Intuitive Leadership Conference Reflections

I just finished up at Tim Keel’s Intuitive Leadership Conference here in KC.  It was phenomenal.  God has truly gifted Tim with the poetic ability to put words to the things we are experiencing and feeling.  The conference is a follow up/supplement to Tim’s book which I highly recommend.

Here’s a summary:

 

Truth: the World Wide Issue

Just ran into an interesting article about truth on TechCrunch, an online magazine about the technology industry.  There is an ongoing debate as to the effectiveness and truth of Wikipedia.  Truth, in all her beauty, has appeared again center stage as people argue over who she really is and who should be in control of naming something true or not. 

It’s fascinating to me that in this age of post-modernity where people have claimed for years that truth is defined by community, that this issue has arisen at this time in this way.  The quote of the article comes towards the end in the writers assessment of this debate…

“But the truth is that Truth itself is always evolving, even the experts’ notion of it.”

Two main things stick out to me here…

1)  It is becoming apparent that even in an era where the community that you are with sets the parameters for what is true and what isn’t, there are people within your community that have more of a say or are more of an expert.  Which makes me wonder how we talk about and live out Scripture, God and, yes here’s the word, truth?  What metaphors continue to be helpful and which seem to fall away? (i.e.  truth is like a building with foundation, truth is like a web where part can be destroyed but it doesn’t wreck the whole web, etc.)

2)  What is the role of truth in our faith communities?  How do we view it?  If this debate was on the Bible instead of Wikipedia, which side would we fall on?  Which side would YOU fall on?

 

Hanging with some Misfits

I’m heading back home from a trip to Connecticut and New York.  I Saturday night and today (Sunday) with Richard Griffiths and his band of “Misfits” at Bronx Bethany Nazarene.  They were great hosts to me and extended the best hospitality to me.  As always, I had a great time just talking youth ministry with Richie.  He is an amazingly naturally great youth pastor.  He organically knows many things that took me years to figure out.  He is great at branding his ministry which is hyper important (and effective) in his context, has a growing concept of ministering to systems (and not just kids), and is a master at knowing the right question to ask to people at the right time.  It was evident that God’s Spirit is at work in Richie, his church and his ministry.

I had the privilege of doing the teaching time during their youth service on Saturday night.  I taught from the story of Zaccheus in Luke 19.  I talked about what it meant to be a tax collector in that time and part of the reason that Zaccheus was in a tree and not just butting to the head of the crowd.  Then I talked about Jesus and kingdom that he was bringing, a kingdom that bursts through barriers that are created for us and that we create, to love us and welcome us.

This morning I got to worship with them.  Although I had to duck out after over 2 hours of service to catch my flight, I enjoyed it very much (sorry Rev. Benji, nothing personal on your preaching).  It was impressive to me the intentionality they had in discipling people, educating them in theology and doctrine and prayer.  These things came up in every kind of conversation there, informal and formal.  Clearly Rev. Dr. Vassel is busy!

Saturday morning was a Discipleship summit in Rockville, CT.  We had a great time in our youth leaders workshop talking about the struggles and victories in discipling students today.  It was refreshing to hear people’s passion for connecting with students in relationships and integrating them into the whole of the church.  Praise God for people who truly care for students!!

While I have to honestly say that I’m pretty sick of travel, this was a great trip!  I was so encouraged by my time with people!

 

The Northwest will never be the same

I’m finally getting to visit the lovely Pacific Northwest (sorry Idahoans, but I’m still not sure if you count. I mean I’m sure you count to Jesus and all, but not sure you count as the Northwest). I’ll be in Seattle, Vancouver and Portland over the next week and am really looking forward to it!

I’ll get to hang out with Calvin Black and the Canada Pacific District council, Darian Kovacs at Peace Portal and Jim Wicks at Adsideo.

 

Giving Bread… but which kind?

Mark 2 continues to “bother” me.  I talked in another post about my struggle for what this means for us and our relationships.  But lately another question has been coming at me from this Scripture.

The question for those who serve others and care for the poor has long been: is it more important for me to meet their physical needs or their spiritual needs?  This has been fleshed out in many different ways.  One group may go and visit with the homeless and give them tracts that tell them about Jesus, or event spend their time talking to them about knowing Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.  Another group may go out to the same group of homeless men and spend no time talking about Jesus but rather spend their time giving them sandwiches and asking them about their health.  

This story in Mark brings to light this question again for me.  What is it that the men were trying to help their friend with??  Was it his spiritual life or his physical?  Or both?  In most people’s opinions their original reason for bringing Him to Jesus was so that He could be physically healed.  But did they also believe that more might happen for this man in the presence of Jesus?  What is my role as a friend of those in need?  To bring them to Jesus for their physical healing and trust that more may come?  Is that my only task?  Or perhaps it is in the caring for people’s physical needs that the way is prepared for other conversations about Christ? 

Part of my thoughts around this issue return back to a conversation several of us had around the book, “Christianity Rediscovered” by Vincent Donovan.  You can read those thoughts here.  Donovan as a missionary to the Masai people in Africa realized that for all the social action the church had taken (putting in schools, hospitals, etc.), while they certainly appreciated and enjoyed the services, the Masai were no closer to being followers of Christ than they had been before.  So he took out to rediscover what it means to share with others the gospel of Christ.  

What then is our role?  What is the priority for us?  Where is God at work? 

 

NBA Fan Left Behind

I try to keep my sports fanaticism stifled here.  In part to keep people from recognizing what a nut job I am.  But I cannot be quiet on this issue any longer. 

I am one of the biggest fans of basketball and the NBA that I know.  I’m one of the few who actually will watch a whole game… in November… and not just when I’m sick and nothing else is on.  I love the NBA.  This past weekend was the NBA All-Star weekend, a weekend that is billed as “for the fans”.  Apparently the only way to be a fan of the NBA is to have cable or satellite.  I do not have either of these.  I therefore must not matter to the NBA.  

In my opinion of all the All-Star games in major sports the NBA All-Star weekend is one of the best.  The game itself is widely regarded as the most entertaining.  Players go out of their way to put on a show.  The NFL All-Star game is all about NOT getting hurt.  The MBL All-star game is all about… well I’m not sure anyone knows.  The NHL All-star game is only watched by 10 people in the States.  However ALL of these All-star games are available on the major networks.  Not so for the NBA. 

The NBA is popular around the world because it is a relatively simple game.  Put the ball in the basket.  All you need to play really is a ball.  You can make whatever you want the basket (a peach basket was used when the game started!  A peach basket!  If you can’t figure out something when a peach basket is your model then you shouldn’t be allowed to be around scissors).  This makes it easy to play, especially for those who are poor.  I am poor.  I do not have cable or satellite dish.  I also cannot watch the NBA All-star game or any of the weekend events (like the Dunk contest, 3 point shoot out and more).  The dunk contest I had READ later was perhaps the best ever.  And I, a true fan, cannot watch this.  

If the NBA wants to go the way of hockey it will continue this preposterous position.  However, if they want to continue to be the game of the people, it will find a way to let me watch the All-star game.  I mean, come on!  When are people going to learn that what I want is the most important thing????

 

“Juno” movie

I rarely see a movie in the theaters these days (see… parent of four), but I did get out to see the movie “Juno” the other day. You should see it too. It is a great movie and reminded me why I go to movies. Just see it. Today would be good.

Quote of the movie, “I don’t know who I am right now.”

Coolest person - Bleeker - the handsome young man in the poster - enough said

 

Sad day in Kansas City

I know it may seem silly to you, but one of my few pleasures since moving to KC has been their addition of real sports talk radio. I’m not refering to the ad naseum ramblings of some local yokel about the boring and never good Chiefs and Royals. They’ve had that in spades. But real ESPN radio.

This weekend the radio station that I tuned into on the way to work for last nights scores, updates and news was bought and my sports radio replaced by Christian radio. It is a sad day indeed.

 

4 Letters to Describe Yourself

I just completed the lovely Myers-Jung test.  Now it’s online and shorter (praise God!) than the ones I had to take when I was in seminary.  I remember it being an hour + but perhaps that is just my memory.  Anyway, I’m an INFP.  I’m sure there are some that have four other letters they’d prefer to use for me.

I=Introversion

N=Intuition

T=Thinking

P=Perception

The sight gives you an analysis of yourself and it calls me a “Healer” and says, “…and the mere fact that there are so few of you (around one percent of the population)…” I knew I was different.  But it describes me as…

“As a Healer, you have the capacity to care deeply about the inner lives of those close to you, as well as about favorite causes in the world at large. More than other types, you can have a great passion and ability to heal the conflicts that trouble individuals or divide groups. In your efforts, you seek to bring wholeness and health to others as well as to yourself.”

I’m pretty good with that.  Anybody else care to comment?

 

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