Easy or right?

When faced with the choice, do you choose what is easy or what is right? Most of the times those are not the same thing, actually I would say they are usually the extreme opposites. Hear me on this, choosing what is right will cost you. Know that up front because the temptation is when the cost is high to choose what is easy. What choices are you facing? Will you chose the easy or the right?

I have had to make some of those choices the last couple of days. The choice to ignore the problem (easy) or to have a conversation about it (right for me). The cost - an awkward (one of my favorite words by the way) conversation to start and making myself vulnerable. Maybe not a high cost but still a choice to make. The thing is each time I make the choice to do what is right it makes it that much easier the next time to do the same. Good to build that in because at some point when the cost is higher it will be tempting to choose the easy instead of what is right. Again, what choices are you dealing with? Are you choosing what is right or easy?

Rocking the boat ever so gently

I often try to view things from an outside perspective when it comes to how people may see the church, but I wonder if that is the case with most of the leadership in the church today. I was reading Tony Morgan's blog this morning (tonymorganlive.com) and he presented an interesting list of things to consider in his blog titled "Are we married to the mission of the methods?" Here are a couple that stood out to me and made me wonder if we need to rethink a few of the methods we use:

We need the church to connect us in groups, while the rest of the world finds their own friends.

We share our message at specified times on Sunday morning, while the rest of the world uses video on demand.

We use bulletins, while the rest of the world is on Facebook.

We are concerned about the structure and the rules, while the rest of the world is focused on the content.

Not saying what we do is right or wrong, just curious if we could throw out the way it is currently delivered (the method) and be okay with that if there is a different way to connect the mission better? If we are married to the method, then I think we are looking to make ourselves comfortable more than caring about those outside the walls currently. Harsh? Maybe, but I think it is good to check our motives in why we do things and to be willing to change if necessary.

One of the comments asked the following similar question - Does our philosophy drive our actions (ministries), or do we manufacture a philosophy to justify our actions (ministries) after the fact? I think this is an excellent question to consider, but then again I like to rock the boat. I want to challenge leadership to evaluate and reconsider at all times. The moment we think we have it all figured out is the exact moment that we start to die as a congregation in my opinion. If we aren't constantly growing, then according to science (I believe this is true, but I could have just made it up) we are dying. Any thoughts? (Of course if you are reading a blog, you might not be the person who most needs to hear this challenge right now, but then again ask a high school student if what you think about certain methods may be outdated and you may get a different answer.)

What are you doing with your minutes?

Read the following quote in an interview in Sports Illustrated with Dick LeBeau - "All of us only have as many minutes as we have and we might as well live life to the fullest." LeBeau is 71 years old and the defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers (who happen to be in the Super Bowl this weekend if you weren't aware of that fact). I love that mentality. He is doing what he loves to do and isn't concerned about the rest. Do you think most of us live with that mentality of living life to the fullest? I see a lot of people living small lives. Not willing to risk much or live life out on the edges. We do only have so many minutes in this life, so why not make it count. What is it that you want to do but are holding back? What are you telling yourself you can't do, but really you could if you went all out for it? (Some things like me being a center in the NBA aren't really an option.) Personally, I don't think the outcome is the point most of the time anyways, but rather the journey in getting there. I want my journey to be one that is lived on the edge and to the fullest. I only get one shot at life so why not make the most of it. If a 71 year old can coach 20 somethings how to play football, what can I accomplish with the minutes I have left?

A familiar sight

While at lunch today, I saw a familiar sight. The person whose life is all about work. He might as well have been in his office because the lunch he had and the person he was with didn't matter at all. He was working the phone, had his laptop up and running and was intensely focused on the task at hand. I believe it is important to work hard, but when life becomes about the work, I think you have missed the more important things. This isn't a new observation for me, I've lived in the environment for years. People who sell out all for the sake of making money, having the power or whatever it is that makes them feel important in their job. I've heard all of the excuses for abandoning their families, having nothing to talk about besides their work, feeling that if they make enough money then they can quit (which they never seem to have quite enough to actually do that), and the list goes on and on. I been around or in that environment for close to 20 years and still don't understand it any more today than when I first entered it. The task is never the most important thing in my perspective, but in business the person is just another disposable piece of the picture. Why do people crave that so much? I don't get it and I'm okay with that. Maybe it is the fact that I reading John Grisham's latest book "The Associate" that it stuck out in mind today. It reminds me of what it was like starting out in public accounting - the long hours, the cut throat mentality, the idea that enough money someday would make it worthwhile. I am glad that chapter of my life is long over and have no desire to reenter that world. Just something that caught my attention today at lunch.

Consistently pursued

I love the fact that God pursues me. He, the creator of everything, wants to spend time with me. Doesn't matter if I've had a bad day, am whiny, not making much sense or just in one of those mood. He still wants to show his love to me, wants for me to experience life the way he has planned for me, he wants all of me. I can't comprehend this, but am so glad that it doesn't require me being able to understand it.

I am highly relational and thrive on those real relationships in my life, but often question where do I really fit in? Is this relationship one of those that will last or one of convenience? Will things change if I reveal who I really am? Why does it seem that I am the only one who is pursuing this friendship? I question lots of things and have lots of doubts, but it all boils down to am I loved for who I am. God answers that frequently for me. He chases after me even when I tell Him I don't want to be pursued. He isn't obnoxious in his pursuit, but consistent. Again, I don't understand why he would want to pursue me, but am so glad that he does. Even when I don't know where I fit in my other relationships, God tells me he has a plan for me. He values me and wants to spend time with me. Blows my mind when I slow down enough to realize it. Whatever doubts we may have, whatever hang-ups we bring to the table, whatever baggage we carry with us - God stills pursues and loves us. Think people need to hear that? I know I do.