Harmony

Why go to church?

All around our world on the first day of the week, Sunday, people will gather to "worship" or some call it "go to church".  Some will arrive to see their friends.  Others will come to find friends.  Some will gather to take communion or the Lord's Supper, others to sing praises to God.  Some will arrive to ask for prayers and others to pray.  Some will come to seek forgiveness from God.

All of these reasons are legitimate, but are they equal in the eyes of God as the reason to gather as a community of believers.  When you read the scriptures many reasons are given to meet.  Learning takes place as well as encouragement to continue on the journey with God.  Repentance and confession as well as remembering the sacrifice of Jesus.  Is there a main reason for followers of Jesus to meet together?

The main reason, since the early times of humans inhabiting the earth, seems to be to exalt God...to lift his name high...to acknowledge his dominance and prominence in life.  To thank and worship.  The reason this is the primary purpose is to help us maintain proper perspective that "church services" and "worship" is not about us!  It is about God, and when I see him as Lord then repentance flows, prayers become legitimate, friendships have a reason, communion happens for the right purpose.

Tomorrow, January 31, the North County church family will gather together into one service for the first time in 4 years.  Last Sunday we met in 4 different services since that is how we have to meet with the size of our worship centers.  But tomorrow we will meet in a 1600 seat building.  English and Spanish.  Children and adults.  All coming from various places on the journey with God.

It will be awesome and amazing to see everyone together in one place.  But the most amazing part of the day is that 1000+ people will lift their hearts, minds and voices to heaven to praise our God.  In that effort we will be united.  We will receive forgiveness.  We will find old friends and make new ones.  God will make all of the reasons for which people may arrive, perfect.  He will bring wholeness to all.

May all who gather as a community of believers in various parts of the world first seek God.  And when that happens, lives will be made whole

The Tough Choices of Leadership

My current class in graduate school focuses on leadership in for-profit and nonprofit organizations.  The following is the paper I wrote last evening on Leadership and Change.

 

Leadership is one of the most exciting roles to fill, but also one of the most challenging.  The dynamics of an ever changing economic situation and regulatory environment, keep leaders on the edge.  Managing people and dealing with governing boards creates a tightrope walk to maintain differentiated healthy boundaries.

 

One of the most challenging aspects of leadership is maintaining focus on the big picture refusing to become consumed by the nagging minutia of daily struggles.  Whether leading for-profit or nonprofit organizations this struggle is real.  David Walker in The Futurist writes concerning the United States Government “myopia…can undermine a nation’s willingness and ability to act…strong economic growth, modest inflation levels…have given many policy makers…a false sense of security.”  Debt continues to plague our country at record levels.  Walker goes on to demonstrate 2 nations who dealt with tough choices: “Australia and New Zealand chose to face their fiscal facts and made difficult decisions that caused some short-term pain in the interest of long-term gain.” 

 

A leader’s ability to maintain a clear focus on the future long-term endeavors of any organization is necessary and prudent.  A clear cut strategic plan and measurement of key indicators are able to assist leaders in staying on track and not being sidelined by the urgent less important matters.  Walker writes “the value of a strategic plan is probably obvious to futurists.  By thinking more comprehensively, learning from the past and others, and focusing on the future, governments can better set priorities, target efforts and capitalize on new opportunities.” 

 

Tough choices must be made, at times, by leaders as they examine the realities of various situations.  Leaders have to be able to dream and vision cast, however a balance must be maintained in the present environment.  When leaders are willing to make the difficult decisions then destruction is more likely avoided.  As Walker evaluates the United States Government at the time of his writing in 2007, “there’s no way we will grow our way out of our fiscal hole.  The sooner we begin to act, the better, because we are the world’s largest debtor nation, and time is working against us.”

 

There are key attributes required to navigate the challenging path in every organization.  Integrity is vital for a leader to manage change.   A leader must know who they are and where they are going in order to follow the determined road.  Courage is necessary to stay the course.  Many people and situations will attempt to distract leaders to follow other options.  Stewardship is required by leaders so that a long term path is maintained.  It is easy to accomplish short-term results, but to guide an organization through continued obstacles takes real stewardship.

 

Whether the organization is a church, business, government, nonprofit or a home, healthy leadership requires difficult and complex decisions.

The Top 10 Worst Inventions of the Century

Since I'm in a fun-filled mood this week and looking for things to keep the laughter high and loud take a look at this.  This post has no redeeming value...just laugh!

Fox News Posted the following information:  "For every good invention, thousands of others manage to slip past the patent office's proverbial golden gates, winding up in various states of production and distribution before anyone thought to question the practicality of their design."

"It is for these inventions — the worst of the worst — that this list has been compiled.  In no specific order, here are the Top 10 Worst Inventions of the past century — plus two more that might not be so dumb:"

"1. The Detachable Dog Sack
Enjoy a drive with man's best friend, but hate the hair he leaves behind? Then the detachable dog sack is for you. Now your pet can ride outside the car in a pouch attached with rubber-padded hooks to the open window of your vehicle. Because, let's face it, who needs safety when you have a sack? " 

"2. The Cat Wig
It's pretty difficult to decorate a cat, but with a kitty wig, it's easy!"

"3. iPhone Fingers
Ranging from small to extra large, one Austrian company offers only the best in latex digital protection to keep your iPhone smudge-free."

"4. The Pedal-Powered Wheelchair
For those who can't stand ... but can still pedal."

"5. The Inflatable Dartboard
Completely collapsible, the inflatable dartboard could — amazingly — be stuffed into a space the size of a small cup. Great for use in tight spaces and for those looking for a quick, single-player, single-hit game. There's no need to worry, though — it comes complete with a "puncture repair kit" in case anything should go wrong."

"6. iFlyz Portable Media Player Airline Holder
Bag of peanuts? $3.50. Toilet entrance fee? Pending. Hands-free iPhone viewing device ready to use even in the "stowed and locked position?" Priceless (i.e., $29.95 with shipping)."

"7. Battery-Powered Battery Charger
Motorola's P970 was Zen-like in its simplicity — a rechargeable battery that recharged your cell phone's battery via a mini USB port. Too bad it's no longer on the Motorola Web site."

"8. Method for Collision Recognition With a Pedestrian
After a hit-and-run accident, it might be nice to be able to know whether you hit a person or a traffic cone — not that there's a difference or anything."

"9. Anti-Eating Face Mask
Essentially a metal cage that attaches to your face to prevent those of us lacking any self-control from ingesting solid foods, the Anti-Eating Face Mask is pretty straightforward, but there must be easier ways of losing that extra winter weight."

"10. The Prankster Fire Alarm Trap
Coming straight out of the February 1938 issue of Modern Mechanix magazine, the prankster-proof fire alarm traps the hand of any offender in a metal handcuff until the fire brigade arrives to release him. Perfect for fake fires, but in the event of a real blaze, you're taking one for the team."

"Then there's two more that sound stupid at first, but turn out to be not so dumb:

1. The Helicopter Ejection Seat
Vertical propulsion and spinning overhead propellers: probably not the best method to escape death. And yet the currently operating Kamov Ka-50 Russian attack helicopter does have just that. Its secret? Before the pilot ejects, explosive charges blow off all six twin rotor blades so he can soar through their airspace without being decapitated. Theoretically, at least.

2. The Zero-Gravity Space Pen
You've probably heard the old story: NASA scientists spent millions developing and creating a pen that would write in upside down and in zero gravity. When faced with the same problem, the Russians just used a pencil.  Supposedly a testament to simplicity, the story is completely false.

In actuality, the Zero Gravity Pen was developed by American industrialist and pen manufacturer Paul C. Fisher and was marketed as the only pen that could write in space, underwater, on wet and greasy paper and at any angle.  Both NASA and the Russian space program eventually adopted the pen, due to the danger that broken pencil tips posed in zero gravity. NASA in no way funded the development of this perhaps not-so-useless invention."

So what would you add to this list. 

Harmony takes effort!

Harmony!  When deciding to begin this blog I prayed and thought long about what to title the purpose of my musings.  The word "harmony" jumped out, as it seems to be a central theme in the dealings I have with organizations and relationships.

I grew up in a singing family.  On vacations or traveling in a car, the four of us would sing songs from church and would do so in harmony.  One of us would sing the melody and the other three would sing various notes of harmony:  bass, tenor, alto.  This was common to us since the religious group I belonged to did not use musical instruments, but sang in 4 part harmony.

Harmony has been an important part of my life.  In every organization and relationship, there is struggle to live in true peace...not an absence of conflict, but working through "sour notes" to find a harmony.  I do not consider myself to be blind to problems existing, but rather understanding the importance of being in tune to create the most beautiful sound.  When conflict goes unresolved, the potential for explosions to occur are heightened.

I sing on the Praise Team in our non-instrumental church community.  There are times, the wrong notes are sung by one or more of the sections.  Our Worship Leader has a keen ear when those moments occur, and helps us find the harmonious note.  It makes a difference.  We want the music of the songs to be a joyful noise so that when people hear the lyrics and harmony they are in tune with God and not distracted by conflicting notes.

Harmony is not easy to achieve.  It takes long periods of time, great amounts of energy, and consistent focused intent.  Harmony takes place by people willingly working towards beautiful music in their relationships.  Sometimes outside assistance is needed to work through the disharmony, but it is well worth the expense, time and effort.

God did that for us.  Our lives were out of harmony with him and the only way to solve the problem was for Jesus to die in our place.  God and Jesus were willing to pay the price so that we could live in harmony with him.  When others who do not know God see our lives, God's desire is for a harmony in relationship with him to be visible and heard.  The sweet sound will have others searching for the same kind of harmonious life.

The power of harmony goes beyond words and touches hearts.

Tickle instead of arguing

I love to tickle my grandchildren and even occasionally my grown children.  Everyone once in a while I tickle my wife, but she often threatens me (in a loving way) when I do so.  I remember as a child my parents and grandparents giving "zerbets" or holding me down to tickle me until I curled up in a ball laughing out loud.

In yesterday's blog post, I wrote about the benefits of laughing but here is some new research on laughing in relationships from Psychology Today:  "of all the elements that contribute to the warm atmosphere of a good relationship, there is one that seldom gets translated into advice or even therapy,  yet is something that everyone desires and most people would like more of: Laughter."

"It's a safe bet that most of the laughs married couples get come from TV laugh tracks, not from each other. They don't emanate from the relationship. More important, they don't feed it. And if the jokes that make the rounds by email are any gauge, often they are at the expense of it."

"But homegrown laughter may be what ailing couples need most. Uniquely human, laughter is, first and foremost, a social signal--it disappears when there is no audience, which may be as small as one other person--and it binds people together. It synchronizes the brains of speaker and listener so that they are emotionally attuned".

"Laughter establishes--or restores--a positive emotional climate and a sense of connection between two people, who literally take pleasure in the company of each other. Speakers laugh even more than their listeners. Of course levity can defuse anger and anxiety, and in so doing it can pave the path to intimacy."

"Most of what makes people laugh is not thigh-slapper stuff but conversational comments. Laughter is not primarily about humor, but about social relationships."

"One of the best ways to stimulate laughter--and it's probably the most ancient way--is by tickling. Tickling is inherently social; we can't tickle ourselves. We tickle to get a response. Or to entice ticklee to turn around and become tickler.  Not only do most people like tickling--ticklers as well as ticklees--most recognize it is a way to show affection. What's more, adolescents and adults prefer to be tickled by someone of the opposite sex."  

"Tickling is probably at the root of all play and it is inherently reciprocal, a give-and-take proposition. In other words, it exactly represents the basic rhythm of all healthy relationships. Not to mention is triggers sexual excitation in adults.  But tickling declines dramatically in middle age.  People begin a gradual tactile disengagement. Tickle, touch, and play, so critically intertwined, all go into retreat, although these behaviors are at the root of our emotional being."

"So the next time you have an argument with your mate, don't walk out of the room and slam the door. Try tickling your partner instead. It won't make problems go away. But it can set the stage for tackling them together."

Laugh out loud!

One of the major benefits of the small group of which I am a part, is the tremendous laughing that goes on.  Yes we study, pray, sing and do all the normal things, but we also laugh.  And we don't just quietly and "reverently" laugh...we laugh out loud.  Loudly laughing!  We lean back in our chairs, hit the table, snort, bust a gut till our sides hurt...laughing.  Picture 14 grown (mostly 50 something) adults letting loose.

Scripture says, "there is a time to laugh."

Buzzle.com says this about laughter: "Laughter makes it easier for us to cope with different challenges in life. It improves and strengthens our immune system and helps prevent a number of diseases. Laughter therapy can be used to cure several diseases such as hypertension, ulcers, arthritis, stroke, diabetes and even heart diseases. It offers good relaxation and helps you relieve stress and depression."

"Laughing is not just related to facial expressions, but it causes a number of chemical changes within the body. Good hearty laughter helps release enzymes and hormones that are helpful for normal functioning of various organs. This is due to a connection between laughing and stimulation of brain and different glands. Laughter enhances the body to release natural antihistamines. It also activates T-cells, a natural anti-biotic produced in the body. It helps boost the immune system and fight infections. It prevents numerous diseases by strengthening the immune system."

"Laughter reduces the levels of certain hormones, namely cortisol, growth hormone, epinephrine and dopac, which are associated with stress response. Thus it helps relieve stress, depression, anxiety, grief, anger and irritation. Laughing also decreases pain by releasing a hormone, endorphins. It improves our attentiveness, pulse and heart rate."

Anyone ever die from laughing...probably so...but what a way to go see God.  Let the joy of God be experienced by you today and in your relationships.

Your response creates a culture!

In my current class in grad school, I'm studying leadership in nonprofit organizations.  This weeks assignment is to look at the cultural components of non-profits.  A culture is the set of norms and behaviors of an organization.  The culture often is created by the leadership in how they deal with stressors, pressures, and circumstances.  For example, when a problem occurs by an employee or volunteer, a leader or group of leaders have many choices on how they respond.  And in those choices, a culture is created.

Families do the same.  If a parent reacts in anger anytime a child acts out, then a culture of fear will permeate the home.  If a parent reacts with calmness to the same kind of event, then a culture of acceptance will fill the home.  When I was a child, my father would often react in anger to anything he perceived embarrassing to him, and so I would do everything possible to never be out of line.  One of my natural responses over the years, that I still struggle to overcome, is to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.  I'd rather not face the potential wrath upfront...only on the backside.

So what is the culture of your home?  What are the set of norms or behaviors allowed in your family?  Where did they come from?  Are they positive norms or negative norms?  Every home has both.  Every marriage has both.  Every church has both.  Every relationship has both.  We learn to handle circumstances by the way we receive the response by someone we respect and admire. 

The culture wants us to live by is the culture he creates with us.  Love, acceptance, and forgiveness.  He wants the door to be open when we blow it to "boldly approach his throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need."  He wants his love to drive us to him at all times.

May we learn more and more to create a culture in churches homes, marriages, business, and friendships like God.  What culture do you see in your home?

What good is the Bible?

What good is the Bible?  For some it is a book of history or good stories.  For others it seems to be a list of guidelines or rules to follow that will keep you right with God.  For others it is a book difficult to understand as the individual books don't seem to connect to each other.

Is the Bible our savior?  Do we worship the Bible? 

Richard Foster in his book, Life With God writes "The Bible does not in itself produce any magical effect.  It reveals God's story that we might hear from the living God that this story is not only for a nomadic tribe thousands of years ago.  It is not only for bands of persecuted followers of the Jesus way under threat from the Roman Empire.  God's story is for all of us."

"This is why Jesus took the Pharisees to task for studying the Scriptures without allowing God's life to penetrate their own. 'You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there.  But you miss the forest for the trees.  These Scriptures are all about me!  And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want.' John 5:39-40 The Message."

The Bible is the message of God to point us to him. The Bible and knowledge of it is not the end...it is the beginning.  The end is a relationship with God and that journey never ends.  The more I read in Scripture the more I see Jesus and God.  The purpose of the Bible is to open my heart to the amazing God of the Universe who wrote the book.

I have many love letters to my wife and from her over the years.  I am not in love with the letters, but in love with the woman who wrote the words. 

May we allow the words of the Bible to drive us to know and understand the God who created us.  He longs to walk and talk with us everyday.

A parents dream

Parenting never ends and is filled with many joys and some disappointments.  There is a dream and deep abiding love for those you've raised and prayed over for years.  You wish for the best, but at some point children choose their own path and make their own decisions.

Today, I am particularly mindful of this as my oldest son is on his way to a job interview which could bring new growth opportunities, challenges and monetary increase.  I remember the first time I saw him, held him, and looked into his eyes.  I recall my first prayers before he was born, asking God to do all I could not do and more.

Over the years, as both my sons grew in age, I witnessed their decisions to become children of God.  I watched them choose another path for a while and saw one return to his Father in heaven.  I've seen them handle life's challenges differently, yet in their own way.  I've witnessed growth through difficult challenges.  I've seen times where they have failed and prayed for them to get back up and overcome.

I've seen God soar in the oldest one's heart, and rejoice daily for this renewed relationship.  I am able to see him every Sunday singing God's praises from the depths of his soul.  I witness his walk with God and am overwhelmed with God's grace in this opportunity.

Prayer never ceases for my children.  Hope never stops being a part of the dreams.  And then I think of God watching me...us!  He never stops loving, interceding, disciplining, guiding, directing and hoping.

Thank you God for your love.  Mom and Dad, thank you for your love.  Kids...remember how much you are loved by God and me.

What does God's day look like?

From God's point of view, what does his daily routine look like?  He doesn't sleep so there is no alarm clock.  He's probably not checking the weather to see what to wear.  He does not become anxious about traffic or watch CNN to see what is happening in the world.  At the end of the day, he does not go to the mailbox or worry about a bill.  He does not read the paper or watch the latest sitcom.

Richard Foster writes the following in his book Life with God:  "God comes to us not to overwhelm us and overpower us, but to interrupt us in the midst of our ordinary routines, on the ground of what is familiar to us - everyday life, the arena in which most of life with God takes place. He whispers rather than shouts, gently prompts rather than shoves, I am with you - will you be with me?"

God is with us...with YOU!  His question and sole drive of his day is to engage us...for us to be with Him!  Being in relationship with God is the greatest goal and target for our own well being...here and in the future.  That relationship will sustain when the storms come.  That relationship will enfold us when all other relationships grow tired or fail.  Gods day is filled in a 24 hours attempt to encounter you in your life.

That is exciting to think that the God of the universe wants to have a relationship with me as he had with Adam in the garden of Eden.  As the old song says "and he walks with me and he talks with me, and tells me I am his own.  And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known."