the lies of your critics. It is just as easy to believe every good word ever said about you. Neither of which might actually be true. Norman McGowan in his book, My Years With Winston Churchill, tells the following story. Winston Churchill was once asked, "Doesn’t it thrill you to know that every time you make a speech, the hall is packed to overflowing?" "It’s quite flattering," replied Sir Winston. "But whenever I feel that way, I always remember that if instead of making a political speech I was being hanged, the crowd would be twice as big." Don't believe every critic. Don't believe all the applause.
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When a person first begins preaching, or public speaking in general, the most intimidating thing about the crowd is ... the crowd. For whatever reason, they are all staring at you! There's no place to hide and some of them don't even blink. One of the mistakes a new speaker or preacher most often makes has to do with the eyes. They don't make eye contact. Instead, they look down, over the top of the crowd, at the clock, their notes, their feet, trying to find the exit sign -- anywhere but at the crowd. Ironically, refusing to make eye contact is counter-productive. When we make eye contact with a fellow sympathetic human being (who wants us to succeed so that they can stay awake), we find reassurance rather than anxiety. The false wall between crowd and speaker begins to break down. We're reminded of what we share in…
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The country of Nepal is best known for being the home of Mt. Everest. What isn't as known about Nepal is that it is also a conduit for the sex trafficking industry. Young children are smuggled across the border from Nepal into India, and into a life of abuse. Our church is sending an exploratory mission team to Nepal to learn more about Christian efforts in Nepal to intercept these children BEFORE they enter the sex trade. There is also a growing Christian presence within Nepal and I will be meeting with Nepali pastors to see how we might partner with them to strengthen their churches. I'm especially excited for this trip because I have the opportunity to go with my oldest daughter, Hannah. She will turn sixteen just a few days before we leave for Nepal. Without a doubt, this trip may well be a life-changing experience for both…
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Have you noticed that very few human interactions are truly neutral? In other words, regardless of how short or long our interaction may be, we usually leave the interaction feeling either better or worse. It may be slightly better or only slightly worse, but we typically leave the interaction a different person. Now, in some cases, we leave the interaction drastically different. Perhaps a kind word redirects a very bleak morning. Or, as it sometimes happens, we leave an interaction with our heart racing and our blood boiling. Because we are social creatures, our social interactions leave an imprint. When we rub shoulders with another person, something rubs off. The residue might be barely noticeable or glaringly obvious. When Christians interact with other Christians, one of two things will make up the residue: encouragement or discouragement. Encouraging people spark joy instead of controversy. They delight in finding the right word…
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