Stinking Thinking

¹¹ Then the Lord’s messenger came and sat under the oak at Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. ¹² The Lord’s messenger appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!”

¹³ But Gideon replied to him, “With all due respect, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his amazing works that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Didn’t the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and allowed Midian to overpower us.”

¹⁴ Then the Lord turned to him and said, “You have strength, so go and rescue Israel from the power of Midian. Am I not personally sending you?”

¹⁵ But again Gideon said to him, “With all due respect, my Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I’m the youngest in my household.”

---Judges 6:11-15

Many of us get to the place where we are tired of things the way they are, but we don’t have any other options. Someone asks us why we are doing what we are doing and we tell them, “I don’t have any choice,” or “I have to do it!”  If so, then we have become victims of an assailant that attacks millions of people every day.  It is the same person who conquered Gideon in the scripture above.

Gideon knew the truth in the world; he had seen it every day in his life.  A foreign nation had power over Israel.  They were taking their food and resources.  Obviously, God must have abandoned them.  ‘Not having any other choice’ Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress. Why? Who would think to look for grain where you would process grapes?  He was hiding from those who had taken over.  Gideon had found a way to deal with the new normal in Israel; it was just the way things were.

 

The messenger of God spoke to him and tried to explain that God was actually getting ready to set the people free and that Gideon would lead them.  He looked around, saw the reality of his world, and stated firmly “with all due respect,” that isn’t true. He was so certain of God’s abandonment that it was an indisputable fact.  The messenger responds that God is actually going to use Gideon.  Again, he just doesn’t see how that could be possible.  Most of Gideon’s story as judge is a demonstration of just how much our thinking can impact our ability to see the ways in which God is choosing to work in the world.

In The Deep Change Field Guide, Robert Quinn says it this way, “When we accept the world as it is, we deny our innate ability to see something better, and hence our ability to be something better.” Our perception helps to form the reality in the world around us as we use our assumptions to interact with others. 

But there is always the possibility to see something better.  Even in the worst of times, there is hope. The Apostle Paul saw it when he wrote to the church in Rome and said,

“But not only that! We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. This hope doesn’t put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Our thinking is powerful.  God does not want our thoughts stuck in the same ruts in which the rest of the world spins.  Instead God challenges “don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature.” (Romans 12:2)

Let’s let go of our bad assumptions, give up our stinking thinking, and allow God to do a new thing in our families, in our churches, and in our communities!

Grace and Peace,

No Longer Normal

The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. 43 A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. 44 All the believers were united and shared everything. 45 They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them. 46 Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. 47 They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved.   

--Acts 2:42-47

I have often asked myself how it is that a community had gotten to the place where they could share their resources so completely. How could they be so mutually focused?  I realized that the ‘secret’ is found in verse 42 and unpacked in Robert Quinn’s Deep Change Field Guide. 

We are used to normal.  That is the reason we call it ‘normal.’  Normal leadership tends to be driven by reacting and problem solving, by listening to others’ perceptions, by putting self interest first, and by staying in our comfort zone (DCFG 101).  We have experienced problems in the past and we assume that the good choices we once made will see us through the future.  Unfortunately, some might say, things are constantly changing.  The whole universe seems to know that we are all part of the dance to an almost inaudible song played by our Creator heard briefly in moments of Incarnation.  Whether we hear the notes or not, the rhythm pulses through every moment of every day giving life, and creation cannot help but sway.

With everything moving and changing, what was excellent yesterday has become ‘normal’ today. We replay past successes not realizing that we are now out of step with the tempo.  When things are different, we find ourselves reacting to life.  We feel that something is out of sync, so we look to the approval of others so that we know we are okay.  We even qualify the Good News by saying ,”and if we don’t first love ourselves, then how can we love others?” Our defense mechanisms shut out signals calling for change as we lie to ourselves saying things like, “I just didn’t have a choice.”

Christ didn’t come to give us life that we might be okay.  Christ gave us life that we might have abundance and joy. He gave this good news to be shared through the disciples who had lived with him for 3 years. They knew firsthand what his leadership was like. And “the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers.” The believers were not worried about comfort, they were centered in the resurrection of Christ that gave meaning and purpose to their lives. In the apostles’ teaching, they would know about Jesus’ call to “love one another as I have loved you” being willing to lay down their lives for another. By being so focused on others, they could nurture trust and put the common good and welfare of others first (DCFG 103).  They had formed a creatively adaptive system which could adjust to our constantly changing world.

When we are no longer normal, can put vision and purpose before self, we find that the extraordinary is possible.  Starting with the apostles, the change would have moved throughout the early Christians as their normal lives were transformed into something so abundant that their lives overflowed to others.

May we be so transformed that the world will look at us and be amazed at the power of God’s grace that moves among us.

Grace and Peace,

Seeking Approval

While we were still weak, at the right moment, Christ died for ungodly people. It isn’t often that someone will die for a righteous person, though maybe someone might dare to die for a good person.  But God shows his love for us, because while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

--Romans 5:6-8

Why is it that we constantly are seeking approval from others?  Why do we change the way that we act because of others’ opinions?

The truth is that we want to be liked and loved and work to make others like and love us.  We have assumptions about the type of person we should be in order to fit in.  This spills over into our work, into our families, into our friendship, and even into our relationship with God.  We have a certain set of assumptions about what is appropriate and the way in which things should be done.  We know what clothes to wear, we understand the order for getting things done, and we realize that people have been doing things this way for years.

What if we were driven by something else?  What if we accepted the fact that we are loved and liked as we are.  Christ did not wait until we had completed a specific list of chores before dying for us.  God did not wait until all people were listening to send Jesus.  The Holy Spirit does not wait until we are perfect to work in our lives.  God moves and works in us where we are.  All that we must do is find a way to capture God’s vision and let it guide us.

It seems too simple, but it’s true.  Once we have captured God’s vision and understand God’s call, we can begin to work in ways that are fulfilling and powerful.  We were not created to respond to crisis after crisis.  We are not made to check off multiple items from a check list. We weren’t even created to work hard enough and accomplish enough so that we get a pat on the back when this life is through.  We are called to join Jesus in being a servant to others.  To help them embrace their God-given call in life to serve others in the name of Christ.  We are to draw others into active participation and build bridges based on trust.  We are to value and stay connected with the community.  In his “Deep Change Field Guide,” Robert Quinn calls this “the script of collective fulfillment.”  (DCFG 79).  Only 18% of leaders choose to lead in this way.  And yet it leads to high satisfaction and adaptability. 

Reading through his materials made me realize that he has discovered the Jesus model for discipleship.  We are empowered by a vision beyond ourselves and gain satisfaction that does not rely on other people.  Instead we rest secure in our relationship with Jesus Christ and experience joy in inviting others to do the same.  Everything else flows from this.  Nothing else really matters.  May we begin to see ourselves as God does and shed any assumptions that do not ring true in Scripture and in

Grace and Peace,

The Problem with Assumptions

“They’re drunk on cheap wine.” --Acts 2:13

 Can you believe that the Bible talks about people being intoxicated?  The scripture verse is actually a quote from a casual observer of the disciples.  This person could tell by the way they were talking that they had far too much to drink.

A couple years ago, I was driving on Pendleton Street in Easley, SC getting ready to take the acceleration ramp to Highway 123.  Before I could turn, a driver nearly missed the turn and swerved wildly onto the ramp.  She was off the road and then on the road (and then off again).  I couldn’t believe that I was following a drunk driver!  I called the police and followed her to a traffic light.  The light was red, but she did not stop until the middle of the intersection.  As people tried to avoid hitting her, she was startled by the truck honking a horn in front of her so that she bolted through the intersection.  She continued for almost a mile driving quite erratically.  I was on the phone with the police while I followed.  The next thing I knew, she bumped into the back of a car that was stopped for another traffic light.  I pulled close enough to her bumper so that she could not back up and get away. 

Once the police arrived at the scene of the accident and interviewed everyone, I asked if the woman was okay.  To be honest, I really wanted to know why they had not put handcuffs on her yet.  The police officer explained that the woman was a diabetic according to her bracelet and that she was likely dealing with severe health effects of low blood sugar.  They had given her a small piece of candy, and an ambulance was on the way. Boy, had I made an assumption, or what?

Those watching the disciples on the day of Pentecost got it wrong, too.  They assumed that they were drunk on new wine (The Message says ‘cheap,’ I assume, because newer wine is cheaper – irony intended). Because their basic assumptions were wrong, Peter had to stand and explain the meaning of the event that the crowd was witnessing.

Oftentimes we struggle, we strain, we work to battle against the things that are making our lives difficult. If only we could push a big, red button and fix the problems out there everything would be fine.  But what if we are wrong?  What if our assumptions have missed the mark?  Could we be trying to solve a problem that isn’t the problem?

Enter the movie “The King’s Speech” which is based on the true story of King George VI who battled a speech impediment.  One of the earliest scenes has a doctor instructing him first to smoke (it relaxes the larynx) and then to stuff his mouth full of marbles.  The future king nearly chokes!  Trying to find help, the king’s wife enlists the assistance of a speech therapist who quickly concludes that the problem is not a physical issue at all.  All other attempts were failing because they were treating his mouth and throat when many of his issues were based on triggers and fears present in his mind.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, “Don’t judge according to appearances. Judge with right judgment.” John 7:24  In other words, be careful of assumptions.  And when it comes to problems that we are having with others, the first assumptions to question belong to the person in the mirror.

Grace and Peace,

It IS a Matter of Life or Death

¹⁹ I call heaven and earth as my witnesses against you right now: I have set life and death, blessing and curse before you. Now choose life—so that you and your descendants will live

—  Deuteronomy 30:19

           Here the people of Israel have a clear choice placed in front of them.  They can either strive to live as God’s chosen people, as a people of covenant, or they can choose something else.  The path splits before them toward either life or death.  I have always fought hard against black and white, yes or no, either/or scenarios.  Most often this type of thinking does not lend itself to finding creative ways through challenges.

            But is there a time that it is either choosing life or choosing death?  The second law of thermodynamics states that, unless work is done to the contrary, systems move toward entropy – they lose energy.  The same is true for organizations and for individuals.  We are constantly being renewed or we are moving slowly toward death.  I have often thought, especially in the church, that people would always choose life.  Christ came so that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

            Wouldn’t the people who are leaders within Christ’s Body want to move toward life as well?  We start with the best intentions and on a beautiful journey toward richness and fullness of life.  We find ways in which the Holy Spirit works and moves and breathes, and we pattern our worship, our meetings, and even our structure to be receptive. 

            And then things change.  They always have. It is one of the constants of human existence. The world changes, but all too often we don’t.  Instead of changing in response to the world in which God is constantly transforming, the church changes goals: “to serve the needs of others in the [church] rather than those of [the world]. (Quinn, DCFG 35)”  We are silent because our “self-interest is best served by not antagonizing” the higher-ups.  We remain silent.  Instead we become accomplices in the process of slow death within the local church.

            Robert Quinn describes it in this way in his book, Deep Change,

            In choosing slow death, the decision makers may fully recognize the pressures for change. Instead of initiating the change, however, they choose to do other things. In this sense, the phenomenon of choosing slow death is not the same phenomenon as the often-told boiled frog story.

            The boiled frog story is based on a laboratory experiment. A live frog is placed in a container of water that is gradually heated. Eventually the water boils, and the frog dies. In contrast, if a frog is taken from cold water and placed in a container of hot water, it immediately jumps out and thus manages to survive. Organizations are said to be like the frogs in the experiment. They are likely to be unconscious of slowly evolving changes.

            The boiled frog metaphor does not capture an important aspect of the deep change or slow death phenomenon. When an executive admits that a change is needed but opts not to make it, the executive is making a conscious choice. The water is slowly heating up, and the executive knows that a leap to safety is possible, the strategic thought being, "If I can hang on just a couple of more years, this problem will belong to someone else." However, when the executive leaps to safety, the rest of the workforce is left with the problem. In this sense, the choice of slow death might be referred to as the "dead tadpole story." The frog leaps to safety, and the tadpoles are left to boil. In this scenario, self-interest triumphs over collective responsibility.  (Deep Change, Quinn)

God help us if we as pastors hold on from one church to the next waiting for the problem to belong to someone else!  The same goes true for parents with children in a dysfunctional school system, workers in a business that is killing itself, or even trying to outlast the latest “stinker” of a politician recently elected.

            The way to address the need for a deep and abiding change in a system comes from an unexpected place.  We must begin with ourselves.  We be active in real-time learning, establishing new ways of thinking and behaving, and forming new assumptions. (DCFG, p39) Why do we do all of this? Because God so loved the world, and so should we…Our love for people, for specific individual people can drive our passion and ignite our fire.  We do this not for climbing the ladder or for obtaining status, but that the world might move from death to life as they get to know the one who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  We have to lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance this race for life that is set before us (Hebrews 12:31).

            It time to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) so that we can figure out what God’s will is.

And, yes, heaven help us!

Grace and Peace,