Thursday, 24 February, 2011
Blaise Pascal was a philosopher, mathematician and an inventor. He also was a man with exceptional reasoning powers and strong Christian faith. In his Penses he speaks about the 'glory' and the 'misery'.
The context is that life is never one or the other but both. The 'glory' experiences of people speaks to us of what God intended for us before the Fall and the 'misery' of people reminds us of something in all of us that was lost. It's the human condition we live every day of our lives. And it's the condition we work on to deny, hide and overcome.
The Bible, God's story, is essentially a three part act. Creation that reveals what God ultimately intended for us as His creation, the Fall which recounts something that went horribly wrong and which we live and face everyday in ourselves and world, and the Redemption which tells of God's plan to restore His ultimate intention. This being the greatest expression of unconditional love when God became man and died on the cross to reinstate us into right relationship with Him and secure an eternal future.
Are you, like Blaise Pascal's observation, in a season of 'glory' or 'misery'? You are in good company with all of creation experiencing what you could become or are experiencing how broken we are.
Recently in my small group study we discussed how individuals came to a personal relationship with Jesus. Everyone has such a fascinating story and journey! My unique experience was that God 'rained on my party!'. Unlike many others I was living a life of 'glory'. No money concerns, not yet at a totally self destructive point with alcohol or drug problems, no dreary depressive outlook on my future. It was all good! Money, great friend,s promising educational future, secure business future! A great place to be in to refuse religion.
But I was faced with an opportunity for a personal relationship with God. That was a hard one. But the 'glory' I was enjoying had a shelf life. It wasn't going to last forever and payday was coming. The converted Scholar and Rabbi Saul of Tarus wrote to Roman citizens that, 'the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life'.
Whatever your present condition a free gift is available. Not care free, not free for all but free to receive at a great cost of Jesus' death on the cross.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Moving 2 Change
Moving 2 Change
John Kotter's book 'A Sense of Urgency, a loss of urgency in our lives is a key problem in effecting change. The opposites of 'true' urgency are seen in two areas. The first is in the area of complacence where people have experienced attempted change but have come up short. The resulting effect is defeat, despair, and denial. Defeat in that all attempts to hope, trust or believe in the possibility of change are non-existent. In despair in that once hope is lost depression sets in. And in denial in that life is lived with the belief that there is no need to change.
The second opposite that Kotter points out is 'false' urgency. False urgency demonstrates itself in endless lists, meetings, and to do's. It operates from a base of anxiety and fear that if something doesn't happen then everything will implode. The problem with living on this type of urgency is that it requires a constant volume of adrenaline which is impossible to sustain. The manifestation of false urgency is that life is live in desperation mode at a frenzied paced with no single direction. It is living in the Tornado not the 'eye of the Tornado'. The commentary of this type of attempted change could very well be what the Bible calls, 'Ever learning and never coming to an understanding of the truth'. The emotional cost is severe because people end up living in cynicism, anger, and frustration.
Kotter sees that the answer lies in what he calls 'true' urgency. 'True' urgency is defined as living with clear intent. An individual (or organization) can identify a critical area of change that is needing to take place. Attached to this identification is a very high level of emotion which is undeniably required in order for true change to occur. Absent of the denial of complacency and the frenzied, distracted approach of false urgency, true urgency has the positive emotion of anticipation with it. Missing the 'A' type personality image of what urgency can be true urgency is intentional, methodical and deliberate. It builds on clarity of a preferred future and focus' on that one critical outcome that can be a 'game changer'. The benefits of operating in true urgency mode is that success is a real possibility! In addition, according to Kotter's research, there is a halo effect where the results are exponential affecting many other areas that were in need of change. So practically if you are in a position where 'everything' is wrong and in need of change, choosing just one area and passionately going after that one area will impact other areas creating a sustainable and significant difference.
Questions:
Are you at a point where denial is the only space to be in order to cope?
Are you moving at break neck speed attempting to bring change but when the dust settles all you have is an adrenaline hang over?
What if you tried to identify the one critical issue that needs to be addressed? What if changing that one thing would create a domino effect bringing change to others areas of life?
What is that one thing for you? What action can you take immediately?
John Kotter's book 'A Sense of Urgency, a loss of urgency in our lives is a key problem in effecting change. The opposites of 'true' urgency are seen in two areas. The first is in the area of complacence where people have experienced attempted change but have come up short. The resulting effect is defeat, despair, and denial. Defeat in that all attempts to hope, trust or believe in the possibility of change are non-existent. In despair in that once hope is lost depression sets in. And in denial in that life is lived with the belief that there is no need to change.
The second opposite that Kotter points out is 'false' urgency. False urgency demonstrates itself in endless lists, meetings, and to do's. It operates from a base of anxiety and fear that if something doesn't happen then everything will implode. The problem with living on this type of urgency is that it requires a constant volume of adrenaline which is impossible to sustain. The manifestation of false urgency is that life is live in desperation mode at a frenzied paced with no single direction. It is living in the Tornado not the 'eye of the Tornado'. The commentary of this type of attempted change could very well be what the Bible calls, 'Ever learning and never coming to an understanding of the truth'. The emotional cost is severe because people end up living in cynicism, anger, and frustration.
Kotter sees that the answer lies in what he calls 'true' urgency. 'True' urgency is defined as living with clear intent. An individual (or organization) can identify a critical area of change that is needing to take place. Attached to this identification is a very high level of emotion which is undeniably required in order for true change to occur. Absent of the denial of complacency and the frenzied, distracted approach of false urgency, true urgency has the positive emotion of anticipation with it. Missing the 'A' type personality image of what urgency can be true urgency is intentional, methodical and deliberate. It builds on clarity of a preferred future and focus' on that one critical outcome that can be a 'game changer'. The benefits of operating in true urgency mode is that success is a real possibility! In addition, according to Kotter's research, there is a halo effect where the results are exponential affecting many other areas that were in need of change. So practically if you are in a position where 'everything' is wrong and in need of change, choosing just one area and passionately going after that one area will impact other areas creating a sustainable and significant difference.
Questions:
Are you at a point where denial is the only space to be in order to cope?
Are you moving at break neck speed attempting to bring change but when the dust settles all you have is an adrenaline hang over?
What if you tried to identify the one critical issue that needs to be addressed? What if changing that one thing would create a domino effect bringing change to others areas of life?
What is that one thing for you? What action can you take immediately?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Crisis, Concern, Christ
Rome Burns
In 64-65 AD two thirds of Rome was burned. Nero was Emperor at the time and is strongly believed to be the cause of this great disaster. However, and conveniently, Christians were accused of starting the fire and a 'killing time' of Christians ensued. Among those who were killed were the Christian church leaders Peter and Paul.
Good News is Recorded
It was with this backdrop that the earliest Gospel in the New Testament, The Gospel of Mark, was written. The motive for the writing was to document the life of Jesus before all the eye witnesses died. Another reason was to encourage Christians during a terrible time of trouble where hate, anger, persecution, and execution were the order of the day.
Imagine being a Christian during one of the worst times of the church life. The pause it would give you, the fear it would incite, the panic it would create in ones life.
Three Acts
So Mark writes essentially a three act story of the story of God in Jesus. In keeping with one of the major themes, immediacy, it's a short book leaving out the birth of Jesus and begins with John the Baptist's preaching, going right into Jesus' teaching and miracles, and ending with a long Passion story.
Mark addresses the powerful distraction of fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) by drawing the Christians attention to the three acts of Jesus;
1. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies
2. Jesus is the forgiver of mans sins. (Only God can forgive!)
3. Jesus is the forerunner to eternal life
Simple, effective and powerful for anyone, anytime trying to live out the Christian life. How can we continue on the faith journey? The same way.
Relevant for Today
Today's cynical environment can make us weak in the certainty that Jesus is who he said he was. They did too. So Mark challenged them to stand on the certainty of the Old Testament...to be bold and confident.
Mark spends special focus on the fact that Jesus is the Answer! To what? To that deep vacuum and longing need for us to experience freedom from the regret, guilt, and sense of shame we live with.
Lastly Mark points us forward to an eternal hope. His claim (Jesus' claim) is that Jesus is God, died on the cross for our sin and rose from the dead making a way (a clear cut path) to life here now and forever.
Authentic Questions
How's your faith journey going? Where are you in strength of certainty? The need of forgiveness? The desire for peace about the future?
Is fear, uncertainty or doubt creeping into your sacred faith? Take time to pore over Mark's Gospel and discover the validity of Jesus being the fulfillment of our hopes, the authoritative issuer of forgiveness, the assurance of eternal life.
Jesus is still the answer!
In 64-65 AD two thirds of Rome was burned. Nero was Emperor at the time and is strongly believed to be the cause of this great disaster. However, and conveniently, Christians were accused of starting the fire and a 'killing time' of Christians ensued. Among those who were killed were the Christian church leaders Peter and Paul.
Good News is Recorded
It was with this backdrop that the earliest Gospel in the New Testament, The Gospel of Mark, was written. The motive for the writing was to document the life of Jesus before all the eye witnesses died. Another reason was to encourage Christians during a terrible time of trouble where hate, anger, persecution, and execution were the order of the day.
Imagine being a Christian during one of the worst times of the church life. The pause it would give you, the fear it would incite, the panic it would create in ones life.
Three Acts
So Mark writes essentially a three act story of the story of God in Jesus. In keeping with one of the major themes, immediacy, it's a short book leaving out the birth of Jesus and begins with John the Baptist's preaching, going right into Jesus' teaching and miracles, and ending with a long Passion story.
Mark addresses the powerful distraction of fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) by drawing the Christians attention to the three acts of Jesus;
1. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies
2. Jesus is the forgiver of mans sins. (Only God can forgive!)
3. Jesus is the forerunner to eternal life
Simple, effective and powerful for anyone, anytime trying to live out the Christian life. How can we continue on the faith journey? The same way.
Relevant for Today
Today's cynical environment can make us weak in the certainty that Jesus is who he said he was. They did too. So Mark challenged them to stand on the certainty of the Old Testament...to be bold and confident.
Mark spends special focus on the fact that Jesus is the Answer! To what? To that deep vacuum and longing need for us to experience freedom from the regret, guilt, and sense of shame we live with.
Lastly Mark points us forward to an eternal hope. His claim (Jesus' claim) is that Jesus is God, died on the cross for our sin and rose from the dead making a way (a clear cut path) to life here now and forever.
Authentic Questions
How's your faith journey going? Where are you in strength of certainty? The need of forgiveness? The desire for peace about the future?
Is fear, uncertainty or doubt creeping into your sacred faith? Take time to pore over Mark's Gospel and discover the validity of Jesus being the fulfillment of our hopes, the authoritative issuer of forgiveness, the assurance of eternal life.
Jesus is still the answer!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Denial, Desperation or Determination
John Kotter's book, A Sense of Urgency, goes a long way in explaining why 70% of attempted change doesn't achieve it's goal. He also states that based on his research only 10% of attempted change is successful.
The one central point is that people do not have enough of a high level of urgency to push through to the end. The 10% had emotion, high levels of urgency and a keen sense of what is critical.
The two enemies of success are complacency and 'false' urgency. Complacency reveals itself in denial that anything is in need of radical change and 'false' urgency reveals itself in activity based on fear and anxiety. The fear base effort to change looks like a lot is happening but is only misdirected action and frenzy with no clear outcome in mind.
Questions:
Denial: Are you in denial (complacent) that in your person, in your relationships, in your work, in your spirituality change is needed?
Desperation: Are you in hyper drive (false urgency) full of activity, meetings, lists, etc, creating a false sense of urgency that will only lead to frustration, anger, cynicism?
Determination: Are you in the 10% zone where there is an identifiable critical matter to change in your life that is emotional and creates a high level of urgency. Where there is a seemingly contradictory clam, clarity of focus and anticipation?
The one central point is that people do not have enough of a high level of urgency to push through to the end. The 10% had emotion, high levels of urgency and a keen sense of what is critical.
The two enemies of success are complacency and 'false' urgency. Complacency reveals itself in denial that anything is in need of radical change and 'false' urgency reveals itself in activity based on fear and anxiety. The fear base effort to change looks like a lot is happening but is only misdirected action and frenzy with no clear outcome in mind.
Questions:
Denial: Are you in denial (complacent) that in your person, in your relationships, in your work, in your spirituality change is needed?
Desperation: Are you in hyper drive (false urgency) full of activity, meetings, lists, etc, creating a false sense of urgency that will only lead to frustration, anger, cynicism?
Determination: Are you in the 10% zone where there is an identifiable critical matter to change in your life that is emotional and creates a high level of urgency. Where there is a seemingly contradictory clam, clarity of focus and anticipation?
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